10 October 2019
The Faynan Heritage Trail – a walking route around some of the key archaeological sites in Faynan – has now been designed. Eight information boards will be unobtrusively positioned close to archaeological sites so that visitors to Faynan will be able to know what they are looking at when they see ruins in the landscape, and appreciate their historical significance. The design of the information boards are currently being finalised by Elaine Jamieson. When completed and following approval from the Department of Antiquities, they will be placed by the sites and the new walking trail advertised.
During their October visit to Faynan, Steven Mithen and Elaine Jamieson began work on designing the Faynan Heritage Excursion. This would be a longer trek, requiring a vehicle and guide to visit more remote archaeological sites, located in Wadi Fidan and Wadi el-Ghuwebe. These would be the early Bronze Age settlement of Wadi Fidan 4, the Iron Age site of Kirbat an-Nuhas, Islamic copper mining and smelting site of Khirbat Nuqayb al-Asaymir, the Roman fort of Khirbat Ratyah, and the copper mines in Wadi Khalid. Together, they will provide a unique insight into the entire history of copper mining and production in Faynan. All of these are located within the Dana Biosphere Reserve and hence this excursion would require permission from the RSCN (Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature). Once planned, those negotiations will begin.
For planning the excursion, Steven and Elaine visited the sites guided by Mohammad Zanoon, greatly enjoying the beautiful unspoiled landscapes of Wadi Fidan and Wadi el-Ghuwebe, and a lovely sunset.
