The Educational Value of Rock Art in Understanding Jordanian Cultural Heritage: A Case Study of Musical Scenes

Al-Alwan, Khalled; Kraishan, Dima; Al-Manaser, Ali

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.16355324.

Vol. 56 (2025), pp. 35–42 •

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DEBATE ARTICLE

The Educational Value of Rock Art in Understanding Jordanian Cultural Heritage: A Case Study of Musical Scenes

Khalled Al-Alwan,¹ Dima Kraishan,² Ali Al-Manaser ²

(1) Department of Allied Humanities, Faculty of Arts, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan
(2) Department of Cultural Resources Management and Museology, Queen Rania Faculty of Tourism and Heritage,
The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan

(aliy@hu.edu.jo)

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Abstract

Rock art in the Jordanian Badia, particularly in the northeastern “Black Desert” (Harrah), represents an essential aspect of the region's cultural and archaeological heritage. These petroglyphs and inscriptions, which date from the Neolithic through the Islamic periods, with most of the material being composed from the 2nd century BCE to the 4th century CE, often appear in important adjacent rock art, healing, and environmental studies. As the rock art correlates to the lifestyles, socio-economics, spirituality, and environments of the nomadic groups making them, it provides us a new way to study all of these aspects. This paper examines the salient attributes of rock art in Jordan and potential aspects of the rock art as a communication tool via symbols that imply a variety of interpretative contexts that involve social religion, territory, and frequently memory. In examining developed issues arising from engaged social environments and expressions via indigenous lifeways, anthropology, and astronomy, we can observe the development of languages both in inscriptions and in the relationships that may be regional, social, or territorial. In addition to possible preservation methods that are sustainable, we outline the importance of continuing campaigns for the digital capture, awareness activities that engage communities, and the collaboration with universities and researchers on as much future interdisciplinary research into the long-term conservation, preservation, protection, and study of this irreplaceable cultural heritage (Al-Manaser 2008; Al-Jallad & Al-Manaser 2021).

Keywords

Interpretation, documentation, written heritage, Jordan, Black Desert.

Cite as

Al-Alwan, K.; D. Kraishan; A. Al-Manaser. 2025.
The Educational Value of Rock Art in Understanding Jordanian Cultural Heritage: A Case Study of Musical Scenes. Arqueología Iberoamericana 56: 35–42.

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Other Persistent Identifiers

PURL: purl.org/aia/5604. ARK: ark:/49934/381.

Received: June 5, 2025. Accepted: July 17, 2025. Published: July 25, 2025.

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