Reframing the “Desert Frontier”

The eastern frontier of the Roman Empire – its network of roads, trade routes, towns, and forts – is often conceived of as an “edge” of both empire and civilisation. However, this “borderland” is also part of a rich cultural landscape. Our awareness and appreciation of these cultures has increased dramatically over the course of the last century. Scholarship has deepened, methods have advanced, and perspectives have shifted.

Across 20 chapters, Reframing the Desert Frontier offers new insights into the rich cultural history of this region through the re-examination of existing material – such as archives, historical accounts, and previous surveys – and through the use of novel archaeological approaches. The bringing together of different methodological approaches to the archaeology of the region in a single volume highlights synergies and offers important comparisons for archaeologists to consider.

This volume highlights the work of Emeritus Professor David Kennedy, whose contribution to the study of the Roman army, the archaeology of Jordan, and aerial archaeology has inspired and enhanced multiple projects that have reframed this so-called “desert frontier”.

Reframing the Desert Frontier encapsulates the enriched view of this ancient region generated by new techniques of survey and analysis, changed perspectives on older materials, a more intense engagement with the rural landscapes surrounding ancient towns, and the addition of new discoveries that alter previous consensus.