Wadi Rum is one of the world's iconic sandstone landscapes that integrates the detail of distinctive patterns of localized rock weathering with large scale landscape evolution controlled both by the intrinsic properties of the rocks and a complex tectonic and structural history. This mix of influences has created in effect a 'natural laboratory' in which some of the key issues of desert geomorphology can be explored. Included in these is the question, central to general models of landscape evolution, of how vertical elements (cliffs) are maintained in the landscape through basal erosion and the effective removal of slope-foot debris. The role of groundwater seepage in this process also opens the door to an exploration of how past climatic conditions influenced seepage, associated weathering and landscape change through the formation of caves and caverns that locally undermine cliffs. Such areas of natural seepage have always been important for human habitation, and an understanding of the geomorphological processes that operate in the area continues to have relevance for archaeological studies through, in particular, the impact of weathering and retention of rock art. In a wider context , this understanding of process is vital for future landscape conservation, both in terms of identifying areas of special scientific interest and areas of greatest sensitivity to change that require enhanced and often very specific protection. Invariably this encompasses not only the physical landscape but also the habitats that derive from it. Through this an understanding of the geomorphology of Wadi Rum is essential for the successful application of an ecosystem-based approach to environmental conservation, which is itself essential for the long-term sustainability of the area. In support of this 'holistic approach' to understanding the environment and its conservation, the proposed conference will attempt to integrate across a wide variety of fields including: Geology, Geomorphology, past and present Climatology, Botany, Plant Ecology, Animal Ecology and the conservation and management of natural heritage.
Cultural history
The outstanding landforms of Wadi Rum have played an essential role in fostering human settlement in the area and enhancing the development of sophisticated intellectual activity. Spanning at least 12,000 years, one of the world's richest collections of rock art and epigraphy is housed at the site. This wealth of documentation enables an understanding of the relation between settled and mobile lifestyles over an extremely long period of time. Factors underpinning this relationship have been a combination of environmental constraints and of successive social, economic and political forces both external and domestic. In the early Prehistory human settlement was fostered by a wetter climate and more abundant sources of water. Particularly relevant to contemporary concerns about climate change, the existing record of resource use in Wadi Rum illustrates the adaptability of human communities who have made the most of scarce resources to sustain continuous presence after the climate became dryer in the Bronze Age. Rock art documents the presence and disappearance of specific animal species, either wild or domesticated, in response to climate change. Archaeological remains testify to cycles of agricultural activities (cultivation of olives and other crops, domestication and breeding of various types of livestock) based on sophisticated systems of rainwater harvesting (dams, channels, reservoirs, and sunken cisterns). Recent epigraphical and archaeological studies allow to revisit historical knowledge about the role of Wadi Rum as a religious and commercial centre in pre-Islamic North Arabia, and to identify the site with Iram, mentioned in the Qur'an. These studies are also important for a history of writing in the Arabian Peninsula. Knowledge about Wadi Rum would benefit from the insight of other archaeological studies conducted in the Hisma basin and Maan region. This would allow to understand the site in its broader regional environment, and to fill a knowledge gap spanning the classical Islamic periods and the Ottoman era. Presently, the Wadi Rum area is mainly used for tourism and, to a lesser extend, pastoralism, both activities that remain complementary for the local Bedouin populations. Large agricultural projects have also been developed around Diseh. Change in the use of the site, and particularly increased numbers of visitors, present economic opportunities but also social, cultural and environmental challenges that need to be addressed through adequate management and monitoring measures, particularly in the Wadi Rum Protected Area and its buffer zone. Scholars having conducted research in Wadi Rum and relevant other sites in the South-East of Jordan will be invited to present their findings in the following disciplinary areas: Archaeology, Epigraphy, Anthropology, History, Human Geography, conservation and management of tangible and intangible cultural heritage.