Site museums and archaeology

Abstract

Abstract What is a site museum? What types and relations of sites does it involve? How do archaeological site museums serve archaeological and natural sites? How do archaeological sites relate to archaeological museums? What are the functions of an archaeological site museum? How do we approach them? What is their relation to local communities and other stakeholders towards development? This chapter highlights the concept of site museums and archaeology in the framework of museum archaeology by taking the above questions into account. It first addresses the concept, the content, and the perceptions of ‘site museum’, including its origins, types, existence, and development. It then discusses site museums and archaeology, and their relation to heritage building processes. Finally, a model for addressing archaeological site museums is presented, using the Museum at the Lowest Place on Earth (MuLPE) in Jordan as a case study.