Monday afternoon MSU lecture to spotlight Moabite archaeology

Contact: Kay F. Jones

An authority on archaeological sites in the Middle Eastern nation of Jordan will discuss his work Monday [Oct. 14] during a public program at Mississippi State University.

Gerald L. Mattingly's presentation begins at 5 p.m. in 102 Hilbun Hall. A professor at Johnson Bible College in Knoxville, Tenn., his MSU lecture is sponsored by the Cobb Institute of Archaeology, department of philosophy and religion, College of Arts and Sciences, and the student Anthropology Club.

Since 1995, Mattingly, a seasoned excavator, has directed the Karak Resources Project, surveying and excavating areas of ancient Moab on the highland plateau north and west of the city of Karak in South Central Jordan.

Since 1997, the project has focused on excavations at Khirbet al.Mudaybi' where remains of a fortified Moabite settlement of the 8th-6th centuries B.C. have been identified.

Mattingly will focus both on the project's overall work and specific results of the Mudaybi' excavations, including the discovery of the city's gateway with architectural features similar to those found at royal cities built in Judah by King Solomon and his successors.

For more information, telephone the Cobb Institute at (662) 325-3826.