The Journal of Islamic Archaeology is the only journal today devoted to the field of Islamic archaeology on a global scale.  In the context of this journal, “Islamic archaeology” refers neither to a specific time period, nor to a particular geographical region, as Islam is global and the center of the “Islamic world” has shifted many times over the centuries. Likewise, it is not defined by a single methodology or theoretical construct (for example; it is not the “Islamic” equivalent of “Biblical archaeology”, with an emphasis on the study of places and peoples mentioned in religious texts). The term refers to the archaeological study of Islamic societies, polities, and communities, wherever they are found. It may be considered a type of “historical” archaeology, in which the study of historically (textually) known societies can be studied through a combination of “texts and tell”.

There has never been such interest among both scholars and the informed public alike in the archaeology of Islamic societies. The last few years in particular have witnessed marked growth in the number of conferences and workshops, publications, and university programs with Islamic archaeology as a focus. Islamic archaeology courses are being offered in conjunction with Middle East Studies and Islamic art history at universities throughout North America and Europe, and comprise a field of specialization in archaeology departments in the Middle East. There is, in short, a rapidly growing readership in the field, and no other specialized journal to service it.

The range of topics invited for the journal is wide, including not only field and ceramic reports, but also studies from other disciplines that are of direct relevance to Islamic archaeology, such as historical geography, art history, history, numismatics, ethnography, and environmental studies. The Editor welcomes suggestions for themed issues as well as submissions for regular issues. All articles are subject to double-blind peer review.  

Frequency
The Journal is published simultaneously in print and online with two issues per year.

ISSN: 2051-9710 (print)

ISSN: 2051-9729 (online)