The American Center of Oriental Research (ACOR) in Amman completed its latest field season of the Beidha Excavation Project on May 18, 2005. Located 15 kilometers from Petra, a World Heritage Site, Beidha (Little Petra) was occupied by nomads as early as the eleventh millennium B.C., later by the Nabataeans, and more recently by the Amareen Bedouin. Funded by ACOR's endowment that was established by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), this season uncovered the remarkable remains of a Nabataean banquet hall that dates to the 1st century. The remains uncovered included 22 stone heads of ancient gods, which used to adorn the capitals of the hall's columns. This notable site, once preserved and presented, will make an invaluable addition to the touristic infrastructure of Jordan, which is one of the objectives of the overall project, in addition to providing employment and training to the local population.