The survey was aided again this season by aerial photographs of the region. The project's geologist is studying evidence of coastline changes, the history of tectonics in the region, evidence of climate change, and natural mineral resources. In 1998 a total of about 101 new archaeological sites were visited and recorded by the survey team, which has now recorded about 334 sites. Nearly all are new additions to the archaeological map of Jordan. The survey has provided a representative sample of the archaeological resources of this region.
Most sites are generally very small and yielded very few artifacts.
Most appear to have been nomadic campsites, cemeteries, stone rings, and rock cairns. A few appear to have serviced and protected traffic in Wadi Araba. The survey of southeastern Wadi Araba is now complete and the project will move towards final publication of the survey. The following discussion of results from these areas will proceed from north to south, which also corresponds roughly with the chronological order of the remains. Because the Aqaba Regional Authority intends to develop the Circular Area, it remains imperative to continue the search for ancient remains to guide future development in this area.