From 1979 to 1981 Köhler-Rollefson worked as an archaeozoologist on excavations in Jordan which led to her fascination with camels and Bedouin, and in 1982, she held a fellowship of the German Oriental Society conducting ethnoarchaeological research on the Bedouin of Jordan.
From 1979 to 1981 Köhler-Rollefson worked as an archaeozoologist on excavations in Jordan, including Pella and Tawilan. The exposure to Jordan led to her fascination with camels and Bedouin, and in 1982, she held a fellowship of the German Oriental Society conducting ethnoarchaeological research on the Bedouin of Jordan.