An Iron Age II ceramic figurine from Umm Sweiwineh, Central Jordan

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper assesses a typical Ammonite terracotta figurine discovered during the rescue excavation conducted at Umm Sweiwineh in the periphery of Amman in 2014 by the Department of Antiquities of Jordan (DoA). During the past few decades, excavations in Transjordan, in particular central Jordan, have produced a large corpus of anthropomorphic figurines from various sites dated to the Iron Age. Their excavation contexts varied from funerary to domestic. Male figurines are usually slipped or painted to show a beard or moustache and are characterised by a conical headdress. Although foreign cultural influence is apparent, they show a local stylistic tradition. This paper will discuss the figurine and its findspot, including a description and the forming technique employed to produce it, its typological classification, chronological framework, comparisons, cultural influence, iconography and potential function. The chronology of the figurine was determined by its archaeological context and accompanying pottery assemblage, as well as comparative examples from well-stratified sites.