Archaeology in Jordan, 2010 and 2011 Seasons

Abstract

Claudia Buhrig, Lisa Berger, and Georg Pasewald, Orient Department, German Archaeological Institute, Berlin, report: Recent research on the ancient city of Gadara (present-day Umm Qeis), with its focus on settlement development in Hellenistic to Roman times, is currently being expanded to include a multiperiod survey in the hinterland (online fig. 1). The first two campaigns provided knowledge about the urban hinterland’s settlement, traffic, supply and fortification systems, agricultural and economic use of the region, and the first traces of prehistoric settlements in the area. In the course of reconstructing the environmental and economic conditions in the region, numerous remnants of ancient agriculture and water supply systems, as well as extensive limestone quarries and mining regions for flint, were documented. The survey results also detail various construction activities: defensive watch towers, agricultural installations, homesteads, a Roman villa(?), smaller settlements, and numerous tombs and cemeteries. Preliminary examination of the pottery, lithics, and stone artifacts confirms the theory that there was continuous settlement activity in the region from prehistoric until early modern times. This is supported by favorable topographic and natural conditions, such as springs, fertile soils, available building materials, and flint deposits. Two extra-urban hilltop sanctuaries were located and documented: the sanctuary on al-Qabu and the cult place ‘Arqub Rumi. In 2010, a rough plan of the monumental structure on al-Qabu was drawn, and a test trench in the western area verified the presence of a podium temple; in the eastern part of the site, building structures of unknown use were documented. Pottery, marble fragments, and architectural elements (Corinthian capitals, cornices, bases) were found in abundance throughout the entire site. It is currently presumed that a Late Augustan monumental sanctuary complex was located atop al-Qabu. The sanctuary is visible and easily accessible from the main temple complex in Gadara, the so-called theater-temple area, and it had a direct connection to a main east–west supraregional transit route. There may also have been a functional connection with ‘Arqub Rumi, the cult complex for which a topographic map was made in 2011 (online fig. 2). The ceramic material found in both campaigns illustrates the great chronological depth of occupation in the region. For instance, the hilltop with ‘Arqub Rumi shows clear signs of occupation from Late Hellenistic to Roman times, but there is no evidence of use during the following periods. In contrast, the pottery from al-Qabu has revealed the continuous use of this hilltop from at least Late Hellenistic times through the Early Islamic period.