Abstract
The study reports on the identification of chemical composition of samples, of natural and artificial origin, in order to investigate the technology involved and the contest of production of metals, slag and vitrified materials from the Jordanian site of Tell es-Sa’idiyeh. The site is situated in the east central Jordan Valley, 1.8 km east of the River Jordan, on the south side of the Wadi Kufrinjeh. The settlement is placed on two mounds: the Upper Tell, to the middle east of the site, lies 14 m above the plain level and covers an area of about 10,000 sq·m; and the Low Tell, approximately 90 by 40 m to the west, is about 20 m lower than the upper mound. The surrounding land may be considered some of the most fertile agricultural terrains in the country and the site occupies a key strategic position, dominating the crossroads of two major trade routes.
Highlights
The study reports on the identification of chemical composition of samples, of natural and artificial origin, in order to investigate the technology involved and the contest of production of metals, slag and vitrified materials from the Jordanian site of Tell es-Sa’idiyeh
Selected for this research, an assemblage of metal, slag and vitrified materials from the Jordanian site of Tell es-Sa’idiyeh was delivered to me by Jonathan Tubb and Thilo Rehren in order to identify origin and composition of the different items, and eventually technologies involved in their production1
Optical and chemical analyses were performed by optical microscope; energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), attached to a scanning electron microscope (SEM) type JEOL 35; X-ray
Summary
Selected for this research, an assemblage of metal, slag and vitrified materials from the Jordanian site of Tell es-Sa’idiyeh was delivered to me by Jonathan Tubb and Thilo Rehren in order to identify origin and composition of the different items, and eventually technologies involved in their production. Metal finds are very rare in Jordan and occur only in Late Chalcolithic assemblages. If the end of the significant sequence at Ghassul occurred as a regional phenomenon, many southern sites may have followed the same sharp decline or have ceased to be occupied by that time (Bourke, 1998, 1999). This could mean that the metal industry in Jordan may have been involved in a more regional decline in a still outgoing phase. Researches on production, consumption, rituals and exchange may be employed as means to explore interrelationships between different aspects of societies, by analyzing archaeological data to investigate steps and dimensions of ancient social organization (Philips, 2001: p. 166)
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