The Swedish Jordan Expedition 2011 and 2012 at Tall Abu al-Kharaz. Preliminary results from the early Iron Age occupation in Area 9

Abstract

Tall Abu al-Kharaz, a twelve hectare-large tell in the central Jordan Valley, was occupied for approximately five millennia. In earlier excavation seasons most of the early Iron Age remains were found to have been disturbed by later settlers. Between 2009 and 2012 excavations revealed an extremely well-preserved city quarter dating from around 1100 BC, which represents an essential part of the settlement history of this city. The stone-built architectural compound consists of 21 rooms, with walls still standing to a height of more than 2 m. The inventories of these rooms, which comprised more than 200 complete vessels and other objects, were remarkably intact. Amongst the finds were imports from Egypt and Phoenicia. There were also finds which are associated with the culture of the Sea Peoples/Philistines, such as several Aegean and Cypriote-style vessels and other objects. The find context points to a hasty abandonment of the city. In the past, the beginning of the Iron Age has often been referred to as “the Dark Ages”, a period of cultural regression: this categorization is not appropriate to the find situation at Tall Abu al-Kharaz where the remains of a wealthy society, with far-reaching intercultural connections, can be identified.