Tall Jawa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 | |
  Tall Jawa Shown within Jordan | |
| Location | Jordan |
|---|---|
| Region | Amman Governorate |
| Coordinates | 31°51′27″N 35°55′54″E / 31.857470°N 35.931608°E |
| History | |
| Cultures | Ammonite, Byzantine, Umayyad |
Tall Jawa is an archaeological and historical site in central Jordan.
Excavations and research have revealed the remains of an Iron Age village of the ancient Kingdom of Ammon.[1] A two-storey house of the early Islamic period was also found, providing insight of the 7th to 8th century transition from Christianity to Islam in Central Transjordan.[2]
Today, Tall Jawa stands as a tell — a mound of ruins — overlooking the Madaba Plain. Amongst local people, it is known as "The Rock", but its ancient name is unknown.[1]
Tall Jawa stands at an elevation of 928 metres (3,045 ft) above sea level, close to the Iron Age capital city of Rabbath-Ammon. It is located west-northwest of the modern city of Jawa, 10.9 kilometres (6.8 mi) south of modern Amman.[1]
History
Tall Jawa was known to 19th-century travellers and explorers. Nelson Glueck conducted the first archaeological survey on site in 1933 and modern day excavations commenced in 1989.[1] No other research is known to have taken place between Glueck's survey and the start of modern excavations. Tall Jawa underwent six seasons of research and excavations, first as part of the Madaba Plains Project and, after 1992, as the Tall Jawa excavation Project. Lawrence T. Geraty (Project Director, Madaba Plains Project) was in charge of the excavations in 1989 and 1991 and Michèle Daviau oversaw them from 1992 to 1995.[1]
Archaeological finds, including architecture and artefacts dating from the Iron Age (1100–600 BC), have revealed information about the Kingdom of Ammon. Some of the artefacts found on site have been retained by the Department of Antiquities of Jordan for the National Museum in Amman. The remaining objects are either at Wilfrid Laurier University or in storage at the American Center for Oriental Research in Amman.[3]
Archaeological research has revealed that the site was reoccupied 1200 years after the destruction of the Iron Age town, during the transition from the Byzantine to the Umayyad period.[2]
