1st Edition
Ancient Landscapes of Zoara II Finds from Surveys and Excavations at the Ghor as-Safi in Jordan, 1997–2018
Ancient Landscapes of Zoara II reveals the unique set of objects discovered through the meticulous excavations at the Ghor as-Safi in Jordan. Some of them are unique works of art, but others are no less valuable for the knowledge they hold.
Complementing the previous volume Ancient Landscapes of Zoara I, this book explores Ghor as-Safi’s ancient history and archaeology through the material remains found during excavations. The finds described are from historical periods and include unpublished early Christian and Aramaic inscriptions as well as Arabic writing and graffiti. Newly discovered mosaic pavements are presented along with other noteworthy finds such as glazed imported wares, local industrial pottery, fine glass, an array of coins and specialised metal work. Animal and plant remains testify to varied and rich agricultural regimes which sustained the prosperity of ancient communities. In turn, this affluence seems to have led to a fairly sophisticated and literate society in an otherwise rather desolate environment. Studies on the human remains affirm a robust population.
Ancient Landscapes of Zoara II, as with the previous volume, is aimed at students and researchers of the archaeology of the Near East and the southern Levant in particular. It is also of interest to readers wishing to further their understanding of the region’s medieval cultures, with a focus on material finds from archaeological excavations belonging to the Byzantine and Islamic periods.
Part I. Material finds from the early Byzantine, Abbasid and Ayyubid-Mamluk periods; 1. The mosaic pavements; 2. Writing in Zoara: an overview of Greek, Aramaic and Arabic inscriptions; 3. Greek-inscribed tombstones: a preliminary report on the latest discoveries; 4. Early Byzantine miscellaneous objects; 5. Abbasid and Ayyubid-Mamluk miscellaneous objects; 6. Ceramics from the Nabataean to the Mamluk periods; 7. Quantification of historic-period pottery; 8. Petrographic analysis of historic-period coarse ware pottery; 9. The coins; 10 A. The glass: an overview and highlights; 10B. The glass from the Khirbat ash-Sheikh ‘Isa excavations, 2002; Part II. Environmental finds: 11. The human skeletal remains; 12. Animal-based subsistence: interim remarks; 13. Preliminary results for archaeobotanical samples from Khirbat ash-Sheikh ‘Isa; 14. Phytolith analysis: preliminary results
Biography
Konstantinos D. Politis is an archaeologist who is well-versed on the Near East from prehistory through to the medieval periods, with a focus on Late Antiquity. He has published eight books and numerous scholarly articles and has presented many lectures in Europe, the Near East, Australia and North America. From 1986 to 2004, Dr. Politis led the Sanctuary of Lot Project for the British Museum, and from 1997 to 2018, he directed the Ghor as-Safi Project, instigating the Museum at the Lowest Place on Earth. He has also headed other projects for the Greek, Jordanian, Syrian and Omani governments as well as British Council, UNESCO and USAID. Recently, he has completed seminal EU-funded research about the Ghor as-Safi at Athens and Ionian universities, now published.
