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Jerash - Southwest Hill

Jerash Southwest Hill

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Introduction
Description and Brief Occupational History

Plans
Hilltop of Southwest Hill

Normal Size

  • Fig. 2 - Areas A-E of
    Figure 2

    Architectural remains on hilltop showing Areas A-E

    © Louise Blanke and IJP (Islamic Jerash Project)

    Blanke et al (2015)
    the Late Antique Jarash Project (LAJP) from Blanke et al. (2015)
  • Fig. 5 - Detail of hilltop
    Figure 5

    Detail of hilltop in southwest district showing location of Trenches 1-4. © LAJP.

    Blanke et al (2021)
    in southwest district showing location of Trenches 1-4 from Blanke et al (2021)

Magnified

  • Fig. 2 - Areas A-E of
    Figure 2

    Architectural remains on hilltop showing Areas A-E

    © Louise Blanke and IJP (Islamic Jerash Project)

    Blanke et al (2015)
    the Late Antique Jarash Project (LAJP) from Blanke et al. (2015)
  • Fig. 5 - Detail of hilltop
    Figure 5

    Detail of hilltop in southwest district showing location of Trenches 1-4. © LAJP.

    Blanke et al (2021)
    in southwest district showing location of Trenches 1-4 from Blanke et al (2021)

Discussion

The southwest part of Jarash is characterised by a gradually rising landscape that slopes upwards west of the South Decumanus and the Umayyad congregational mosque towards the town wall. From the south, a series of terraces overlook the South Theatre. The hilltop is defined by a relatively flat area that measures some 100 by 80 metres at the summit of the main slope. The location of the hilltop at some distance from the major thoroughfares means that modern activity has largely been restricted to grazing goats and a partial conversion of the area to a football field. Tourists seldom make their way to the hill-top, partly owing to the steep climb and partly to the limited archaeological work conducted in this part of the town.

The occupational history of the hilltop and its immediate surroundings has been traced from the Hellenistic Period — where natural caves were modified to accommodate tombs — to the eighth century AD. The latter date was produced in the excavations of the Mortuary Church and the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul (built in the early 7th century (Gatier 1987: 135)) where it was defined through secondary architectural use and the discovery of two coins. When we began our survey, little was known of the periods between these two dates.

Our survey contained two main components. The first component entailed a comprehensive recording of the area between the mosque, the South Decumanus and the town wall where all visible wall lines, cisterns, previous excavated areas, bedrock cuts, terracing and dumps of excavated soil were recorded and mapped with a total station. These data were combined with excavation plans from the IJP [Islamic Jerash Project] using GIS (Geographical Information System) software and superimposed on a recent Google Earth image of the site. An aerial photo of Jarash from 1928 from the Yale University archive was used to trace land use and its impact on the archaeological landscape during the past 80 years.

The second component comprised a focused study of five adjoining areas, all located on the hilltop or immediately adjacent to its main features. These areas were first cleared of vegetation and, thereafter, recorded in detail, using written description combined with a full drawn and photographic record.

The five areas on the hilltop are (Fig. 2: A-E):
  1. A building on two levels and a cistern
  2. A plateau with a series of bedrock cuts
  3. A rectangular space, defined to the south and west by long, straight cuts into the bedrock
  4. A building complex with a cistern, located on the northern edge of the hilltop
  5. A street that runs from the South Decumanus to the hilltop

Jerash - Introduction Webpage

Maps, Aerial Views, Plans, Photos, and Geophysics
Maps, Aerial Views, Plans, Photos, and Geophysics

Maps

Normal Size

  • Fig. 4.1 - Map of the
    Figure 4.1

    Map of the territories around Baysān/Scythopolis, Fiḥl/Pella and Jarash/Gerasa, showing late Roman and early Islamic provincial structures

    (Alan Walmsley).

    Blanke and Walmsley (2022)
    territories around Baysān/Scythopolis, Fiḥl/Pella and Jarash/Gerasa showing late Roman and early Islamic provincial structures from Blanke and Walmsley (2022)

Magnified

  • Fig. 4.1 - Map of the
    Figure 4.1

    Map of the territories around Baysān/Scythopolis, Fiḥl/Pella and Jarash/Gerasa, showing late Roman and early Islamic provincial structures

    (Alan Walmsley).

    Blanke and Walmsley (2022)
    territories around Baysān/Scythopolis, Fiḥl/Pella and Jarash/Gerasa showing late Roman and early Islamic provincial structures from Blanke and Walmsley (2022)

Aerial Views

Normal Size

  • Fig. 1 - Aerial photo
    Figure 1

    1928 aerial photo from Yale University archive showing general survey area and hilltop.

    Blanke et al (2015)
    showing southwest hill and surroundings from Blanke et al. (2015)
  • Jerash Southwest Hill in Google Earth
    Jerash Southwest Hill

    click on image to explore this site on a new tab in Google Earth

Magnified

  • Fig. 1 - Aerial photo
    Figure 1

    1928 aerial photo from Yale University archive showing general survey area and hilltop.

    Blanke et al (2015)
    showing southwest hill and surroundings from Blanke et al. (2015)
  • Jerash Southwest Hill in Google Earth
    Jerash Southwest Hill

    click on image to explore this site on a new tab in Google Earth

Plans

Site Plans

Normal Size

  • General Plan of Jerash
    Plan of Jerash. North is to the right.

    Holger Behr - Wikipedia - Public Domain
    from Wikipedia
  • Fig. 2 - Plan of Umayyad
    Figure 2

    Plan summarising the principal urban features of Umayyad Jarash.

    1. Umayyad mosque
    2. possible Islamic administrative centre
    3. market (suq)
    4. South Tetrakonia piazza (built over)
    5. Macellum, with Umayyad–Abbasid rebuilding, and south cardo, encroached by structures;
    6. Oval piazza domestic quarter with fountain;
    7. Zeus temple forecourt (kiln, monastery?)
    8. hippodrome and Bishop Marianos church, eighth century use
    9. church of SS Peter and Paul and Mortuary Church (Umayyad construction date?)
    10. churches of SS Cosmas and Damianus, St George and St John theBaptist, with Umayyad–Abbasid occupation and iconoclastic-effected mosaics (later eighth century)
    11. Christian complex of two churches (Cathedral to the east with stairs from the street, St Theodore’s to the west), mid-5th to late 6th century Bath of Placcus (north of St Theodore’s) and houses west of St Theodore’s with extensive Umayyad occupation including a kiln and oil press
    12. Artemis compound used for ceramic manufacture
    13. Synagogue church with iconoclastic-effected mosaics
    14. North Theatre, also industrialised with kilns
    15. the 1981 ‘mosque’
    16. central Cardo with blacksmith’s shop and offices

    Map modfied from R.E. Pillen in Zayadine (1986).

    Walmsley and Daamgaard (2005)
    Jerash from Walmsley and Daamgaard (2005)
  • Fig. 13 - Early Islamic
    Figure 13

    Early Islamic Jerash

    8th to 13th century CE

    Rattenborg and Blanke (2017)
    Jerash - 8th to 13th century CE - from Rattenborg and Blanke (2017)

Magnified

  • Fig. 2 - Plan of Umayyad
    Figure 2

    Plan summarising the principal urban features of Umayyad Jarash.

    1. Umayyad mosque
    2. possible Islamic administrative centre
    3. market (suq)
    4. South Tetrakonia piazza (built over)
    5. Macellum, with Umayyad–Abbasid rebuilding, and south cardo, encroached by structures;
    6. Oval piazza domestic quarter with fountain;
    7. Zeus temple forecourt (kiln, monastery?)
    8. hippodrome and Bishop Marianos church, eighth century use
    9. church of SS Peter and Paul and Mortuary Church (Umayyad construction date?)
    10. churches of SS Cosmas and Damianus, St George and St John theBaptist, with Umayyad–Abbasid occupation and iconoclastic-effected mosaics (later eighth century)
    11. Christian complex of two churches (Cathedral to the east with stairs from the street, St Theodore’s to the west), mid-5th to late 6th century Bath of Placcus (north of St Theodore’s) and houses west of St Theodore’s with extensive Umayyad occupation including a kiln and oil press
    12. Artemis compound used for ceramic manufacture
    13. Synagogue church with iconoclastic-effected mosaics
    14. North Theatre, also industrialised with kilns
    15. the 1981 ‘mosque’
    16. central Cardo with blacksmith’s shop and offices

    Map modfied from R.E. Pillen in Zayadine (1986).

    Walmsley and Daamgaard (2005)
    Jerash from Walmsley and Daamgaard (2005)
  • Fig. 13 - Early Islamic
    Figure 13

    Early Islamic Jerash

    8th to 13th century CE

    Rattenborg and Blanke (2017)
    Jerash - 8th to 13th century CE - from Rattenborg and Blanke (2017)

Area Plans

Southwest Hill

Normal Size

  • Fig. 1 - Map of Jarash’s
    Figure 1

    Map of Jarash’s southwest district with emphasis on survey area and the hilltop, which has so far been the focus of the excavations carried out by LAJP.

    © LAJP.

    Blanke et al (2021)
    southwest district from Blanke et al (2021)

Magnified

  • Fig. 1 - Map of Jarash’s
    Figure 1

    Map of Jarash’s southwest district with emphasis on survey area and the hilltop, which has so far been the focus of the excavations carried out by LAJP.

    © LAJP.

    Blanke et al (2021)
    southwest district from Blanke et al (2021)

Hilltop of Southwest Hill

Normal Size

  • Fig. 2 - Areas A-E of
    Figure 2

    Architectural remains on hilltop showing Areas A-E

    © Louise Blanke and IJP (Islamic Jerash Project)

    Blanke et al (2015)
    the Late Antique Jarash Project (LAJP) from Blanke et al. (2015)
  • Fig. 5 - Detail of hilltop
    Figure 5

    Detail of hilltop in southwest district showing location of Trenches 1-4. © LAJP.

    Blanke et al (2021)
    in southwest district showing location of Trenches 1-4 from Blanke et al (2021)
  • Fig. 2 - Survey map
    Figure 2

    Survey map showing location of Trench 5-9 on the southwest hilltop

    © LAJP.

    Blanke et al. (2024)
    showing location of Trench 5-9 on the southwest hilltop from Blanke et al. (2024)

Magnified

  • Fig. 2 - Areas A-E of
    Figure 2

    Architectural remains on hilltop showing Areas A-E

    © Louise Blanke and IJP (Islamic Jerash Project)

    Blanke et al (2015)
    the Late Antique Jarash Project (LAJP) from Blanke et al. (2015)
  • Fig. 5 - Detail of hilltop
    Figure 5

    Detail of hilltop in southwest district showing location of Trenches 1-4. © LAJP.

    Blanke et al (2021)
    in southwest district showing location of Trenches 1-4 from Blanke et al (2021)
  • Fig. 2 - Survey map
    Figure 2

    Survey map showing location of Trench 5-9 on the southwest hilltop

    © LAJP.

    Blanke et al. (2024)
    showing location of Trench 5-9 on the southwest hilltop from Blanke et al. (2024)

Photos

  • Fig. 7 - Pottery crushed
    Figure 7

    Remains of two ceramic pithoi embedded into the construction of the floor.

    © LAJP

    Blanke et al (2021)
    by late 9th/early 10th century CE earthquake (in Trench 1) from Blanke et al. (2021)
  • Fig. 8 - Blocked Doorway
    Figure 8

    Trench 2 showing Wall 1 with blocked doorway. View towards the west

    © LAJP

    Blanke et al (2021)
    in Wall1 of Trench 2 from Blanke et al. (2021)

Geophysics

Normal Size

  • Fig. 4 - Interpretation
    Figure 4

    Interpretation of magnetic data from prospection of Jarash’s southwest district.

    © LAJP.

    Blanke et al (2021)
    of magnetic data (shows roads) from Blanke et al (2021)

Magnified

  • Fig. 4 - Interpretation
    Figure 4

    Interpretation of magnetic data from prospection of Jarash’s southwest district.

    © LAJP.

    Blanke et al (2021)
    of magnetic data (shows roads) from Blanke et al (2021)

Chronology
Phasing

Stratigraphy Table (Jarash, Trench 5)

Phase Period Date Description
1 Hellenistic Hellenistic period Construction of a staircase leading to a natural spring cave. Water was retrieved manually. No reservoir yet built.
2 Early Roman Early Roman period Staircase was blocked and backfilled. A Roman- period reservoir was constructed above the cave. Southwest corner and part of the system exposed.

Stratigraphy Table (Jarash, Trench 6)

Phase Period Date Description
1 Late Antique Late Antique period Residential buildings encroached on the Roman street, reducing its width from 8 m to 4 m. Street still in use but modified.
2 Abbasid 8th–9th century CE Street was stripped down to its Roman surface. Two walls constructed across its southern extent, putting it out of use. Area used for dumping household refuse.

Stratigraphy Table (Southwest Jarash, Trench 7) - contains the most comprhensive framework

Phase Period Date Description
1 Roman undated Roman period Earliest use includes a stone bench possibly serving as a foundation, associated with a collapse layer and white lime mortar. The area was not excavated to bedrock. Destruction dated to the Roman period by ceramics. A thick sealing deposit above the collapse contained tesserae, marble, bones, and other materials.
2 Umayyad / Transitional 7th–8th century CE New wall construction reused Phase 1 features; associated ceramics include Umayyad buffware and a white painted Jarash bowl. A walking surface was found above the walls. Structural collapse layer included lime mortar, terra rossa, and organic rooftop residue. JW: Although excavators state that collapse may relate to the mid‑8th century earthquake (i.e. the 749 CE Sabbatical Year Earthquakes), the presence of Abassid ceramics in a sealed destruction layer suggests otherwise, since the Abbasid Caliphate only came to power in 750 CE.
3 Abbasid Abbasid period Rebuilding of Phase 2 walls with a packed soil surface. A make-up layer rich in Abbasid ceramics, including egg shell ware and cut ware, leveled the floor. Later deposit included jewelry, glass, wall tiles, marble, basalt, and reused architectural materials.
4 Unspecified undated (post-Abbasid) New construction after destruction of Phase 3. Stones used were uncut, bonded with fist-sized stones and thick earthen mortar. Final collapse deposit contained building debris and domestic waste. Area was abandoned after this phase.

Stratigraphy Table (Jarash, Trench 9)

Phase Period Date Description
1 Abbasid 8th century CE Use of a room with a stamped clay floor, stone walls, and a flat roof made of wooden beams and clay. Roof collapsed during a fire, sealing carbonized lentils, wheat, barley, figs, and dates. A crushed ceramic bowl and oil lamp confirm Abbasid dating.

Mid 8th century CE Earthquake (?)

Discussion

Blanke (2018) reported that partial excavation of two residential structures in Southwest Hill (Trenches 7 and 9) confirmed that the area underwent “a major refurbishment after the earthquake in A.D. 749.” In Trench 7, “large quantities of ceramics dating to the Abbasid period were retrieved.” In Trench 9, excavators uncovered “a section of a room that went out of use after a devastating conflagration.” This room featured “a stamped clay floor, stone walls, and a flat roof made from wooden beams that supported a thick layer of packed clay.” The fire “caused the beams to burn and the roof to collapse,” sealing the room’s final use phase. Sealed inside were “thousands of carbonized lentils, wheat, barley, and a few figs and dates.” The lentils were “found in a large pile on top of a stone platform,” likely once stored in “a sack that disintegrated in the fire.”

Additionally, the grains and fruit were “found in and around a ceramic vessel that was crushed by the weight of the collapsed roof.” This vessel, along with “a severely damaged oil lamp,” was identified as “clearly Abbasid in date.” Blanke notes that “further analysis and dating of the carbonized material are currently underway.”

Blanke et al. (2024:100) add that "excavation of Trench 1 in 2015 uncovered a section of a room within a housing complex that collapsed in a sudden catastrophic event—possibly an earthquake - which sealed the room below 1.5m of wall tumble.” The associated ceramic assemblage was “mainly Late Antique (including Umayyad) and Abbasid in date (Pappalardo 2019).” The authors interpreted this room as “either built from new or massively restored after the earthquake in the middle of the 8th century AD.”

However, the sealed presence of Abbasid pottery in both Trenches 1 and 9 suggests that the destruction event took place after the 749 CE Sabbatical Year Earthquakes, since the Abbasid Caliphate only came to power in 750 CE.

References

Blanke et al. (2024)

A cluster of Residential buildings in Jarash’s Southwest District (Trench 7, 9 and Area F)

Introduction

The excavation of Trench 1 in 2015 uncovered a section of a room within a housing complex that collapsed in a sudden catastrophic event - possibly an earthquake - which sealed the room below 1.5m of wall tumble (the room forms a part of Area D, see Blanke et al. 2015: 232; 2021). The ceramic assemblage uncovered from the room was mainly Late Antique (including Umayyad) and Abbasid in date (Pappalardo 2019). Importantly, the architectural stratigraphy of the building revealed that it was constructed directly on bedrock, with only few architectural modifications identified. Our current interpretation of the room is that it was either built from new or massively restored after the earthquake in the middle of the 8th century AD.

A major objective in 2017 was to further investigate the residential structures on the hilltop in order to expand our understanding of the layout, size and fabric of the city in the Abbasid period, while also addressing questions of the organization of the residential structures themselves. Two trenches (Trench 7 and 9) in two different housing units were excavated and within a large (80×50m) area, known as Area F, all standing surface remains of walls were drawn (Fig. 2)

Trench 7

Introduction

Trench 7 is located within the cluster of residential structures defined as Area F (see below). Following the results of the excavation of Trench 1 (Blanke 2016; Blanke et al. 2021) the aim was to further examine the extent of southwest district as well as investigate the area’s development over the longue durée. The trench was laid out according to two walls that were visible on the surface and constituted the western and southern limits of a 4×4m trench. The excavation revealed several occupational sequences and displays the different construction techniques applied in this area through different periods.

Results and stratigraphy

The earliest use of the area (defined here as Phase 1) saw remains of a Roman period occupation (Fig. 8). Given the small space available, the excavation was stopped in Trench 7 before reaching the bedrock. At present, a stone bench is the earliest occupation identified within the excavation, but it was probably not the first construction in the area. The top of the bench was uncovered ca. 2m below the current surface level. Partly obscured by the construction of later walls, the eastern face was made from stone blocks showing no regular layout, bonded with medium stones and fixed with white lime mortar. At first glance, it could be interpreted as a foundation but unfortunately, comparanda with other Roman period underground construction techniques are scarce within Jarash (but see Gawlikowski 1986, plate IIIB; Blanke 2015). The layout of the bench suggests that it served as foundation for a building of substantial size. It is associated with a collapse layer of large ashlar blocks and the same white lime mortar that is found within the bench. It is not possible to speculate on the use of the building, but a careful ceramic analysis dates its destruction to the Roman period (see ceramic analysis, this report). It is also associated with a thick sealing deposit (0.30m) on top of the collapse, which consist of light brown soil with inclusions of glass, bones, metal, tesserae and chunks of marble. The remains of the structure add to the list of several Roman period discoveries made by the LAJP in 2015 and 2017 (see Trench 5, 6 and 8, this report, and Blanke et al. 2021).

The Roman abandonment deposit was cut along the western end of Trench 7 in order to use the above‑mentioned bench as a foundation for a new north‑south running wall. The associated ceramic material suggests that this second phase of use should be dated to the 7th or 8th century (Fig. 9). Importantly, the area appears to have been untouched for centuries since the filling of the cut (i.e. the foundation trench) contains typical transitional period ceramics, such as Umayyad buffware and a white painted Jarash bowl. The new north-south running wall is associated with an east-west running wall in the northern part of the square; both are made of roughly cut medium-sized stones on top of which squared limestone blocks were laid. A thin but compacted red clay layer has been interpreted as the remains of a walking surface, but nothing remains on the floor to suggest the purpose of the new room. Directly on top of this surface, a structural collapse was identified across the entire trench. The collapse layer consists of a mix of lime mortar, terra rossa and lenses of yellow clay. The deposit is rich in organic residue (a soil sample has been collected for further analysis), which is typical for flat rooftops in the Eastern Mediterranean, which would commonly comprise wooded beams It is important to note that in the section, the organic soil deposits appear as horizontal lines suggesting that the rooftop did not experience a long‑term decay but rather a sudden collapse. Considering the period under study, it is possible that the collapse was associated with the earthquake that took place in the mid‑8th century AD and is well attested throughout Jarash and nearby cities (for a detailed list on earthquakes in the region, see Ambraseys 2009).

The third phase was initiated with a cut through the western end of the Phase 2 destruction in order to use the remains of the north‑south running wall as a foundation for the rebuilding of this wall. Phase 3 also saw new courses added to the east‑west running wall (Fig. 10). The rebuilding of the wall was accompanied by a make-up layer (5cm along the cut to 40cm in the western section) to level the room and serve as a foundation for a packed soil surface. The make-up layer was rich in ceramics dating to the Abbasid period comprising an abundance of e.g. cut ware and egg shell ware (see ceramic report).

Finally, the room was discovered filled with a packed earth deposit that was rich in finds such as jewellery, glass, disused construction material (wall tiles, tesserae, marble, basalt and wall plaster). As no proper abandonment layer or clear pattern of sudden destruction has been identified, one can hypothesize that the deposit was obtained from a nearby destroyed household.

The final use of the area (Phase 4), comprise construction activity after a sudden destruction that brought an end to Phase 3 (Fig. 11). First, new courses of rough stones were laid along the east‑west running wall in the northern end of the trench, which delineated an area to the north which remained untouched and filled with collapsed building material. Second, the southern part of the trench saw the construction of a new east‑west running wall that was bonded with the rebuilt north‑south wall. The medium‑sized stones used for this rebuilding bear no proper cut marks, and the stones are bonded with fist‑sized stones set within a thick earthen mortar. It has not been possible to date Phase 4, but in the newly constructed room, a deposit associated with the destruction of Phase 4 contains a large quantity of discarded building material (medium‑sized stones, brick, tegulae, marble, tesserae, glass tesserae and plaster) as well as domestic waste (ceramics, metal fragments, bones and a soapstone fragment). Following the destruction of phase 4, the area was abandoned.

Discussion

Four phases ranging from the Roman to the Abbasid period were identified in the excavation of Trench 7. As described above, the interpretation of Phase 1 is meagre, but added to the numerous discoveries made by LAJP (Blanke 2018a and this article) one can begin to assert the extent and general use of the area in the Roman period. During Late Antiquity, this area seems to have been disused as demonstrated by the hiatus in occupation until the construction of the foundation trench prior to the reuse of the Roman building remains in the Umayyad period. Even if it is not currently possible to understand how the building was used, the continuous use of the north-south wall suggests that the Roman-period structure remained an maintained the memory of the antique building, which was probably already in ruins.

The excavation shows how the area underwent major breaks during the early Islamic period. Following the Umayyad occupation, Trench 7 was used twice as a dumping area during the Abbasid period offering a large quantity of artefacts and construction material. The Abbasid-period dumps probably originated from a nearby residential area. Importantly, the material retrieved from the sealed context in Trench 9 (see below) contains the same ceramic horizon as that found in Trench 7 suggesting a wider use of the area at this time and perhaps also suggesting that nearby buildings were in use while others (such as that found in Trench 7) had been transformed to be used for the disposal of rubbish.

Blanke (2018)

Notes by JW

Blanke (2018) reports rebuilding evidence for the 749 earthquake in Southwest Hill (Late Antique Jerash Project)

The partial excavation of two residential structures (Trenches 7 and 9) confirmed that Jarash’s southwest district saw a major refurbishment after the earthquake in A.D. 749. Large quantities of ceramics dating to the Abbasid period were retrieved from Trench 7. The excavation of Trench 9 exposed a section of a room that went out of use after a devastating conflagration. The room comprised a stamped clay floor, stone walls, and a flat roof made from wooden beams that supported a thick layer of packed clay. The fire caused the beams to burn and the roof to collapse, thus sealing all material relating to the final use of the room. This material included thousands of carbonized lentils, wheat, barley, and a few figs and dates. The lentils were found in a large pile on top of a stone platform, which implies that they were kept in a sack that disintegrated in the fire. The grain and fruit were found in and around a ceramic vessel that was crushed by the weight of the collapsed roof. This bowl, along with a severely damaged oil lamp, is clearly Abbasid in date. Further analysis and dating of the carbonized material are currently underway.

Latter half of the 8th - 10th century CE Earthquake

Discussion

Rattenborg and Blanke (2017:19–21) report that on the southwest hill, excavations conducted by the Late Antique Jarash Project (LAJP) exposed a storeroom located in the southern part of a residential building and opening onto a courtyard. The stone-built walls were placed directly on bedrock with a floor comprised by hard-packed yellow clay. The installation of piers along the north and south walls, as well as the recovery of arch-stones, shows that the roof was vaulted and covered in the same yellow clay that was also used for the walls. The building collapsed in a single violent event — an earthquake — causing the structure to be abandoned.

A deposit associated with the final use of the building and sealed by collapse contained ceramic vessels associated with cooking and the storage of food. The ceramic assemblage comprised roughly 1,000 sherds amounting to 22 nearly intact vessels with only a few sherds from other pots. Of the 22 vessels, nine were larger pithoi-style storage containers, while the remaining 13 comprised smaller storage jars, cooking pots, and a few examples of fine wares (Pappalardo forthcoming). Several vessels can confidently be dated to the Abbasid period. Most striking are sherds from three vessels that were produced in a hard black fabric with a polished surface, which are comparable to sherds found in Abbasid layers near the congregational mosque in the centre of town. A black beaker is distinctively Abbasid in its form and is comparable in shape to vessels found in Pella and Jerusalem and dating to the late 8th or 9th centuries. The fabric matches a rare ceramic specimen from Nabratein of the same early Abbasid date (Magness 1994).

Rattenborg and Blanke (2017:29) observe that “the available archaeological record of the 9th–11th centuries is notoriously meagre and marred by a dissatisfying degree of chronological control.”

Abbasid material from Jerash suggests a destruction event in the second half of the 8th, 9th, or 10th century CE. Although the Abbasid Caliphate experienced growing decentralization during this period, particularly after the assassination of Caliph al-Mutawakkil in 861 CE, the Levant remained under effective Abbasid control until the late 10th century. This chronological attribution assumes that Abbasid material culture—such as ceramic forms—was largely restricted to periods of active Abbasid governance and did not persist in substantial quantities after political control had passed to successor dynasties.

References

Rattenborg and Blanke (2017)

Notes by JW

Rattenborg and Blanke (2017:19-21) report arcaheoseismic evidence as follows:

On the southwest hill, excavations conducted by the Late Antique Jarash Project (LAW) exposed a storeroom located in the southern part of a residential building and opening onto a courtyard. The stone-built walls were placed directly on bedrock with a floor comprised by hard-packed yellow clay. The installation of piers along the north and south walls as well as the recovery of arch-stones shows that the roof was vaulted and covered in the same yellow clay that was also used for the walls. The building collapsed in a single violent event — an earthquake — causing the structure to be abandoned.

A deposit associated with the final use of the building and sealed by collapse, contained ceramic vessels associated with cooking and the storage of food. The ceramic assemblage comprised roughly 1,000 sherds amounting to 22 nearly intact vessels with only a few sherds from other pots. Of the 22 vessels, nine were larger pithoi-style storage containers, while the remaining 13 comprised smaller storage jars, cooking pots and a few examples of fine wares (Pappalardo forthcoming). Several vessels can confidently be dated to the Abbasid period. Most striking are sherds from three vessels that were produced in a hard black fabric with a polished surface, which are comparable to sherds found in Abbasid layers near the congregational mosque in the centre of town. A black beaker is distinctively Abbasid in its form and is comparable in shape to vessels found in e.g. Pella and Jerusalem and dating to the late 8th or 9th centuries. The fabric matches a rare ceramic specimen from Nabratein of the same early Abbasid date (Magness 1994).
Rattenborg and Blanke (2017:29) noted that the available archaeological record of the 9th-11th centuries is notoriously meagre and marred by a dissatisfying degree of chronological control.

Seismic Effects
Latter half of the 8th - 10th century CE Earthquake

Effect Location Image(s) Description
  • Collapsed Vault            
  • Collapsed walls
  • Collapsed roof
    (displaced walls?)
  • Crushed Pottery
  • Debris
 Storeroom located in the southern part of Area D residential building opening onto a courtyard - Trench 1
Figure 5

Detail of hilltop in southwest district showing location of Trenches 1-4.

© LAJP

Blanke et al (2021)
Figure 2

Architectural remains on hilltop showing Areas A-E

© Louise Blanke and IJP (Islamic Jerash Project)

Blanke et al (2015)
Figure 7

Remains of two ceramic pithoi embedded into the construction of the floor.

© LAJP

Blanke et al (2021)
  • On the southwest hill, excavations conducted by the Late Antique Jarash Project (LAW) exposed a storeroom located in the southern part of a residential building and opening onto a courtyard. The stone-built walls were placed directly on bedrock with a floor comprised by hard-packed yellow clay. The installation of piers along the north and south walls as well as the recovery of arch-stones shows that the roof was vaulted and covered in the same yellow clay that was also used for the walls. The building collapsed in a single violent event — an earthquake — causing the structure to be abandoned.

    A deposit associated with the final use of the building and sealed by collapse, contained ceramic vessels associated with cooking and the storage of food. The ceramic assemblage comprised roughly 1,000 sherds amounting to 22 nearly intact vessels with only a few sherds from other pots.     - Rattenborg and Blanke (2017:19-21)

  • The main architectural elements related to the occupational usage of the building [examined in Trenches 1 and 2] are two ceramic storage vessels set directly on the bed-rock, embedded within a stamped yellow clay floor (Fig. 7). Only the lower parts of the ceramic installations are preserved in situ, as the vessels were crushed when the building collapsed.

    ... The building collapsed in a single violent event – most likely an earthquake – which sealed the occupational deposits below a thick layer of wall and roof collapse. It is clear from the material assemblage retrieved from the room that it was still in use at the time of the earthquake. Finds associated with the use of the building comprised a rich assemblage of ceramic sherds from which 22 vessels could be reconstructed. Most of these vessels are associated with storage of foodstuffs; it has therefore been possible to identify the use of this part of the building (see section on ceramics below). Several thick, square iron nails were found directly on the floor or in the collapse immediately above the floor. This type of nail is often associated with carpentry and may have been used in the construction of the building’s roof. ... Following the collapse of the building, the area was abandoned and remained untouched until our excavations were initiated in 2015. While adjoining areas saw secondary usage in field systems, it is likely that the amount of rubble here was thought too extensive for this to be viable.     - Blanke et al. (2021:594-595)

Intensity Estimates
Latter half of the 8th - 10th century CE Earthquake

Effect Location Image(s) Description Intensity
  • Collapsed Vault            
  • Collapsed walls
  • Collapsed roof
    (displaced walls?)
  • Crushed Pottery
  • Debris
 Storeroom located in the southern part of Area D residential building opening onto a courtyard - Trench 1
Figure 5

Detail of hilltop in southwest district showing location of Trenches 1-4.

© LAJP

Blanke et al (2021)
Figure 2

Architectural remains on hilltop showing Areas A-E

© Louise Blanke and IJP (Islamic Jerash Project)

Blanke et al (2015)
Figure 7

Remains of two ceramic pithoi embedded into the construction of the floor.

© LAJP

Blanke et al (2021)
  • On the southwest hill, excavations conducted by the Late Antique Jarash Project (LAW) exposed a storeroom located in the southern part of a residential building and opening onto a courtyard. The stone-built walls were placed directly on bedrock with a floor comprised by hard-packed yellow clay. The installation of piers along the north and south walls as well as the recovery of arch-stones shows that the roof was vaulted and covered in the same yellow clay that was also used for the walls. The building collapsed in a single violent event — an earthquake — causing the structure to be abandoned.

    A deposit associated with the final use of the building and sealed by collapse, contained ceramic vessels associated with cooking and the storage of food. The ceramic assemblage comprised roughly 1,000 sherds amounting to 22 nearly intact vessels with only a few sherds from other pots.     - Rattenborg and Blanke (2017:19-21)

  • The main architectural elements related to the occupational usage of the building [examined in Trenches 1 and 2] are two ceramic storage vessels set directly on the bed-rock, embedded within a stamped yellow clay floor (Fig. 7). Only the lower parts of the ceramic installations are preserved in situ, as the vessels were crushed when the building collapsed.

    ... The building collapsed in a single violent event – most likely an earthquake – which sealed the occupational deposits below a thick layer of wall and roof collapse. It is clear from the material assemblage retrieved from the room that it was still in use at the time of the earthquake. Finds associated with the use of the building comprised a rich assemblage of ceramic sherds from which 22 vessels could be reconstructed. Most of these vessels are associated with storage of foodstuffs; it has therefore been possible to identify the use of this part of the building (see section on ceramics below). Several thick, square iron nails were found directly on the floor or in the collapse immediately above the floor. This type of nail is often associated with carpentry and may have been used in the construction of the building’s roof. ... Following the collapse of the building, the area was abandoned and remained untouched until our excavations were initiated in 2015. While adjoining areas saw secondary usage in field systems, it is likely that the amount of rubble here was thought too extensive for this to be viable.     - Blanke et al. (2021:594-595)
  • VIII+
  • VIII+
  • VII+
  • VII+
  • ?
The archeoseismic evidence requires a minimum Intensity of VIII (8) when using the Earthquake Archeological Effects chart of Rodríguez-Pascua et al (2013: 221-224).

Notes and Further Reading
References

Articles and Books

Blanke, L et al. (2015) The 2011 season of The Late antique Jarash Project: results from the survey southwest of the Umayyad congregationaL mosque ADAJ 57

Blanke, L. (2018). The Late Antique Jarash Project. In (eds.) h, 31-32. Archaeology in Jordan Newsletter: 2016 and 2017 seasons. B. A. P. a. C. B. S. John D.M. Green, The American Center of Oriental Researc: 31-32.

Blanke, L. (2018) Abbasid Jerash reconsidered: suburban life in southwest Jerash over the longue durée. In Achim Lichtenberger and Rubina Raja (eds.) 110 years of excavation in Jerash, Jordan. Turnhout: Brepols Publishers

Blanke, L., et al. (2021). "Excavation and magnetic prospection in Jarash’s southwest district: The 2015 and 2016 seasons of the Late Antique Jarash Project." Annual of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan 60.

Blanke, L. and A. Walmsley (2022). Resilient cities: Renewal after disaster in three late antique towns of the East Mediterranean. Remembering and Forgetting the Ancient City, Oxbow Books: 69-109.

Blanke, L., et al. (2024). A Millenium of Unbroken Habitation in Jarash's Southwest District: The 2017 season of the Late Antique Jarash Project. ADAJ 61: 95-135.

Pappalardo, R. (2019) Life after the earthquake: an early Abbasid domestic assemblage from Jerash ICHAJ Florence, Italy 20 Jan. 2019

Rattenborg, R. and L. Blanke (2017). "Jarash in the Islamic Ages (c. 700–1200 CE): a critical review." Levant 49(3): 312-332.

Websites

The Islamic Jerash Project

The Late Antique Jarash Project - Outline and Bibliography - 2019