School of Archaeology and Tourism :: The University of Jordan :: Archaeological Survey and Excavations in Wadi al-Yutum and Magass Area (ASEYM).

School's' Projects

Archaeological Survey and Excavations in Wadi al-Yutum and Magass Area (ASEYM).

Seven seasons (1998-2008) of archaeological Survey and Excavations in Wadi al-Yutum and Magass area (ASEYM) have been so far conducted at Tell Magass and Hujayrat al-Ghuzlan and the surrounded area, both sites are located about 4 km north of the coastline of Aqba Gulf.

ASEM is a joint project between the Department of Archaeology –Institute of Archaeology, University of Jordan in Amman and Orientabteilung des Deutschen archaeologischen Instituts in Berlin, in cooperation with the Department of Antiquities of Jordan.

 During the excavations, several stones, mud-bricks and mud walls were discovered at both sites, they form architectural units such as buildings, rooms, storage pit and fire installations. In addition, a rich inventory of objects were recovered at both sites such as flint implements and several types of ground stone tools and mace heads, complete pottery vessels of various sizes, pendants and bracelets made of shells. A range of very important copper metallurgical remains were discovered at both sites consisting ore nodules, slag, ceramic crucibles and moulds, metallic prills, lumps, ingots and artifacts.

During the 2004 and 2006 seasons, a very important wall decorations were revealed in the western sector of Tall Hujayrat al-Guzlan (squares F4 and F5), they are abstracted features decorated by finger prints into the soft clay plaster covering the mud-brick walls of a complex called "building D". The decorations illustrate various subjects such as ibex,   human figure, human hand impression and unexplained animals.

In 2008 excavation at Hujayrat al-Ghuzlan, five miniature pottery jar – like vessels were discovered close together in square F5. In addition, an important discovery took place in square D6, it is a female figurine made of backed clay, the figurine's head arms are missing, but the lower part of the body is preserved, it is parallel to known examples from predynastic Egypt.

The cultural materials from both sites are date to Chalcolithic period, in addition, the C14 samples from both sites measure Ca. 4000-3400 B.C.

    By

    Prof. Dr. Lutfi Khalil.