Khirbet al-Mafjar Reconsidered: The Ceramic Evidence

Whitcomb, Donald

doi:10.2307/1357040

Cited by 13 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…8), showing an am algam of walls of at least three different architectural phases obscured by some thirty years of neglect. Taha (2011) and studies by Whitcomb (1988Whitcomb ( , 1995.…”

Section: Secondary Excavations At Khirbat Al-mafjarmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…The first is a careful stratification of the long history of the building complexes, an a pproach systematically pursued by Baramki (1944aBaramki ( , 1953. Based on Baramki's evidence from the palace (1944a) as modified by Whitcomb (1988), an archaeological sequence of four periods may be proposed:…”

Section: Renewed Excavationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The first is the chronology of the buildings, confined to the second quarter of the eighth century (i.e., Hisham's reign,. In 1942, Baramki had already clearly demonstrated the continued occupation of Mafjar into the Abbasid and later Ayyubid periods (eighthtwelfth centuries CE) through analysis of the ceramics, which showed continued use of the palace, if n ot other buildings (Baramki 1944a;Whitcomb 1988). The patronage of Walid II was never accepted by Creswell (1969: 574-76) and was explicitly rejected by Baramki (1953: 47-49), although criticisms have been less frequent, especially with the admittedly enjoyable book on Walid.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Khirbat al-Mafjar and Its Place in the Archaeological Heritage of Palestine

Whitcomb¹,

Taha²

2013

Journal of Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology and Heritage Studies

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The archaeological heritage of Palestine for the Islamic periods, especially the formative early Islamic period, must focus on the monument of Khirbat al-Mafjar, known as Qasr Hisham, near the city of Jericho (Fig. 1). The extraordinary beauty of its vast hall of mosaic carpets, stone and plaster sculptures-including human and animal figures-has long captured the attention of Islamic art historians and archaeologists. However, aside from specialists, there has been little consideration for its role in th e formation of Islamic civilization and its part in the cultural history of Palestine. Recovery of the MonumentThe first person to carefully investigate the site was Dimitri C. Baramki, who in th e early 1930s as a young Palestinian inspector for the British Mandate Department of Antiquities, traveled from his h ome in Jerusalem throughout Palestine (Fig. 2). His a ttention was drawn to a series of large mounds north of the town of Jericho, where carved stones were being removed and taken for use in the town and local cemeteries.Baramki began excavating in 1933 on the southern mound, revealing the fine-carved stones of a doorway and surrounding rooms along with stucco decorations (1936). His ini tial assumption of finding a B yzantine building soon changed as he recognized it was a quite rare early Islamic monument (Fig. 3). Baramki immediately realized the importance of these discoveries and wrote clear reports describing the archaeology of the site through the 1930s, with only a few comparative resources at that time. 1 When the excavations ended, he wrote a clear and concise booklet on Qasr Hisham ([1947] 1956) after his dissertation on these monuments (1953). Formation of a NarrativeThis archaeological analysis of Khirbat al-Mafjar stands in contrast to the writings of Robert W. Hamilton, then the young director of the British Mandate's Department of Archaeology in Jerusalem. As early as 1945 he took an Khirbat al-Mafjar is a w ell-known Umayyad palace complex located near Jericho. The monument is one of the most important cultural symbols of early Islamic archaeology in Palestine. This article discusses the site's initial association with the caliphate of Walid ibn Yazid in light of new excavations. Recent discoveries suggest the existence of an early Islamic agricultural estate and the potential for a n ew understanding of early Islamic qusur or proto-urban settlements.

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“…8), showing an am algam of walls of at least three different architectural phases obscured by some thirty years of neglect. Taha (2011) and studies by Whitcomb (1988Whitcomb ( , 1995.…”

Section: Secondary Excavations At Khirbat Al-mafjarmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Renewed Excavationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Khirbat al-Mafjar and Its Place in the Archaeological Heritage of Palestine

Whitcomb¹,

Taha²

2013

Journal of Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology and Heritage Studies

Self Cite

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“…Our current understanding of ICW chronology is based on the elaboration of well-stratified assemblages from Tabaqat Fahl (Pella) [1,8] and Tell Qamun (Yoqne'am) [2] as well as on the re-examinations of the material from early excavations at Khirbat al-Mafjar [9] and Capernaum [10]. ICW is particularly characteristic for the Abbasid and early Fatimid periods (mid-8 th -11 th centuries), although several types of this pottery class might have originated in the first half of the 8 th century or even second half of 7 th century, while the others certainly continued to be utilized even until the 13 th century and beyond [11].…”

Section: Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Dataset of the Geographical Dispersal of Islamic Cream Ware in Southern Bilad Al-Sham (8th to 11th Centuries)

Makowski,

Chyla

2024

Journal of Open Archaeology Data

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This dataset constitutes a comprehensive inventory of 125 excavated sites from the territory of southern Bilad al-Sham attesting the occurrence of the Islamic Cream Ware (ICW). It provides information on the typological variety, dating, and general contexts of appearance of this pottery class. In addition, it is supplemented by bibliographical references to all sites included in the database. In general, the following dataset can appear useful for scholars working on the various subjects related to Early and Middle Islamic pottery and settlement of southern Bilad al-Sham.

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“…3.123; early Islamic I—Walker, : 510, fig. 4.1.20), and Khirbat al‐Mafjar (AD 750–800—Whitcomb, : 55, fig. 1D), among others, although this last group is often painted.…”

Section: Ceramicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Khirbat al‐Mana‘iyya: an early Islamic‐period copper‐smelting site in south‐eastern Wadi ‘Araba, Jordan

Jones

Ben‐Yosef

Lorentzen

et al. 2017

Arab Archaeol Epigr

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Recent excavations in south-eastern Wadi 'Araba in Jordan have revealed the first early Islamic-period copper-smelting site known in the eastern side of the valley, which extends south of the Dead Sea to the Gulf of 'Aqaba. Five test pits were excavated in 2012 at Khirbat al-Mana'iyya, a prominent copper-smelting camp in south-eastern Wadi 'Araba, Jordan. The results of these excavations demonstrate that the site was primarily active in the seventh-ninth century AD. Its distance from the copper sources of south-west 'Araba suggests that its location was chosen based on proximity to wood and water resources, rather than copper ore deposits. The discovery that the site dates to the early Islamic period has implications for previous and future work in south-east 'Araba. In particular, it challenges the common-until now-view of the region as virtually devoid of settlement during this period.

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Khirbet al-Mafjar Reconsidered: The Ceramic Evidence

Cited by 13 publications

References 2 publications

Khirbat al-Mafjar and Its Place in the Archaeological Heritage of Palestine

Khirbat al-Mafjar and Its Place in the Archaeological Heritage of Palestine

The Dataset of the Geographical Dispersal of Islamic Cream Ware in Southern Bilad Al-Sham (8th to 11th Centuries)

Khirbat al‐Mana‘iyya: an early Islamic‐period copper‐smelting site in south‐eastern Wadi ‘Araba, Jordan

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