Late Bronze Age City

Virtual view of Tall Zira'a with the walled city from the late bronze age.

Dig House

Yard of the dig house in Umm Qeis - an ottoman courtyard house built at the beginning of the 20th century.

Chocolate-on-white Ware

This jar originates from the transition period between middle and late Bronze Age.

Area I (2008)

Excavation Area I had been extended to 1000 m² in 2008, when the latest phase of the late Bronze Age was reached.

Cylinder Seals

By spring 2010 we found 39 cylinder seals made of stone, faience, quartz frit and ceramic.

Bedouin Tent

Traditions have remained alive for thousands of years at the foot of Tall Zira'a.

Ceramic Sherds

Numerous sherds bear witness to more than 5000 years of settlement at the Tall.

Bronze Sieve

Replica of a Bronze Age sieve (BAI) - the original is in possession of the Amman National Museum.

Tall Zira'a from South-West

The aerial view shows Area I in the foreground and on the left side Area II.

Wadi al'Arab

View from Gadara/Umm Qais to Wadi al-'Arab and Tall Zira'a.


 

News

Next Campains 2025 and 2026

Tall Zira’a meets San Francisco
The ASOR annual meeting in San Francisco on November 16-19, 2011 gathered hundreds of Ancient Near Eastern scholars and archaeologists.            more >>

Congress for young researchers in Turin (Italy)
Two young scientists of the BAI spoke about issues concerning their PhD thesis on the 4th Broadening Horizons conference.  more >>

DEI Course Programme 2011 attended the Tall Zira'a
 Four journalists from Germany, took a day trip from Israel to the Tall Zira'a and learned about the historical and cultural development of the region.     more >>

We intend to excavate at Tall Zira'a in October /November 2025 and April / May 2026. The target is the area around the artesian spring that has gone dry.
    more >>

About the Project

Finds

In northern Jordan close to the border with Israel the Gadara Region Project researches the lower part of Wadi al'Arab.  An ancient trade road leads from Egypt through Palestine and Syria to Mesopotamia. The main settlement site in the Wadi al'Arab was Tall Zira'a. An artesian spring on the hill's surface always offered favourable living conditions.

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  • Painted vase - late bronze age vase wearing an orpheus motive
  • Scarab - 1.3 cm scarab shows the throne name of Apophis, an Hyksos rouler
  • Cylinder seals - we found 39 cylinder seals made of various materials
  • Figurines - some gods and godesses from Bronze and Iron Age 
  • Silver pendant - Late Bronze Age pendant showing a nude godess
  • Gods' house - small ceramic house probably used for private cult
  • Kernos - an annular ceremonial vessel from Iron Age I
  • more >> 

Final publication 2001-2011

All 10 volumes on survey and trenching results are available online and can be ordered as print-on-demand.
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Project Partners

Biblical Archaeological Institute Wuppertal   (BAI) 
German Protestant Institute of Archaeology (GPIA)

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Patronage

His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal  took up the patronage of this project as a representative of the royal house.

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Friends and Donors
  • Dr. Jackstädt-Stiftung, Wuppertal
  • Kirchliche Hochschule Wuppertal
  • Deutsches Bergbaumuseum Bochum

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Cooperations

We cooperate closely with many universities, institutes and companies.

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