ACOR hosts lecture on Busayra’s past as Edom’s capital
AMMAN — Busayra, located 20 km south of Tafileh, was the ancient capital of the Edomite Kingdom. The first record about Busayra was documented by some European travellers in late 19th and early 20th centuries, as noted the professor Banjamin Porter from the University of California Berkeley where he teaches Middle Eastern Archaeology, during the lecture "The Iron Age Townscape Busayra", held at the American Centre of Research in Amman (ACOR) on Sunday.
“A British archaeologist Chrystal Bennet excavated Busayra in the 1970’s, and her team identified multiple Iron Age buildings,” Porter said, adding that in 2013, he started the “Busayra Cultural Heritage Project” with the goal to simultaneously address outstanding research questions about Busayra, the questions that were left over from the work in the 1970’s as well as conduct site assessment and develop a site management plan.
"Busayra was the kingdom's largest settlement and likely its capital," said Porter, noting that the kingdom spread through the southwest corner of modern Jordan, although the kingdom did not have precisely defined boundaries.
The kingdom originates from the 2nd millennium BC where semi-nomadic communities dwelled from both sides of the Ghor Valley and organised copper mining industry and trade with neighbouring territories.
"The Edomite Kingdom grew visible in the archaeological evidence during the 8th century BC and Busayra was founded at that time to extent that we know about," Porter said, adding that the kingdom drew its wealth through its strategic location, connecting Arabia with Gaza and Damascus.
Edom's political autonomy was slightly curtailed when the Assyrian Empire expanded its reach into Levant from its base in northern Mesopotamia during the 8th and 7th centuries.
"Edom escaped destruction by becoming one of many Assyrian vassals. So cunei sources tell us that Edom's kings delivered tribute to the Assyrian Imperial court and it managed to weather ups and downs of the Assyrian Empire," Porter underlined, adding that the kingdom was significantly weakened in the 6th century BC. Babylonian imperial campaign negatively affected the Edomite Kingdom around 550 BC.
Excavation at Busayra added a considerable amount of information to the historical picture of Edom and also raised a lot of questions. The ancient town of Busayra was located on one and a half kilometre long spur, that extends out from the Transjordanian Plateau.
"Iron Age settlements found themselves built on spurs and there were two advantages; the first advantage was immediate protection and the second was that you were located close to the wadi where you can bring heard to water them or you could go hunting or gather plants or building material for your house," Porter underlined.
The team also found a corner or the fortification system on the edge of the spur that suggests that the town extended from this point.
“Late Burt McDonald found broken ceramic fragments during his survey of Busayra,” Porter said, adding that the settlement was distribute across the entire village.
"Busayra was one of the largest settlements in southern Jordan during the 1st millennium BC," Porter stressed, noting that there are three wide terraces that step down of the north side of the spur that go directly to the valley.
Some fortification walls discovered by the team were higher than 2 metres.
Porter discussed the building A which was 2,300 square metres administrative building, consisting of two halves.
"The cistern sits in the middle of the courtyard of the building A and to the east of the cistern there is a threshold of distinct red stones that give way to a raised platform with a chair or a cult statue may have been situated," Porter elaborated.
However, scholars did not reach a final conclusion about the purpose of the room.
The building A was constructed in the 8th century BC and used through the 7th century BC and it continued to be in use after its destruction around 550 BC, and used in the 4th and 3rd centuries BC.
"Busayra is an ideal place where archaeological research and cultural heritage conservation practices can be integrated into a single research design," Porter underscored.