Neglected Iron Age site in northern Jordan yields hundreds of pottery vessels
Tell er Rumeith, near Ramtha and Irbid, offers rare insights into ancient ceramic traditions after new analysis of nearly 600 pottery baskets
AMMAN, Jordan (MNTV) — Archaeologists have uncovered nearly 600 pottery baskets at Tell er Rumeith, a long-overlooked Iron Age site in northern Jordan, shedding new light on daily life, trade, and settlement patterns in the region more than 2,500 years ago.
Located near the intersection of the historic King’s Highway and a secondary trade route, the mound overlooks the Irbid Plain and entry to Ramtha.
Despite its strategic position and fertile surroundings, the site has seen little archaeological attention over the past 20 years.
Tristan Barako, a researcher from Boston University, led the recent analysis of pottery from stratified excavation layers.
According to Barako, the majority of the pottery comes from Iron Age Strata VI and VIIB, with fewer finds from Stratum VIII.
“The vast majority of these vessels were utilitarian—used for cooking, storage, and food consumption,” Barako said. “We found significant numbers of cooking pots, bowls, storage jars, and kraters, which show continuity in ceramic production over time.”
The analysis also revealed a small number of decorated or imported vessels. Among them were sherds likely linked to Cypriot White Painted ware and a jar resembling Mycenaean pottery from the Late Bronze Age.
These rare imports suggest the site had access to long-distance trade networks or inherited such objects as heirlooms from neighboring settlements.
Barako added that Stratum VIII, one of the earliest levels investigated, contained very little restorable pottery, possibly because its rooms were reused during later occupation phases.
The discoveries at Tell er Rumeith are providing scholars with valuable data on ceramic typology, chronological sequencing, and the broader socio-economic context of Iron Age Transjordan.
Despite the importance of the finds, the site remains largely neglected, with no recent conservation or public engagement efforts in place.
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