Khirbat al-Jariya

3D Model

Khirbat al-Jariya (KAJ) is an Iron Age copper production site in the Faynan region of Southern Jordan. The site was occupied during the 11th and 10th centuries BCE, based on radiocarbon dating of the site’s remains. During this time, occupants of the site produced enough copper to result in approximately 15-20,000 tons of copper slag. Research at KAJ suggests that this site was founded as an organized expansion of copper production from the nearby site Khirbat en-Nahas. The excavation of three areas at the site has helped to clarify the industrial trajectory and the role of elites at the site.

Photography by Matthew D. Howland. Model produced by Matthew D. Howland.

Further Reading: Liss, B., Howland, M. D., Lorentzen, B., Smitheram, C., Najjar, M., & Levy, T. E. (2020). Up the wadi: Development of an Iron Age industrial landscape in Faynan, Jordan. Journal of Field Archaeology, 45(6), 413-427. https://doi.org/10.1080/00934690.2020.1747792