Ḥayyān al-Mušrif Complete

Description

First recorded by Mittmann (1970) on the basis of surveys conducted between 1963 and 1966, Hayyan al-Mushrif later saw excavations by Piccirillo (1981) and, subsequently, a joint project by Yarmouk University and the Department of Antiquities of Jordan from 1995 to 1997. In that latter campaign, the site’s area was estimated at approximately 40,000 m². During the first season in 1995, six principal structures were identified and partly explored: a basilica, a complex interpreted as a monastery, two additional churches, an official or administrative building, and a mosque. Geographically, the settlement lies in northern Jordan, roughly eight kilometers southwest of the city of Al-Mafraq. Its position places it near ancient commercial routes that connected Bosra with Jerash and Amman. Administratively, in the Roman and Byzantine eras the site belonged to Provincia Arabia. The concentration of ecclesiastical architecture—six churches in total—together with domestic and civic buildings points to a flourishing community in the Byzantine period. By contrast, the presence of only a small Mamluk mosque suggests a more limited occupation during the Mamluk era. Defining the full extent of the ancient settlement is difficult today because a modern village surrounds the remains. Water-management installations, including a large basin and several cisterns, indicate reliance on rainfall. Nearby limestone deposits provided readily available material for construction and stone carving. Further reading: al-Hasan ʿA.Q. Aḍwāʾ ǧadīda ʿalā al-kitāba al-fusayfusʾiyya al-ārāmiyya al-suryāniyya al-masīḥyya al-muktašafa ḥadīthan fī mawqiʿ Ḥayyān al-Mušrif – Mafraq, Annual of the Department of Antiquites of Jordan 40 (1996): 11–13. [Arabic section]. al-Muheisen, Z., (1995),"Les fouilles de Hayyan al-Mushrif.” In M. Piccirillo, “Ricerca StoricoArchaelogica in Giordania XV – 1995.” Liber Annuus 45, pp. 519-22. idem, (1997), "La troisieme campagne à Hayyan al-Mushref.” In M. Piccirillo, “Ricerca Storico-Archaelogica in Giordania XVII – 1997.” Liber Annuus 47, pp. 494-97. idem, (1997), “Hayyan al-Mushref Project.” In Particia M. Bikai and Virginia Egan, “Archaeology in Jordan.” American Journal of Archaeology 101, pp. 532-33. Mittmann S., (1970), Beiträge zur Siedlungs- und Territorialgeschichte des nördlichen Ostjordanlandes. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden. Piccirillo M., (1981), Chiese e mosaici della Giordania settentrionale, Franciscan Printing Press, Jerusalem. http://moses.creighton.edu/vr/Mushref/site.html