Aims
This project has several main objectives. To fulfill them will mean conducting work and research in the area for an extended period of time.
1. Firstly, the Tall Zira´a contains evidence of over 5000 years of settlement – and that almost without cultural gaps. As far as archaeology is concerned, this is perhaps its most important feature. This means not only that all the different cultural periods can be studied in the one place, but also that it is possible to observe the transitions between them.
2. The Tall is situated in an ideal cultural location, at the point at which the Syrian cultural sphere meets the Palestinian. It was often the case that technical, cultural, or other innovations came from here, from the north, into the Palestinian world.
3. The technical knowledge and developments in the realm of handwork and craft – in our case especially pottery – can also be studied on the tall.
4. The tall also gives us the opportunity to investigate the survival strategies developed by the inhabitants over the millennia. They lived in a clearly demarcated area that was blessed with a great deal of water. How did they adapt to the natural conditions of the valley, and how did they respond to changes in climate and the given resources? This includes an investigation in the Wādī itself of the agricultural potential, flora and fauna and geological aspects (water, rock formation, and soil types).
5. Moreover, the influence of the trade route through the wadi will have been considerable, and is worth investigating in detail.
6. Finally, one very appealing topic of investigation are the demographic changes in the whole region. When Gadara rose to prominence, the tall temporarily stopped being the most important settlement in the region. At the end of the 7th century, however, Gadara declined and the tall became the central settlement once again.
The fact that these questions are formulated with a very regional orientation, taking into account the interplay of various factors within that region, means that the project is essentially concerned with the archaeology of a landscape.
Read more about this topic: Gadara Region Project
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