Byzantine and Umayyad Jerash Reconsidered

While the city of Gerasa — modern-day Jerash — is perhaps best known for the impressive remains left by its Roman inhabitants, the Byzantine and Umayyad periods (fifth–eighth centuries AD) were also eras during which the city blossomed and its population boomed. Pottery production in this period also peaked: excavations over the last hundred years have revealed a vast quantity of ceramic finds, creating a challenge for archaeologists to cope with the sheer quantity of material as they seek to define and refine the typology of local ceramics.

This volume presents an in-depth examination of finds from Jerash dating to the Byzantine and Umayyad periods. Through this analysis, it seeks to provide a better understanding of local pottery production and the role it played in the development of the city. The chapters included here explore techniques of production, identify key locations for ceramic work, and examine these developments as part of broader socio-economic patterns within the region. The contributions also analyse other artefacts from the city, including coinage and fine wares, as part of this wider discussion. The volume thus offers a unique academic contribution aimed at bringing to the forefront issues of continuity and change in Jerash in the dynamic period between the fifth and eighth centuries CE.

Introduction: The Conundrum of Chronologies of the Byzantine and Umayyad Periods in Jerash —ACHIM LICHTENBERGER AND RUBINA RAJA

Revisiting Jerash Late Antique Fine Wares: A　Material and Visual Cultural Approach — ALEXANDRA USCATESCU

Archaeological Evidence for Craft Activities in the Area of the Sanctuary of Artemis at Gerasa between the Byzantine and Umayyad Periods — DANIELA BALDONI

La céramique de trois ensembles clos des vi^e/viii^e siècles à Gerasa — ANNE-MICHELE RASSON-SEIGNE ET JACQUES SEIGNE

The Late Antique Jarash Project: Preliminary Results of the Pottery Data — RAFFAELLA PAPPALARDO

Ceramic Petrography of Locally Produced Byzantine/Umayyad Pottery from Jerash — STEPHEN MERKEL

Umayyad Numismatics in Bilād al-Shām with Particular Reference to Jund al-Urdunn — INGRID AND WOLFGANG SCHULZE

Defining Borders: The Umayyad-Abbasid Transition and the Earthquake of ad 749 in Jerash — ACHIM LICHTENBERGER AND RUBINA RAJA