Archaeological and geophysical survey at the site of Khirbat as-Sar (Sara), Jordan

Abstract

Archaeological and geophysical prospection of the site of Khirbat as-Sar (Sara) in Jordan, carried out by a team from the Polish Centre of the Mediterranean Archaeology (PCMA), University of Warsaw, has resulted in a comprehensive plan mapping all visible architectural remains. A Roman-period sacred compound appears to be a central feature of this site. Pottery collected from the surface has given a time range for the settlement from the late Iron Age through the Mamluk period. The electrical resistivity method using a probe array that allowed ground penetration to a maximum depth of approximately 1.50 m revealed meaningful information on the spatial organization of the site. Numerous high-resistance anomalies were interpreted as a reflection of building remains.

Keywords

• Khirbat as-Sar
• archaeological and geophysical survey
• mapping
• architecture
• Roman compound
• pottery