Ghor es-Safi

Ghor Al-Safi is an archaeological site in Jordan, located in the Wadi al-Hasa area. It is located between the governorates of Karak and Tafilah. The cite is perhaps best known for its sugar cane factory.

Sugar cane factories at Ghor al-Safi
Another view of the sugar cane factories at Ghor al-Safi

Excavations in 2010 and 2011 were facilitated by the Hellenic Society for Near Eastern Studies (HSNES) and the Department of Antiquities of Jordan. Dr Konstantinos D. Politis directed most of these archaeological projects.[1] These works were mostly focused on learning about a sugar factory located at sub-site Tawahin as-Sukkar. There is both an eastern and western pressing room which helped archaeologists understand the settlement and agricultural patterns at the site since 12,000 years ago. The pressing rooms are accompanied by a penstock used for irrigation and water resource management.[1] It is believed that a building nearby to the pressing rooms was used to boil the raw sugar cane in order to make refined sugar, based on sugar fragment evidence displayed at the site.[1] Pottery finds at the site suggest presence of human settlement for several different historical eras: 8th to 9th, 12th to 14th, 15th to 16th, and 20th centuries.[1]

Ghor es-Safi also houses the Museum at the Lowest Place on Earth, which displays many archaeological discoveries from the surrounding area.

References
  1. "HSNES: Current Projects". www.hsnes.org. Retrieved 2020-03-12.

Further reading
  • Politis, K. D. et al (forthcoming 2012) Archaeological Landscapes of Zoara: Results of the Survey and Excavations in the Ghor es-Safi (Jordan) from 1997 to 2010. Palestine Exploration Fund Monograph X, London.
  • Politis, K. D. et al (2005) Survey and Excavations at Ghawr as-Safi 2004. Annual of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan. 49: 313–326.

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