Early Technology of Copper Mining in Antiquity: Wadi Araba, Jordan, Southern Levant (Elaf Quraysh Route)

Waheeb, Mohammad; Khasawneh, Nermin

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.14789767.

Vol. 55 (2025), pp. 58–65 •

0.99 MB

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Early Technology of Copper Mining in Antiquity: Wadi Araba, Jordan, Southern Levant (Elaf Quraysh Route)

Mohammad Waheeb, Nermin Khasawneh

Department of Sustainable Tourism, Queen Rania Faculty of Tourism and Heritage, The Hashemite University, Jordan

(mwaheeb@hu.edu.jo)

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Abstract

Our research was prompted by the need to study the history of metallurgy in Wadi Araba during the Bronze Age, as the beginning of this period witnessed the development and prosperity of copper metallurgy in the Near East. This study deals with copper and its metallurgy concerning industrialization sites and facilities during the Bronze Age. This achievement led the craftsman to produce hard-bronze metals. Apart from the very early stages when copper ores could be collected from the surface, all copper ores had to be mined, and different mining methods were used, such as open pits, tunnels (horizontal and shaft), and fire settings. The research concludes that limited archaeological investigations have been carried out in the prospective region, probably because of the difficult accessibility of the area. Therefore, the importance of the copper deposit in prehistoric and early historic times in Wadi Araba deserves more attention in terms of more scientific investigations and public awareness in order to preserve valuable cultural heritage resources and to be adopted as a tourist site.

Keywords

Metallurgy, Mining Tools, Archaeology, Copper, Bronze, Cultural Heritage, Excavations, Wadi Araba, Jordan.

Cite as

Waheeb, M.; N. Khasawneh. 2025.
Early Technology of Copper Mining in Antiquity: Wadi Araba, Jordan, Southern Levant (Elaf Quraysh Route). Arqueología Iberoamericana 55: 58–65.

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Other Persistent Identifiers

PURL: purl.org/aia/5507. ARK: ark:/49934/363.

Received: September 16, 2024. Modified: December 27, 2024.
Accepted: January 30, 2025. Published: February 5, 2025.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the Hashemite University for its constant support for teamwork, in field visits and other logistic facilities during the preparation phase of this study. Also, thanks go to the local community in Wadi Araba for their help and hospitality during the fieldwork to achieve this scientific research.

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