Ammonite citadel gets discovered in Jordan

(MENAFN) Archaeologists have unearthed an ancient Ammonite citadel at the western edge of Tell Umeiri’s acropolis, revealing thick-walled structures believed to have been used for both administrative and defensive purposes.

The walls of the structure measure between 1.10 and 1.75 meters in thickness—much more robust than those of typical residential buildings—indicating its significance. According to researchers, the site likely played a central role in governance and regional security.

"It was here that the team found a seal impression of a major governmental official, Milkom'ur, who served an Ammonite king named Ba'alyasha', the Baalis of Jeremiah," said Professor Larry Herr of Canadian University College.

Just north of the citadel, the excavation team identified a four-room building, which follows a common architectural layout from the Iron Age found throughout ancient Palestine. Despite its conventional design, the building’s unusually thick walls—between 1.0 and 1.4 meters—suggest it may have served more than domestic functions, possibly acting as an extension of the nearby administrative center. Excavations have not yet reached the original flooring.

Another significant structure discovered to the north features at least seven narrow rooms interconnected by doorways. One room includes a stairway with steep, narrow steps descending to a basement, while another area contains two pillars that once supported the roof. Herr explained that items found on the floors of this building were mostly domestic.

Two seal impressions on jars discovered within the structure bear the name Beerammon, prompting the team to refer to the building as the "House of Beerammon." Its sprawling and irregular layout stands out as unique among known architecture from the Persian period.

The site also includes remnants of a gateway, with walls about 1.50 meters thick, located just below the surface. Despite the modest fortification, evidence suggests that security concerns during the period were minimal, as defensive features were weak or lacking across the site. Fragile and partial terrace walls were found throughout various excavation areas.

Elsewhere, at Jawa, researchers documented three distinct phases of occupation during the late Iron II period. Each phase included surfaces littered with domestic artifacts, including the discovery of a human figurine head adorned with what appears to be an Ammonite royal crown. In the final phase, inhabitants employed a construction method known as quoin-and-pier walling—commonly associated with Phoenician design—characteristic of the Persian era.

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