Archaeologists uncover 5,500-year-old ceremonial site in Jordan
A research team led by the University of Copenhagen has uncovered a remarkable Early Bronze Age ritual landscape at Murayghat in Jordan. The discovery can shed new light on how ancient communities responded to social and environmental change. How did ancient cultures respond to crises and the collapse of the established social order? The 5,500-year-old Early Bronze Age site of Murayghat in Jordan, which has been extensively excavated by archaeologists from the University of Copenhagen, may hold an answer. Murayghat emerged after the decline of the so-called Chalcolithic culture (ca. 4500-3500 BCE), a period known for its domestic settlements, rich symbolic traditions, copper artifacts, and small cultic shrines. Researchers believe that climate shifts and social disruptions may have led to the collapse of the culture, and in response, Early Bronze Age groups began creating new forms of ritual expression: “Instead of the large domestic settlements with smaller shrines established…
