Featured: Explore Scotland (and everywhere else) with our Megalithic Portal iPhone app

Explore Scotland (and everywhere else) with our Megalithic Portal iPhone app

Random Image


Denghoog Sylt

Das Raetiastein GPS by Thomas Walli

Das Raetiastein GPS by Thomas Walli

Who's Online

There are currently, 340 guests and 4 members online.

You are a guest. To join in, please register for free by clicking here

Sponsors

<< Our Photo Pages >> Damiyah dolmen field - Burial Chamber or Dolmen in Jordan

Submitted by ammanamba on Tuesday, 14 October 2014  Page Views: 20658

Site WatchSite Name: Damiyah dolmen field Alternative Name: Ala-Safat, Al-Damiyah
Country: Jordan Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Nearest Town: Deir Alla  Nearest Village: Damiyah
Latitude: 32.096234N  Longitude: 35.564737E
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
3 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
3 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
no data Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
2

Internal Links:
External Links:

Damiyah dolmen field
Damiyah dolmen field submitted by ammanamba : Dolmen 7 in Damiyah region with a magnificent square-cut portal hole . (Vote or comment on this photo)
This is one of the biggest and best known dolmen fields in Jordan (still around 60 left) spreading out over a few kilometres along the foothills east of the Jordan Valley.

Region in Jordan. This region is located in the foothills of the Jordan Valley, facing the village and Tell of Damiyah, south of Deir Alla and road coming from Salt.

The Damiyah dolmen field also includes circles and related rock-cut tombs and is reported to be under severe threat from a stone quarry - although see the comments for updates.

There is another group of 8 dolmens, somewhat more north at the same foothills (north valley slope of the Zerka river) which look related. The majority of the dolmens are built on an elevated round terrace.

With thanks to Moti for help with the preparation of this article

Note: A film by Modern Explorers about the dolmen fields in Jordan, many of which are still in danger of being destroyed
You may be viewing yesterday's version of this page. To see the most up to date information please register for a free account.


Damiyah dolmen field
Damiyah dolmen field submitted by Fairycake : Re-sited dolmens at Jordan National museum (Vote or comment on this photo)

Damiyah dolmen field
Damiyah dolmen field submitted by durhamnature : Drawing from "Der Orient und Europa" via archive.org Site in Jordan (Vote or comment on this photo)

Damiyah dolmen field
Damiyah dolmen field submitted by ammanamba : Dolmen 6 in Damiyah region. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Damiyah dolmen field
Damiyah dolmen field submitted by Fairycake : Re-sited dolmens at Jordan National museum (Vote or comment on this photo)

Damiyah dolmen field
Damiyah dolmen field submitted by ammanamba : Rock-cut post-hole (1) Basin/cuphole in Damiyah region.

Damiyah dolmen field
Damiyah dolmen field submitted by ammanamba : Rock-cut post-hole (1) in Damiyah region.

Damiyah dolmen field
Damiyah dolmen field submitted by ammanamba : Rock-cut tomb 3 in Damiyah region.

Damiyah dolmen field
Damiyah dolmen field submitted by ammanamba

Damiyah dolmen field
Damiyah dolmen field submitted by ammanamba : Rock-cut tomb 2 high up the slope of hill in Damiyah region. It has a large ledge overhanging the entrance.

Damiyah dolmen field
Damiyah dolmen field submitted by ammanamba : Rock-cut tomb 1 in Damiyah region. The square-cut entrance can be seen in the rockface just left of centre.

Damiyah dolmen field
Damiyah dolmen field submitted by ammanamba : Dolmen 5 in Damiyah region.

Damiyah dolmen field
Damiyah dolmen field submitted by ammanamba : Dolmen 4 in Damiyah region.

Damiyah dolmen field
Damiyah dolmen field submitted by ammanamba : Dolmen 3 in Damiyah region.

Damiyah dolmen field
Damiyah dolmen field submitted by ammanamba : Dolmen 2 in Damiyah region.

Damiyah dolmen field
Damiyah dolmen field submitted by ammanamba : Dolmen 1 in Damiyah region.

Do not use the above information on other web sites or publications without permission of the contributor.
Click here to see more info for this site

Nearby sites

Click here to view sites on an interactive map of the area

Key: Red: member's photo, Blue: 3rd party photo, Yellow: other image, Green: no photo - please go there and take one, Grey: site destroyed

Download sites to:
KML (Google Earth)
GPX (GPS waypoints)
CSV (Garmin/Navman)
CSV (Excel)

To unlock full downloads you need to sign up as a Contributory Member. Otherwise downloads are limited to 50 sites.


Turn off the page maps and other distractions

Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 8.7km NW 326° Argaman-Gilgal sanctuary Ancient Temple
 25.4km SSW 201° The Gilgal associated peacefully with Joshua Stone Circle
 26.3km W 261° Tel Shiloh Ancient Village or Settlement
 29.9km SSW 204° Jericho* Ancient Village or Settlement
 29.9km WNW 296° Jacob's Well (Bir Ya'Qub)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring
 31.2km WNW 300° Mount 'Ebal Ancient Temple
 31.7km SSE 159° Rawdah* Burial Chamber or Dolmen
 32.7km S 174° Tulaylat al-Ghassul Ancient Village or Settlement
 33.4km WSW 257° The Gilgal associated with Elijah and Elisha Stone Circle
 34.6km N 357° Tel Tsaf* Ancient Village or Settlement
 36.2km NNW 335° Gadara* Ancient Village or Settlement
 36.9km ENE 56° Jerash* Ancient Village or Settlement
 37.2km ESE 116° Amman.* NOT SET
 38.0km SE 144° Hesbon* Burial Chamber or Dolmen
 38.2km ESE 114° Amman Citadel* Ancient Village or Settlement
 38.3km ESE 114° Jordan Archaeological Museum* Museum
 39.6km SE 130° Tall al-Umayri* Ancient Village or Settlement
 39.6km N 7° Pella (Jordan) Ancient Village or Settlement
 40.6km ESE 107° Ain Ghazal* Ancient Village or Settlement
 40.6km SSW 194° Qumran* Ancient Village or Settlement
 41.6km N 5° Wadi Hammeh 27 Ancient Village or Settlement
 43.2km SSE 160° Dolmens at Wadi Jadid* Burial Chamber or Dolmen
 44.2km SW 224° Shuafat road Chalcolithic period site* Ancient Village or Settlement
 45.7km N 353° Tel Beth Shean* Ancient Village or Settlement
 46.5km SW 222° 2000 year old stone fragment in Jerusalem* Marker Stone
View more nearby sites and additional images

<< Lyevollen

St Andrew's Church (Corbridge) >>

Please add your thoughts on this site

Bending the Boyne: a Novel of Ancient Ireland

Bending the Boyne: a Novel of Ancient Ireland

Sponsors

Auto-Translation (Google)

Translate from English into:

"Damiyah dolmen field" | Login/Create an Account | 4 News and Comments
  
Go back to top of page    Comments are owned by the poster. We aren't responsible for their content.
The Stone and the Landscape: the Phenomenon of Megalithic Constructions in Jordan by Andy B on Monday, 11 May 2015
(User Info | Send a Message)
The Stone and the Landscape: the Phenomenon of Megalithic Constructions in Jordan in the Main Historical Context of Southern Levant at the Beginning of the 3rd Millennium BC by Andrea Polcaro (Università degli Studi di Perugia) 2013

The use of big stones in the setting-up of sacred or funerary monuments spreads in the Southern Levant between the end of the 4th and the beginning of the 3rd millennium BC, during the Early Bronze Age I. In particular, the agro-pastoral societies of the Levant elaborate a typical structure composed by big stone slabs disposed in a box shape: the dolmens. This kind of monument is well known in many Mediterranean Bronze Age cultures.

Jordanian dolmens are very scarcely excavated and always in danger from modern activities. Anyway, past sporadic archaeological investigations gave important data about dolmens, establishing at least their primal funerary function. This is the case of the dolmen fields along the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea, like Adeimeh and Damiya, and of singles, isolated, but well preserved structures, like the Tell el-Umeyri dolmen in Amman area.

This paper presents an assessment on the state of the art about dolmen studies. Survey and excavations to these sites are analysed, trying to delineate the historical context of these monuments and the geographical and cultural features of their landscape, in order also to contribute to the difficult debate in the understanding of their meaning and function.

https://www.academia.edu/5796382/The_Stone_and_the_Landscape_the_Phenomenon_of_Megalithic_Constructions_in_Jordan_in_the_Main_Historical_Context_of_Southern_Levant_at_the_Beginning_of_the_3rd_Millennium_BC
[ Reply to This ]

A film about the dolmen fields in Jordan which are in danger of being destroyed by Andy B on Tuesday, 14 October 2014
(User Info | Send a Message)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04b2gzMM0XY

Modern Explorers write: An HD film we made about the dolmen fields in Jordan which are still in danger of being destroyed, we ask for help from anyone out there who can help us help these beautiful structures.

Jordan is situated in such a significant part of the world when you consider human history and it has one of the densest concentrations of dolmens in the world. They are likely to be an important puzzle piece if we are to truly understand our history.

See more of our projects on our website

http://www.modernexplorers.co.uk
[ Reply to This ]

New preserve saves ancient tombs from destruction by Andy B on Sunday, 09 January 2011
(User Info | Send a Message)
Hundreds of millennial tombs have been spared destruction with the formation of a new archaeological preserve in the Jordan Valley.

According to the Department of Antiquities (DoA), a new protected area has been declared in the Damiya dolmen fields, an area home to hundreds of megalithic structures dating back to 3000BC that has been under mining operations.

According to DoA Director General Ziad Saad, a deal was reached with the mining company last month to set aside a 600 dunnum area in the northern part of the field which contains most of the dolmens for preservation as a national archaeological park.

Under the agreement, 23 dolmens that remain within the mining concession area will be relocated to the protective zone, which was recently registered as an archaeological site and as DoA property.

“We have made a big step in securing the area and preserving these important cultural and archaeological artefacts,” Saad told The Jordan Times in an interview on Monday, adding that the protected area will soon be fenced off as a “dolmen national park”.

Signage and interpretation will be installed to provide visitors with information on the megalithic structures and indicate which dolmens were artificially relocated, he added, noting that two additional dolmens will be relocated to the Jordan Museum for display

Dolmens are Early Bronze Age (3600-3000BC) megalithic structures, which, according to some, experts, may date back to the Chalcolithic period, around 4500-3500BC.

Although their exact usage is in dispute, many believe the sandstone and travertine dolmens were once used as burial chambers and for cultic rituals.

The average dolmen in Jordan is around three metres long, one metre high and one metre wide, although some reach up to seven metres in length, according to various surveys.

Between 250-300 dolmens are located in the Damiyah Dolmen Field, which had been placed on a World Monuments Fund watch list in 2009 and again in 2010. The Damiya Dolmen Archaeological Park is expected to be opened to visitors some time next year.

* Damiya dolmen fields were previously threatened by mining activities in the area, which lies in the Jordan Valley.

http://en.ammonnews.net/article.aspx?articleNO=11228
[ Reply to This ]

Ancient tombs threatened by quarrying in the Jordan Valley by Andy B on Sunday, 09 January 2011
(User Info | Send a Message)
Submitted by coldrum on Monday, 09 November 2009

Ancient burial chambers in the Jordan Valley are being threatened by modern development and may be demolished, according to an international report released this week.

The dolmens foothills of Damiyah were listed among 77 endangered sites around the world on the World Monuments Fund (WMF) annual watch list.

Damiyah, located in the northern Jordan Valley, is home to hundreds of dolmens, megalithic table-shaped block formations, which some experts believe may date back to the Chalcolithic period, around 4500-3500BC.

Although their exact usage is in dispute, many believe the sandstone and travertine dolmens were used as burial chambers.

The average dolmen in Jordan is around three metres long, one metre high and one metre wide, although some reach up to seven metres in length, according to various surveys.

According to the WMF report, many of the Damiyah dolmens are being adversely affected by rock quarry activities and are “left vulnerable to collapse”.

Some 300 dolmens survive in the Damiyah Dolmen Field, according to the WMF.

With several other rock-cut tombs and circular stone-cut features, the Damiyah Dolmen Field forms a “highly significant and rare landscape” that should be protected, it stressed.

Although Neolithic flint blades and scrapers have been found near the stone structures, most of the Kingdom’s dolmens are dated to the Chalcolithic period and the Early Bronze Age (3600-3000BC).

Through various surveys, the dolmens have yielded Iron Age pottery and even Early Bronze Age jugs and bowls, leading many to believe they were used for burial and cultic practices.

The field is near Tal Damiyah, which some so-called biblical archaeologists have linked the site to the town of Adam, which is mentioned twice in the Bible.

According to the report, dolmen sites throughout the Kingdom “are being lost at an alarming rate”, and the Damiyah landscape is now threatened by developmental pressures from quarrying operations.

“With only a negligible barrier left to protect them, many of the fragile dolmens are now suspended on quarried pillars and left vulnerable to collapse,” the report stated.

While it acknowledged the efforts of the Department of Antiquities to document and preserve the structures, “highly invasive quarrying” will bring them to an end.

Source: http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=20608
[ Reply to This ]

Your Name: Anonymous [ Register Now ]
Subject:


Add your comment or contribution to this page. Spam or offensive posts are deleted immediately, don't even bother

<<< What is five plus one as a number? (Please type the answer to this question in the little box on the left)
You can also embed videos and other things. For Youtube please copy and paste the 'embed code'.
For Google Street View please include Street View in the text.
Create a web link like this: <a href="https://www.megalithic.co.uk">This is a link</a>  

Allowed HTML is:
<p> <b> <i> <a> <img> <em> <br> <strong> <blockquote> <tt> <li> <ol> <ul> <object> <param> <embed> <iframe>

We would like to know more about this location. Please feel free to add a brief description and any relevant information in your own language.
Wir möchten mehr über diese Stätte erfahren. Bitte zögern Sie nicht, eine kurze Beschreibung und relevante Informationen in Deutsch hinzuzufügen.
Nous aimerions en savoir encore un peu sur les lieux. S'il vous plaît n'hesitez pas à ajouter une courte description et tous les renseignements pertinents dans votre propre langue.
Quisieramos informarnos un poco más de las lugares. No dude en añadir una breve descripción y otros datos relevantes en su propio idioma.