The Iron Age pottery of al-Lahun

Margreet Steiner
The site of al-Lahun/Lehun or Khirbet Lahun is located in Jordan, on the northern plateau of the Wadi Mujib (Palestine Grid: 36RYV712 - 849). The region is historically important: Dhiban, the former capital of the kingdom of Moab in the 9th Century BCE, lies only 7 km W of Lehun. The plateau between the Wadi Mujib (ancient Arnon) in the south and the Wadi Wala / Wadi Thamad in the north is the heartland of ancient Moab.

Lehun was excavated during seventeen seasons between 1978 en 2000, by the Belgian Committee of Excavations in Jordan and in close collaboration with the Department of Antiquities in Jordan. The excavations were directed by D. Homès-Fredericq (1978-till now) and P. Naster (1978-1984). Lehun is a large site of 1100 m by 600 m and is divided in different natural sectors (excavation area´s A-D). Excavated are prehistoric flints, an impressive Early Bronze fortified town in area C1, and a walled Iron Age I village with an Iron Age II stronghold in area D. Traces were also found of Nabataean and Roman occupation (areas A-B), as well as remains from the Islamic period (area A).

The Iron I village, provisionally dated to the 12th and 11th centuries BCE, is enclosed by a precinct wall surrounding an elliptical area of 1700 sq m. The settlement was characterized by a peripheral belt of houses along the protection wall and a large central open space, partially completed by houses. At the south side of the area a square fortress of 37 x 43 m was excavated, belonging to the Iron II period.

The Iron Age pottery of ancient Moab is largely terra incognita. The publication of this corpus of Iron I and Iron II pottery will greatly enhance our knowledge of the social, political and economic organization of Moab in these periods.