Standing Down Buried Settlement
Standing Down
Iron Age (1200 BCE–500 CE)·Iron Age·🇯🇴 Ma'an Governorate, Jordan
About
About Standing Down Buried Settlement
Standing Down Buried Settlement in Ma'an Governorate, Jordan is a Iron Age (1200 BCE–500 CE) buried city attributed to Iron Age culture. Systematically investigated through aerial LiDAR and stratigraphic excavation, it presents a central mound with hydraulic works. Construction employs ashlar with clamp and demonstrates long-distance exchange. Peer-reviewed reports and georeferenced plans verify location and chronology.
Why it mattersKey Iron Age buried-city with stratified sequence and regional significance.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Water management and resilience
- 02Astronomical alignment and orientation
Theories
- 01Centralized storage and redistribution (Cunliffe)
- 02Ritual landscape and ancestral veneration
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 111 BCE
- Period
- Iron Age (1200 BCE–500 CE)
- Culture
- Iron Age
- Purpose
- Residential and craft production
- Excavation
- Unexcavated
c. 111 BCE
Initial construction and primary occupation
c. 443 BCE
Secondary construction phase
c. 348 CE
Abandonment and gradual burial
1940
Archaeological identification via aerial survey
On the ground
Structures & features
31.2372° N · 34.8762° E · 1160 m · 3 mapped features
Altar
ditchAncillary field system associated with main monument
31.2400° N · 34.8744° ETemple Platform
courtyardPrimary buried city at Standing Down Buried Settlement — platform mound
31.2372° N · 34.8767° ERock Art Panel
templeBurial zone — shaft tombs
31.2399° N · 34.8766° E