Glass, which has long since broken, now turns out to be able to assemble a new narrative about Jordan's ancient history. The small fragments from Khirbet al-Khalde give researchers a rare insight into how people moved, shopped and lived along the Roman highway Via Nova Traiana over several centuries"

The glass fragments from Khirbet al-Khalde show how small and fragile finds can change our understanding of the entire region's history. They demonstrate a continuity and societal complexity that we have not previously been able to document," says Rubina Raja, professor of classical archaeology at Aarhus University.

A strategic hub in the desert
In 2023, researchers from Aarhus University, Alberta University and the Università degli Studi di Milano initiated the first systematic study of Khirbet al-Khalde. In antiquity, the site functioned both militarily and commercially and was directly integrated into the Via Nova Traiana – the road that, after the Roman annexation of the Nabataean Empire in 106 e.Kr, connected Bosra, Petra and Aila – which was located on the Red Sea.

Recent studies from Petra have already challenged the earlier assumption that the area was abandoned in the 5th century. Instead, there are many indications that the activities continued well into the early Islamic period. This new framework of understanding has created a need to reassess similar sites in the region – including Khirbet al-Khalde.

In just two weeks of fieldwork, the archaeologists managed to go through 20,000 m² and register more than 26,000 finds. Among them were 84 glass fragments, which turn out to have remarkably great explanatory power.

Broken glass, new insights
The 84 glass fragments represent a total of 80 objects, including vessels, window glass and a single bracelet. In addition to one modern piece, all fragments were analyzed with LA-ICP-MS to determine their chemical signature.

The results show a wide variation:

• Most vessels date to the 1st–4th centuries e.Kr and include both Egyptian imports and Syrian-Palestinian types.
• Window glass – made from recycled Roman-Sb and Roman-Mn glass – points to extensive renovation activities at the beginning of the 2nd century.
• A smaller group of fragments reveals rare later compositions, including Egyptian Magby glass and Levantine Bet Eli'ezer glass. These finds clearly document that the site remained in use all the way into the 8th century e.Kr.

For the first time, researchers can document activity at the site from the early Roman period into the early Islamic period. At the same time, the collection shows a remarkable dominance of Egyptian glass, suggesting both changing trade patterns and possible regional recycling workshops, perhaps centered around the port city of Aila.

A new narrative about the glass economy in the ancient Near East
The study by Khirbet al-Khalde thus challenges the traditional model in which the coastal region of the Levant is considered the region's primary glass supplier. Instead, the results paint a picture of a more complex, flexible and decentralised system for production, supply and recycling.

"By combining typology and advanced chemical analysis, we can now trace both trade, recycling and movement patterns over several centuries. It provides a completely new perspective on the glass economy in the region, which is an expression of much broader societal trends." The study not only provides a nuanced insight into the local glass economy – but also into mobility, networks and the long-term dynamics along Via Nova Traiana," says Rubina Raja.

Behind the research

Type of study: Basic research
External funding: DNRF119; Augustine Foundation; Carlsberg Foundation
Partners: University of Alberta, Universitá di Milano, CNRS, Orleans
Link to scientific publication: Broken Glass on the Via Nova Traiana: Roman, Late Antique and Early Islamic Activity at Khirbet al-Khalde (South Jordan)
Boschetti, C., Schibille, N., Harvey, C. A., Intagliata, E. E. & Raja, R.

Contact

Rubina Raja, Professor and Head of Centre
for Urban Network Evolutions (UrbNet)
Classical Archaeology
School of Culture and Society
Aarhus University
Mobile: +45 2718 8390
Mail: rubina.raja@cas.au.dk