Museum at the lowest point on earth
The museum at the lowest point on earth ( English Museum at the Lowest Place on Earth , MuLPE) is located southeast of the Dead Sea near the city of as-Safi in Jordan about 360 m below sea level. In a modern, snail-shaped building, it shows the sequence of human settlement in this cultural landscape since the Neolithic using examples from sites in the region. The nearby Sanctuary of Lot (Dayr ʿAin ʿAbata) is represented with a mosaic from the 7th century AD.
history
During the excavations at the Lot Sanctuary in the 1990s, the idea of a museum at this location was developed. It was supposed to show the cultural history of the region, on the one hand to attract tourists and at the same time to arouse interest among the population in the preservation of archaeological relics, as a basis for tourism and the creation of jobs.
Finally, the Jordanian architect George Hakim was commissioned with the planning. His concept, which mimics the spiral shape of a snail shell, was approved by the Jordanian Antiquities Authority and was built with government support. Archaeologists from the Hellenic Society for Near Eastern Studies and the British Museum helped design the exhibition . The MuLPE was opened to the public in 2012 and the opening ceremony followed on May 18, 2013, International Museum Day.
Southern Ghor region
The area east and south of the Dead Sea, from Wadi Mujib in the north to Wadi Araba , is called the southern Ghor . The name comes from the numerous river valleys - in Arabic ghawr - from the eastern mountainous region, which bring spring water into the depression and thus enable irrigation farming .
In southern Ghor, the summers are very hot and the winters are mild. Due to the 400 meters thicker layer of air - than at sea level - the intensity of the constantly shining sun is reduced. The plant growth is thus favored all year round, sometimes several harvests can be brought in. These living conditions also promoted a very early settlement in the region.
exhibition
Exhibits on each topic are presented in a large, well-lit showcase that is flanked with information flags. Typical ceramics and handicraft tools or jewelry are exhibited from the individual epochs.
Two villages in southern Ghor are known from the Neolithic (13,000 to 8,000 years ago). In the early Bronze Age - about 5000 years ago - large walled cities with complex social organization emerged. In addition to the settlements, extensive burial fields are known. The population density fell sharply in the Middle Bronze Age , and larger rural settlements emerged in the Iron Age (from 1000 BC). The region then belonged to the kingdom of Moab , which was proven by typical ceramics.
textiles
From the 1st century BC Until the 2nd century AD, the Nabataeans were active on the region's trade routes. They also grew date palms and extracted bitumen from the Dead Sea. During excavations in the necropolis of Khirbat Qayzun, not only Nabatean ceramics but also large amounts of textile remains came to light, which had been well preserved in the dry climate.
Sanctuary of Lot
In the biblical tale of the fall of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah , Abraham's nephew Lot survived the catastrophe and took refuge with his daughters in a cave. The story has been located in the area of the Dead Sea for ages and so in early Christianity a cave in the mountainside above today's museum was venerated as the Lot's cave . Pilgrims visited them and monks settled. In the early 1990s the remains of a small monastery from the 5th-7th centuries were found there. Excavated in the 16th century. The mosaic from the Diakonikon with a Greek inscription can be seen in the MuLPE.
Sugar production
The cultivation and processing of sugar cane played a major economic role in southern Ghor in the Middle Ages, as evidenced by three large sugar mills discovered in the region. They were powered by water power and were the first industrial companies. Special devices for cleaning raw sugar, such as ceramic and copper saucepans, are shown from the Ayyubid and Mamluk times (12th - 15th centuries).
literature
- Konstantinos D. Politis: Life at the lowest point on earth. In: Antike Welt 1/2015, pp. 73–81.
- Hellenic Society for Near Eastern Studies (HSNES): The Museum at the Lowest Place on Earth at Safi in Jordan
Individual evidence
- ↑ Konstantinos D. Politis: Life at the lowest point on earth. In: Antike Welt 1/2015, p. 81.
- ^ Sugar presses in Safi
Web links
Coordinates: 31 ° 3 ′ 1.5 ″ N , 35 ° 30 ′ 8.5 ″ E