| Archaeological investigations at Tell Abil in northern Jordan demonstrate that this site was Abila of the Decapolis during the Early Roman Period. Literary and archaeological evidence (pottery, lamps, glass, architectural features, etc.) indicates the site was settled during the Bronze Age, Iron Age, Hellenistic Period, Roman Period, Byzantine Period, and Umayyad Period.; Population estimates based upon various ethnoarchaeological models indicate that the Iron Age population ranged between 1,300 and 3,700, while the Roman Period population was approximately 6,000. A doubling of the site size during the Byzantine/Umayyad Period reflects a population of approximately 12,000 individuals. Food and water resources were adequate for a city of this size.; The wealth of the community was based upon food production. Tomb excavation data fit a threefold social class model of Elite, Commoners, and Poor. There is evidence for growth within the Elite class and limited social mobility. Caravan trade with Asia may have been one method for achieving social mobility.; Four regional survey transects demonstrate the presence of suburban communities,quarries, agricultural fields, aqueducts, farmsteads, and nomadic campsites. The most intensive use of the countryside occurred during the Byzantine/Umayyad Period when the city reached its climax population.; Excavation date from Tell Abil and Umm el Amad are reviewed in light of predictions formulated from the 1980 urban survey. A large Byzantine basilica was discovered at Tell Abil. It had been constructed upon the ruins of a Roman Temple. The basilica was destroyed and reused for non-church functions during the 7th century A.D. Another large basilica was built on the summit of Umm el Amad during the 7th century. Ceramic and architectural evidence indicates that it was destroyed by an earthquake during the 8th century A.D. |
