HOME / Table of Contents = Civilizations - Cultures - Areas - Regions - Prehistory
Other Archaeological Sites / The Neolithic of the Levant (500 Page Book Online)

Ancient Hawar (Humeima) [Humayma]

Photograph of  the Hismâ Desert From the 2000 Excavations At Humayma Ancient Hawar was the only substantial settlement in the Hismâ Desert in southern Jordan some 40 kilometres south of Petra. The environment is bleak desert characterized by sparse desert vegetation. A limited amount of agriculture and animal husbandry is possible in the area. Today only a few nomads live seasonally in the vicinity of the site; the modern village of New Humayma is located some 7 kilometres to the southeast.

Ancient Hawar was a small trading post and caravan way-station in Edom. It was founded by the Nabatean King Aretas III (87-52 BC) probably to serve as a centre for sedentarization of the nomadic Nabatean pastoralists who occupied the area. In 106 AD the Nabatean Kingdom became the Roman Province of Arabia and shortly thereafter a 500 person Roman fort was built at Hawar. The modest settlement prospered into the Byzantine period as indicated by the 5-6 churches identified on the site ...

The Humeima Excavation Project: Preliminary Report of the 1991 Season
Oleson and Schick in Echos du Monde Classique (Mouseion)
36 - N.S. 11:137-169 (1992)

The Humeima Excavation Project: Preliminary Report of the 1991-1992 Seasons
Oleson et al in Annual of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan
37 : 461-502 (1993)

The Humeima Excavation Project: Preliminary Report of the 1992 Season
Oleson et al in Echos du Monde Classique (Mouseion) 37 - N.S. 12:123-158 (1993)

Preliminary Report of the Humayma Excavation Project 1993
Oleson et al in Annual of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan 39 : 317-354 (1995)

Preliminary Report of the Humayma Excavation Project 1995 1996 1998
Oleson et al in Annual of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan 43 : 411-450 (1999)

The History of the Ancient Near East Electronic Compendium