Archaeologists from Yarmouk University’s Faculty of Archaeology and Anthropology have uncovered a Byzantine-era wine press carved into limestone rock in northern Jordan, along with tombs and the remains of a small church that had never been documented before.
The discovery was made at Khirbet Qabla, southwest of the town of Zoubia in Irbid governorate, during the first season of excavation and field training at the site.
The wine press is made up of a connected series of basins used for pressing, settling, and collecting grape juice, linked by carved channels, according to Khaled Al-Bashayreh, dean of the faculty. He said the layout points to a fully integrated facility built for wine production.
Tombs, reused church and centuries of settlement emerge at site
Excavators also found individual graves and family tombs dating to the Roman and Byzantine periods, along with the remains of a small church that came to light for the first time this year.
Al-Bashayreh said archaeological evidence shows the church building had an earlier life as an olive press before it was converted into a place of worship, reflecting how structures at the site were repurposed over time.
Preliminary findings indicate that Khirbet Qabla was inhabited during the Roman, Byzantine, and early Islamic periods, based on the range of structures uncovered and the sequence in which they were used.
Al-Bashayreh said the results strengthen the site’s archaeological value and provide a foundation for further excavation in coming seasons, helping document Jordan’s cultural heritage and train national experts in archaeology and heritage preservation.
The season also served as hands-on training for students in the faculty’s archaeology, heritage conservation and management, and anthropology programs during the 2026 summer semester.
Students took part in excavation, survey, drawing, documentation, and archaeological photography, along with handling and recording artifacts and preparing field reports according to accepted scientific methods.
Byzantine wine press cements site’s importance to Jordan’s heritage
Project director Maan Amoush said the season met its training and scientific goals, giving students direct field experience while producing promising early results that confirm the site’s importance.
He said the discoveries mark a first step toward understanding the history of Khirbet Qabla, and that future seasons will focus on uncovering more of its architectural features and building a fuller picture of its settlement sequence.
The Byzantine wine press and newly found church remain the most significant structures uncovered so far at the Jordan site.
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