AMMAN — Researchers working on the excavations in Jerash, known as ancient Gerasa, have uncovered an Islamic-era mint within the city. Coins made of copper were produced during two distinct phases: before and after reforms took place.
Professor Alan Walmsley from Macquarie University in Australia stated, "This apparently simple finding, which was disregarded because of how closely Jerash coin types resembled those produced in far greater numbers at Beit She’an, represented a crucial advancement in recognizing Jerash’s substantial significance during the Islamic era."
The professor mentioned that the production of coins indicated broader administrative and geopolitical plans, suggesting a likely extensive urban development program consistent with the city plan of Anjar.
Jerash produced coins following the same design as the abundant copper pieces from Baysan/Scythopolis since Baysan served as a significant center during the early Islamic period, featuring a hilltop residence for its governor.
The pre-reform coinage styles adhere closely to the robust design patterns found in the Justin II and Sophia Byzantine collection. These coins were evidently quite popular within the region long after they were distributed, continuing alongside the initial releases from the Umayyad era.
Walmsley suggested that the preference for two images on the copper coins might have resulted in a short period of minting an uncommon "Double Standing Caliph" design in Jerash, which is frequently discovered there.
The professor mentioned that after the reforms, the issues became stylistically more consistent, even though they remained relatively substantial in size. It wasn’t until the conclusion of the Umayyad era that a level of uniformity in coin production was attained across Bilad Al Sham.
"The reasons behind certain district towns being permitted to mint coins while others weren’t remain unclear. Additionally, some coin issuances did not specify an urban origin, yet this discrepancy likely reflects differing degrees of administrative authority, societal status, and community affiliations," explained the researcher.
Considering the historical and numismatic materials discussed earlier, along with productive conversations with our Jordanian counterparts, they view this mysterious coin as representing an issuance from AD 685 marking succession. On it, one figure depicts Abd Al Malik Ibn Marwan as the caliph, while his brother, Abd Al Aziz, is shown as the appointed heir.
As Walmsley asserted, The Islamic Jerash Project aimed to go beyond the mosque and integrate it into other aspects of Late Antique urban life, including streets, marketplaces, bathhouses, palaces, churches, and residential areas.
The professor emphasized that the aim was not merely to dig up a mosque independently, as had often been done with previous church and Roman-era monument excavations at Jerash. Instead, their objective was to understand the structure’s role within the broader urban landscape throughout history.
“To reach our objective, we needed to examine not just what existed beneath the mosque but also what surrounded it — in other words, from a horizontal perspective — and connect both the 'below' and 'surrounding areas' using stratigraphic and chronological correlations,” explained the professor.
Walmsley emphasized that the aim was to create a settlement history for downtown Jerash, which, by using the principles of archaeological and architectural stratigraphy, covered several centuries.
Discussing the souks from the Islamic era, the academic highlighted an important finding: a line of stores bordering the east side of the Phase-2 mosque. Within these outlets were numerous marble slabs inscribed with records kept meticulously in Arabic by merchants. This underscores how pivotal the mosque was in managing day-to-day activities at the market.
From this evidence, it was evident that the Jerash mosque was intentionally placed in the bustling center of the town. This layout echoed arrangements found in other early Islamic cities like Damascus, Aleppo, Al-Fustat, and eventually Fatimid Cairo,” explained Walmsley.
The professor mentioned that they had chosen to explore this region with greater depth, along with investigating the shops near the mosque. Additionally, excavation work was carried out on a line of stores located opposite, specifically on the eastern side of the road.
Walmsley noted that the modifications in Jerash respected the initial city layout and boosted business activities in the downtown area. Despite previous beliefs suggesting an overall downturn socially and economically following the advent of Islam, he pointed out that these aspects thrived in Jordan post this period.
