Cultural Identity and Wine Production in Northern Jordan: A Case Study in Context

Abstract

The discovery of a significant number of rock-cut wine presses in the hilly areas east of Pella, revealed an intensive local industry that had been previously unsuspected. There are strong historical and archaeological indications that the production of wine flourished here and in other areas of northern Jordan in the Roman and Byzantine periods, but rapidly ceased in the early Islamic period. The Pella hinterland provides a valuable corpus of press types and contextual information which can be evaluated with comparative data from the wider region. It represents an important cultural expression where changing mores had significant economic repercussions.