The ACOR Video Lecture Series provides stimulating and accessible discussions of new research into Jordan’s past and present, as presented by leading scholars and researchers working in Jordan and neighboring countries. This second video in the series, adapted from the February 2016 ACOR public lecture of archaeologist Konstantinos Politis, reveals the remarkable origins of industrial sugar production in the fertile Ghor es-Safi region south of the Dead Sea.
About the Lecture
In addition to highlighting discoveries made during more than 30 years of archaeological work in the regions south of the Dead Sea, this lecture by archaeologist Konstantinos Politis summarizes his recent research into medieval sugar production at the site of Tawahin al-Sukr in Ghor es-Safi. This remarkable site has produced clear evidence of a large-scale factory that processed locally grown sugarcane for export around the medieval world. During the lecture, Politis highlights recent efforts, funded by ACOR’s USAID SCHEP project, to make the site more presentable and understandable to visitors, as well as conservation and museum training programs being organized for the Safi community.
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About Konstantinos Politis
Educated in Greece, the United States, Belgium, and Britain, archaeologist Konstantinos Politis is Chairperson of the Hellenic Society for Near Eastern Studies. From 1988 until 2011 he was based at the British Museum which was the principal sponsor of his excavations in Jordan. He specializes in the early Byzantine and early Islamic periods. In recent years, Dr. Politis has been conducting research on the origins of the sugar industry, based largely on his ongoing excavations at the medieval sugar mill site of Tawahin al-Sukr in Jordan’s Ghor es-Safi.
About USAID SCHEP
The USAID Sustainable Cultural Heritage through Engagement of Local Communities Project (SCHEP) is a four-year project implemented by ACOR that supports sustainable preservation, management, and promotion of cultural heritage resources in Jordan through site development projects that directly engage local communities.
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this presentation do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government.
