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Mines/Jordan

Wadi Faynan (Khirbat Faynan) mine

Wadi Faynan (Khirbat Faynan) mine, Jordan. Heritage site, underground, mining copper.

Why Wadi Faynan (Khirbat Faynan) is famous

Copper mining and smelting from the Chalcolithic (4500 to 3100 BC) with fairly continuous use until the 4th century AD and a Mamluk phase 1250 to 1516. Roman expansion followed the Nabataean annexation in AD 106 and ores were largely exhausted by Roman mining. Output is described as unparalleled in the southeastern Mediterranean, with the possible exception of Cyprus.1,2

Story cards

Wadi Faynan (Khirbat Faynan) today

Where copper is mined todayMining in Jordan

Where next

Mines

ExamplesGreat Orme MinesFaynan's copper smelting began in the Chalcolithic, 4500 to 3100 BC, long before Great Orme.1An example ofRiotinto mining districtRome expanded Faynan after the annexation of AD 106. Rio Tinto's copper lodes came after the 3rd century.1ExamplesTimna ValleyAnother ancient copper centre: Faynan worked from the Chalcolithic to a Mamluk phase.1

Sources

  1. Wadi Faynan copper mining World Archaeology
  2. Wikidata entity Q28408071

From the Prospector Trails mining history dataset: each fact links to the source it was checked against. Figures are as the source gives them, in the money of their day. Not investment advice.

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Cover photos from Wikimedia Commons: Chuquicamata from the ISS by Alexander Gerst (ESA), CC BY-SA 2.0. Pictures: Timna in de Negevwoestijn; rotspartij "de zuilen van Salomo", Poll, Willem van de / Europeana (Public Domain Mark 1.0).