October
19
/ 2020
In 2017 archaeologists in Jordan unearthed a time capsule dating back over a thousand years. The House of the Tesserae was fortuitously preserved after an earthquake struck the Jordanian city of Jerash in the 8 th century AD. The early Islamic building is particularly significant due to the surprising discovery of a mosaic studio found inside. The collapse of the building during the earthquake sealed the House of Tesserae in the manner of a snapshot, frozen in time. The House of the Tesserae and its mosaic workshop offers archaeologists a rare glimpse into the mosaic industry at Jerash during the 8 th century AD. Origin Stories for the Foundation of Jerash Jerash (known also as Gerasa) is an ancient city
