Kamal Ghorui
A centuries-old mosaic map has helped archaeologists identify what may be a long-lost Byzantine city hidden beneath the desert landscape near the Dead Sea in Jordan. Researchers believe the settlement is Tharais, a city marked on the famous Madaba Mosaic Map, one of the oldest surviving maps of the Holy Land. The discovery emerged after archaeologists combined clues from the ancient map with modern field surveys and excavations carried out between 2021 and 2024 in southern Jordan. The findings revealed remains of churches, buildings and agricultural infrastructure, offering fresh insight into Byzantine life in the region and demonstrating how ancient cartography can still guide modern archaeological discoveries more than 1,500 years later.
1,500-year-old mosaic map behind the discovery of a lost city
The discovery is closely linked to the Madaba Mosaic Map, a sixth-century Byzantine mosaic located inside Saint George’s Church in the Jordanian city of Madaba. Created during the Byzantine era, the map depicts cities, rivers, trade routes and religious landmarks across the Holy Land, including Jerusalem, the Jordan River and the Dead Sea.Historians consider it the oldest surviving geographic mosaic map of the region. Among the many settlements marked on the mosaic was a place called Tharais, located southeast of the Dead Sea. For decades, archaeologists debated where exactly the city once stood.Researchers compared the map’s geographic details with modern terrain studies and archaeological surveys before focusing their investigation on an area near the modern village of El-Iraq in Jordan’s Karak Governorate.
What archaeologists found beneath the desert
Excavations at the site uncovered evidence of a substantial Byzantine-era settlement. Archaeologists identified the remains of a basilica-style church decorated with mosaic floors, along with residential structures, pottery fragments, glass remains and stone tools.The site also revealed evidence of olive oil production and agriculture, suggesting the settlement was economically active rather than simply a small religious outpost. Researchers believe the city likely served travellers and trade networks moving through the southeastern Dead Sea region during the Byzantine period.Christian symbols and church remains indicate that the city was an important Christian community between the fourth and seventh centuries AD.The rediscovery of Tharais highlights the remarkable accuracy of some ancient maps. The Madaba Map has long been viewed as one of the most important geographical artefacts from the Byzantine world, but discoveries like this continue to demonstrate how detailed and reliable it may have been.Archaeologists say the discovery also provides valuable insight into how Byzantine communities functioned near the Dead Sea. The region played an important role in trade, pilgrimage and agriculture during late antiquity, yet many settlements gradually disappeared from historical records after political and environmental changes reshaped the region.The findings also show how traditional archaeology still relies heavily on historical texts, ancient art and old maps alongside modern scientific methods.
What may have happened to the city
Researchers believe Tharais likely declined during the seventh century as the region experienced political transformation, shifting trade routes and possible earthquake activity. The transition from Byzantine to early Islamic rule altered economic and settlement patterns across much of the Levant.Over centuries, desert sediment and erosion gradually buried large parts of the city, leaving only fragments visible on the surface. Eventually, the settlement faded from memory, surviving mainly through references preserved on the Madaba Map.
A rare case of ancient cartography solving a mystery
What makes the discovery especially fascinating is that the breakthrough came partly from a mosaic created around 1,500 years ago. Long before satellite imagery or digital mapping existed, Byzantine artists produced a surprisingly sophisticated representation of the region that still guides archaeologists today.For researchers, the rediscovery of Tharais is more than the recovery of a lost city. It is also a reminder that ancient civilisations often recorded their world with far greater precision than modern historians once assumed.
