The dating of churches and structures of the Umm el-Jimal archaeological site, north-east Jordan, is mainly based on stylistic comparison and architectural elements. An inscription dated to 451 according to the Bostra calendar, was used to date Umm el-Jimal cathedral to AD 556. The inscription was found on the cathedral's floor near the apse and it was therefore suggested that it belongs to its arch. This research aims at examining the accuracy of this date by radiocarbon dating organic inclusions collected from the mortar of the cathedral's apse. In addition, it characterises the mortar by X-ray diffraction and microscopic analyses. The results show that the radiocarbon dates included the date of the inscription and indicated that the inscription belongs to the cathedral and dates it correctly. The mortar samples appeared lime-based and ashy and had a high charcoal content. The results indicate that building the cathedral was part of a general trend of increasing building activities of churches in the region between AD 550 and 650.

中文翻译：

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Umm el-Jimal 大教堂，约旦：铭文和放射性碳日期

约旦东北部 Umm el-Jimal 考古遗址的教堂和建筑物的年代主要基于风格比较和建筑元素。根据 Bostra 历法，可追溯到 451 年的铭文被用来将 Umm el-Jimal 大教堂定为公元 556 年。该铭文是在大教堂后殿附近的地板上发现的，因此建议它属于它的拱门。这项研究旨在通过从大教堂后殿的灰浆中收集的有机内含物进行放射性碳测年来检查该日期的准确性。此外，它还通过 X 射线衍射和显微分析表征砂浆。结果表明，放射性碳年代包括铭文日期，表明铭文属于大教堂，日期正确。砂浆样品呈石灰基和灰白色，并具有高木炭含量。结果表明，建造大教堂是公元 550 年至 650 年期间该地区教堂建筑活动增加的总体趋势的一部分。