Identifying a castle of the Crusader Lordship of Transjordan: Khirbat al-Silaʿ

The identification of the site mentioned in the medieval (12th–14th century) sources as the castle of Celle in the Crusader Lordship of Transjordan has long been debated among scholars. A recent archaeological survey at the site of Khirbat as-Silaʿ in the Ṭafīla region (Jordan) has now firmly established, through a study of documentary sources and material culture, and by placing the site in its specific context of studies, that Celle, a castle of major importance, was located there. This identification significantly contributes to revising a long-established theory about the role of Transjordan and its castles as a frontier of the Latin kingdom. It also confirms the significance of creating regional chronologies for several categories of material culture and of their use in determining the chronology of sites in Jordan and other areas of the broader Levant.