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(NewsNation) — Archaeologists have discovered an ancient Christian settlement in Jordan that dates back to the mid-sixth century. 

A professor and his team from Mutah University unearthed the archaeological site of Tharais in southern Jordan. Their findings were recently published in Gephyra, an academic journal that covers the ancient history and cultures of the Eastern Mediterranean.   

The archaeological remains show evidence of human settlement during the Roman, Byzantine and Islamic periods from the first century B.C. through the 13th century A.D., according to the scholars.

Among the findings were the remains of a Byzantine church built in the basilica style. They also found an olive oil press, pottery shards, stone tools and glass remnants as well as fragments of mosaic art.

The archaeologists say that Tharais could have been a Byzantine site for Christian pilgrimage, given its location overlooking the Dead Sea and the Holy Land, as well as an agricultural hub.  

The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, lasted for 1100 years from 330 to 1453 A.D. Its capital was Constantinople, modern-day Istanbul. It fell when the Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople in 1453.