Researchers have unearthed a 3,000-year-old Iron Age temple with articles relating to ancient deities and circular clay vessels that were used for performing religious customs.

Ziad al-Saad, the head of the Jordanian Antiquities Department has expressed that the temple dates back to the eighth century B. C and was unearthed at Khirbat 'Ataroz near the town of Mabada about 32 Km from the capital Amman.

He expressed that the temple includes a main room, two antechambers and an open courtyard. The articles carved from limestone and basalt or molded from clay and bronze display religious rituals of the ancient biblical Moabite kingdom.

The Moabites ruled a kingdom which is present day Jordan's mountainous eastern shore of the Dead Sea and were similar to the Israelites however were in conflict with them. The Babylonians captures Moabites in 582 B. C.

At the site, the archaeologists also dug out 300 pots, figurines of deities and sacred vessels. Al-Saad expressed that it is uncommon to discover so many articles at one place. The excavations began on the site in 2000 in association with the California-based La Sierra University however most of the articles were discovered in the last few months.

The discovery of the caricature of gods indicated that the Moabites worshipped various deities and had established rituals. The articles discovered will be analysed and conserved before going on display.