New Page 1

The Old North Arabian Inscriptions consist mainly of personal names and rarely contain additional information. However, it seems that in this area of very limited rainfall, events and activities related to water, water reservoirs and pasturing were of a special value and were often documented in the inscriptions.

The paper will discuss those lexemes in the Old North Arabian Inscriptions designating places of pasture and water, which are usually found at the end of the inscriptions. Examples of these are the nouns brkh and rhbh on the one side and the verbs dth’ and rb^c on the other side.

These words will be investigated linguistically in the first place. However, the discussion will aim also at determining the function of these places and objects in comparison with ancient and modern practices.

Fawzi Abudanh

The Water-Supply Systems in the Region of Udhruh

The paper aims to discuss the different water-supply systems documented in the region of Udhruh during an archaeological survey conducted by the author in a period of two months between 15/10/03 and 15/12/03. The fieldwork revealed that the following strategies were used for water supply and consumption in the region: springs associated with reservoirs, reservoirs, channels and aqueducts, rock-cut cisterns, dams, wells, and others. The function and the main characteristics of each type and their relation to other archaeological finds will be also considered in this paper.

Dating these features, especially where no pottery sherds were found remains a problematic issue. Making a comparison with examples of similar features from Jordan in general and from the region of southern Jordan in particular will be probably vital to draw some conclusions. However, the available evidence from the region of Udhruh, mainly from pottery sherds associated with some of these features, reflects a long history of use during most of the first millennium AD, and most likely in later periods. Finally, I intend to discuss that these techniques of supply and storage were innovated to use water for human activities including the daily life requirements and for economic factors such as agriculture, trade and animal breeding.

Abdelsami Abu Dayyeh

A List of the Ammonite Kings

According to the Inter-Cultural and Political Relations

Clues from different sources can support the establishment of an inventory of 15 of the Ammonite monarchs who were able to lead their Ammonite people and sustain their unity in the form of a kingdom during the first millennium BC. They could do that in spite of the feeling of hostility that started to take place from the west side of the Jordan River in the early days of that young kingdom. To that situation, another factor might be added: the repeated expansion of the overwhelming powerful empire of Assyria from Mesopotamia in the East or that of Egypt in the south. They could contain the enmity of the Assyrian power and turn it into that of friendship and mutual benefits.

Being sufficiently wise these monarchs could understand and assess the great power of Assyria in a way that was out of their capability to stand against it. Instead, they sent delegates with generous and valuable presents and financial payments to the Assyrian emperors who used to appear at various incidents in North Syria, thousands of miles far from their territory so as to show their loyalty and friendship.

The Assyrian emperors took into consideration this loyalty and non-hostile behavior. They supported these monarchs and kept them in their positions as long as they felt their loyalty. Moreover, they gave protection to the trade of the Ammonites, all over the Assyrian territories since there were no borders among occupied lands.

The paper will focus on each of the monarchs and provide evidences for their identity. Those evidences are looked up through different channels of literature and antiquities.

Nizar Abu Jaber, Ziad Al-Saad and Khaled Bashaireh

Provenance of Marbles from the Nabataean Site at

Qasr el-Bint, Petra, and UmM Qays, Jordan

The sources of various materials used in antiquity can help in reconstructing various aspects of life during a particular time period. Specifically, trade routes and technical competence of the workmen can be assessed. In this paper, we will discuss the sources of the various marbles used at Qasr el-Bint during the Nabataean period and Gadara during the synchronous Hellenistic period.

The provenance of these marbles can be roughly divided into local and imported marble. The petrographic and stable isotopic composition of these marbles were studied and compared with known sources of marble in the Eastern Mediterranean. The imported marbles seem to come from various sources in modern Greece and Turkey, which were well known sources of marble during the classical period. At Qasr el Bint, these marbles can be divided into three types based on their mineralogy, petrographic characteristics and stable isotopic composition. The highest quality variety seems to be a white dolomitic marble which was mined on the island of Thasos in modern Greece. The second type is a grayish calcitic marble which is well crystallized and also seems to have been imported from Thasos, albeit from another quarry on the island. The third type is a friable white marble which was probably mined from ancient Docimium in modern Turkey. At Umm Qays, the results showed that Carystos (Greece) most probably is the source of the green marble, while Prokonnesos (Turkey) most probably is the source of the white marbles. Subordinately, Naxos, Penteli, and Thasos (Greece) and Docimium (Turkey) were minor sources.

Raouf Abujaber

The Jordanian Countryside as a Corridor for

Population Movements and Trade

The area involved in this short study is that which covers Jordan nowadays. It composed part of Jund Filastin and most of Jund al-Urdun at the advent of Arab Armies and the rise of the Umayyad Caliphate in the seventh century. Its boundaries to the west are Palestine, the Mediterranean Islands, Greece and Italy. To its north, are Syria, and ultimately Turkey, northern Iraq, Iran and Asia beyond. To the east and south-east, is Arabia with its caravan routes to Hijaz, Yemen and Hadramut on the western side, and Najd, Oman, and the ports of the Arabian Gulf and the Arabian Sea. In the south-west, are Egypt, the Sudan and Africa, through Aqaba and Sinai. Relatively small in size, this area of less than one hundred thousand square kilometers has had a continuous passage of tribes and groups of people in all directions. Many of them chose to stay and as a result it witnessed a continuous rise and fall of states and principalities with all the effects and ill-effects that this brought to the settled population.

The reasons for population movement were different and although most of them were caused by developments in the neighboring areas, some were brought about by internal factors. Trade depended generally on the need for goods in the neighboring markets, as until recently, it did not usually develop as a result of domestic demand. Naturally, the relatively small settled population did not need the type or volume of goods and products that large trade levels required, and therefore the bulk of goods passing through the area was really in transit. The latest example of a situation like this happened during the years of the Second World War (1939–1945) when Jordan developed into a depot of large magnitude for the traders of Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

The present article will attempt to describe and analyze the state of affairs in the countryside as a result of population movements, through this corridor during the different periods in Jordan’s history. It will also discuss the different aspects that developed between the different waves of population and the social and cultural impact it brought over the ages.

Adeeb Abu Shmaes

Notes on the Old Water System and its

Integration in Jordan’s Future

From about 6000 years ago, people transformed their Badiyah into a green land; Jawa is one of the major examples. They carved the rock to make dams, cisterns and reservoirs so as to divert rainwater from valleys and springs, and, they terraced hilly lands in order to be able to irrigate from floods (Petra, Karak valley).

The archaeological remains have revealed dynamic water systems at several sites, built by the ancient cultures. Evidence still exists as a witness, with the magnificent ruins that are related to water systems. This can be the clue to reproducing the old technology in rainwater collection.

We are in need to learn from past technologies, because in the next few years this would be the major issue facing the whole region. We have to implement studies in this field co-operating with UN and the national water authorities, and, to create new methods and knowledge in spreading awareness to our society on water usage.

Back to the archaeological evidence, it is suggested that:

1. The ancient experience will teach us to think about rainwater collection.

2. We need to renew the old ways of harvesting rainfall, such as some villagers do(Ajlun and Irbid areas).

3. A program of projects should be established for restoring and conserving some systems in the desert area

or Petra; they must be studied and planned by the government.

4. These projects will produce practitioners in the field at DAJ.

5. Funding must be one of the Governmental policies, to educate public rural sectors and encourage them to work

on their own in restoring and using old cisterns.

Aysar Akrawi

NGO and Government Collaboration in

Archaeological Sites Management, Jordan (Petra case)

The presentation is intended to describe how Petra National Trust (PNT), a non-governmental non-profit organization has collaborated with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, and, in particular, the Department of Antiquities over the past 13 years. In doing so, it will provide a brief history of the Jordanian experience in site management and protection issues using Petra as a case study, and recount some of the lessons learned from that experience.

The Trust’s mission is dedicated to the preservation of the archaeological, cultural and natural heritage of Petra and its region. It is committed to working with local, regional and international bodies to safeguard the World Heritage site of Petra for future generations.

The paper will describe the current status of the site of Petra; briefly assess the management plans developed by several international organizations that foresee the impact of tourism and development on Petra; and guide you through the development of the non-governmental organizations and their experience in site management through the three models that have been adopted in three semi-autonomous regions in Jordan, i.e. the Petra National Park in the Petra Region, Wadi Rum in the ‘Aqaba Special Economic Zone and the Baptism site in the Jordan Valley Authority.

Lastly, the author endeavors to analyze the current status of site management and proposes recommendations for a

more effective and integrated approach.

Hani M. Al-Huneidi

The Development of Cultural Heritage between the

Islamic Conquest and Existing Traditions

The Islamic Arab Conquest in 633 AD has critically influenced the local cultural heritage of greater Syria. This conquest and its related consequences has been a subject of discussion by many historians and researchers.

The integral cultural heritage of the people of Jordan in particular, and in Greater Syria, in general, was dually influenced by two strong cultures: the existing culture of the Christian Byzantine and the new approaching culture of Islam. Therefore, the identity of many elements of the cultural heritage suffered from confusion, arising from these various factors from its development until it reached matured forms.

I believe that this conflict has been related to an issue of trust between both “Islam and Christianity” and “Arabs and Non-Arabs” along the long history. Despite the agreement of the different parties on many points, there are still many other points of disagreement, particularly nowadays. There are at the same time many efforts that aim at creating a dialogue between the different religions and civilizations. Hence, I will try through this research to start a subjective scientific analysis of this critical and vital case in order to strengthen the confidence between Arab Moslems and other cultures and civilizations.

Ziad Al-Saad and John Patrick Grattan

The Imperial Legacy? The Environmental Impact of Roman Mining and Smelting in Wadi Faynan

This paper includes detailed chemical analyses of Romano-Byzantine skeletal material excavated from Wadi Faynan. These analyses will test the hypothesis that the Romano-Byzantine population was exposed to and accumulated high concentrations of toxic metals.

The extent to which the industrial activity has impinged upon the historical and contemporary landscapes is emphasized. The results have revealed a lasting high concentration of copper, lead and other toxic metals within the soils, and modern plants and animals at the site.

Hussein Al-Sababha

Cultural Materials of the Decapolis Region –Distribution, Intensity, Composition, Provenance, and Decomposition in Relation to Land Use and Environmental Conditions

The vicinity (fields) of the Decapolis region has up to now been neglected except for superficial researches on human activities outside of the main settlements, while the distribution and intensity of cultural materials can yield a great amount of information regarding human activities in the region. Settlement history as well as influence of possible climate changes or mismanagement cannot be understood if the relationship of settlements and land use is not clarified. For this reason, it was decided that investigation in the cultural material on the fields in the Decapolis region is urgently up-to-date and should be included in a joint research project on the environmental history carried out by Yarmouk University, Jordan, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus, Germany, Biblical Archaeological Institute Wuppertal, Germany, and German Protestant Institute (DEIAHL) Amman.

Chemical composition and provenance of cultural materials provide a lot of information concerning the methods of production and the type of raw materials used in manufacturing of these materials, and the relationship between raw materials and decomposition. This can be influenced by land use activities and soil qualities. Therefore, the GIS-supported mapping of intensity and provenance of material culture will not only provide information about land use intensity and time spaces, but also give information about the influence of soil and land use in weathering of the material. In the framework of the joint project, mapping and analysis of cultural materials on the fields of the Decapolis region is conducted, and will be linked to investigations in soil development in relation to the land use.

There are many scientific methods that can be used to determine the chemical composition of cultural materials, and petrography is considered to be one of the best methods to analyze pottery in order to determine the minerals and temper materials used in manufacturing pottery. This is linked to the natural deposits of their raw materials such as clay, which are examined also in the soil. Another useful technique that can be used to determine the composition of tempering material is X-ray diffraction.

The GIS-supported mapping on the distribution and intensity of cultural materials and their composition in the vicinity of sites in the Decapolis region is carried out in the most representative types of landscape which are the highlands of Bashan (Abila, Hartha), the mountains of Gilead (Tall Zera‘a, Umm Qays), and Jordan valley (Pella, Tabaqat Fahel). First limited research shows a sharp reduction of land use activities at the end of the Umayyad period. However, some fields were still cultivated in the Ayyubid-Mamluk time. Preliminary results indicate reforestation of vast areas and a second phase of abandonment at the beginning of the Ottoman period. This development could be linked to climate change, as some climate models propose short but intensive droughts during these time spaces.

The reconstruction of human activities on the fields, especially agriculture, can provide a great amount of knowledge regarding historical development, as a lot of cultural materials were carried with dung to the fields. On the other hand, decomposition of cultural materials, which can be seen as a chemical fact of deterioration, give hints about soil conditions, management of land and water resources and climate, which might have led to the abandonment of cities.

The thesis is part of an inter-disciplinary team work, which is distributed as following:

· Historical Land Use Reconstruction and Assessment of Agriculture (Prof. Dr.-Ing. Schmidt, Dipl.-Ing. Lucke, BTU Cottbus).

· Soil Development in Relation to Climate and Land Use (Prof. Dr. Baeumler, TU Munich, Dipl.-Ing. Lucke, BTU Cottbus).

· Settlement History of Tall Zera’a and Wadi el-Arab (Prof. Dr. Dr. Vieweger, Biblical Archaeological Insitute Wuppertal).

· Met. Modeling, impact of land use on local climate (Prof. Dr. Schellnhuber, Postdam Institute of Climate Impact Research).

· General Geology and Mineral Content of Source Rocks (Prof. Dr. Udluft, University of Wuerzburg).

· Distribution and Weathering of Material Culture and Historical and Use Intensity (Prof. Dr. al-Sa'ad, Yarmouk University, M.A. Hussein al-Sababha).

Ignacio Arce

Qasr al-Hallabat: Continuity and Change from

Roman-Byzantine to the Umayyad period

The aim of this paper is to review, on the basis of ongoing research and excavation work at Hallabat, the new hypothesis on the dating and nature of the physical transformation and change of use of the site and the related structures. The use of stratigraphic analysis to study the built structures, and linked to the archaeological buried context, provides relevant and new information on the building activities, phases and related continuity/change of use of certain structures. This requires a new assessment of the site, as increasing evidences would lead to date some of the transformations (dated up to now in the Umayyad period) to an earlier (Byzantine) period. This allows a better understanding of the actual interventions of each period. As a result, a more clear picture is emerging of the continuity and change of use of the site in Umayyad period itself. These changes could actually be linked to the elites’ production and the role of gift exchange as reinforcement of social institutions within the clientele policy of the Umayyad period, especially in the Badiyah area.

The paper intends to present the instruments, process of analysis and these related hypothesis, that might have and important repercussion in the interpretation of the transition from Byzantine to Umayyad periods: the transformation of military structures from the Limes Arábicus into agricultural states (in a period earlier than expected), and the related relationship between man and nature in order to exploit and control the territory in the passage from Late Antiquity into the Early Medieval period.

Ignacio Arce

The Umayyad Complex at ‘Amman Citadel: A Final Assessment of Seven Years of Research and Intervention (1995-2001)

In the framework of the interventions and research carried out at the ‘Amman Citadel by the author, some relevant pieces of information, related to the theme of the Conference (Cultural Interaction through the Ages), are presented.

On the one hand, there is the symbolic significance of the construction of this Umayyad palatine city as a representation of the new power, and the relationship between the new rulers and the existing establishment and culture. Special relevance has the establishment at the Citadel (at the same time and as a part of the global urban plan of the new palatine city), of a sort of “Christian quarter” related to the refurbishment of the pre-existing Byzantine Church, and formed by the new monastic complex and the deacon’s house, built around the Church during the Umayyad period. Another important aspect is related to the interpretation of the “official” and representative buildings of the Umayyad complex, leading to some hypothesis on the location of the political power related spaces: the Dar al-Imara, the Balad and the Jami‘ (Congregational Mosque). Closely related to this, are the hypothesis on the conception of the new intervention as a double city or mada’in, as part of this complex relationship between the newcomers and the existing population.

On the other hand, the commercial significance of ‘Amman and the socio-cultural impact of the trade relations and routes in the region are materialized by means of its impressive souq (and the related mint –sikka–), integrated within the core of the new intervention as the social link between the different sections of the City.

Finally, an important review of the urban changes detected from the Classical to the Late Antiquity period, and later in the transition to the Umayyad one, will be carried out. This re-assessment is related to the discussion on the process of decay and revitalization of urban life in these periods that was initiated by Sauvaget and continues nowadays through the confronting points of view of Hugh Kennedy and Ward-Perkins. The evidences found at the ‘Amman Citadel provide a new view and information inputs for this relevant debate.

Taysir M. Atiat

University of Mu‘tah excavations at Shqeirah, Dhat Ras in

South Jordan: A Preliminary Report

A Byzantine church in the form of a basilica was recovered during the University of Mu‘tah excavations at Shqeirah in southern Karak. The evidence from the church and associated settlement brings to light several new features of church construction during the Byzantine period and expands the picture of settlement in the south of Jordan during this period. The church offers information about the Christian community at Shqeirah during the Byzantine and Early Islamic periods. The church of Shqeirah in the vicinity of Dhat Ras is fascinating by its archaeological relevance as well by its extraordinary scenic location.

Christian Augé

The Petra Sanctuaries in Local and Interregional Relations: Some Remarks from Recent Finds

Some information can be gathered from recent excavations in the center of Petra, especially from the current fieldwork carried out by the French mission in the Qasr al-Bint area. New questions arise about the prominent position of such an extensive sanctuary in the town planning of the Nabataean and Roman periods, with special regards to the main axes of circulation, and about the specific role of these temples in the social, cultural and economic relations throughout Antiquity.

E. B. Banning and Kevin Gibbs

Networking in the Neolithic:

Wadi Ziqlab in its Regional Context

Surveys and excavations in Wadi Ziqlab, al-Kura, northern Jordan, have suggested that agglomerated settlement of the PPNB gave way to a dispersed, dendritic settlement system in the Late Neolithic. Continuing work is beginning to document the interrelationships between Late Neolithic sites within and without Wadi Ziqlab. We interpret these as the consequence of human agency in the context of gift-giving, social entertainment, and regional trade. Pottery, which both served in entertainment contexts and lends itself to stylistic expression, is one of our chief sources of evidence for these social networks.

Majdi Barjous

Geology, Geomorphology and

Structural Setting of Petra, Jordan

Stresses affected the rocks exposed in the Petra area and gave rise to different types of structures within the igneous and sandstone rocks. Since the Petra area is mainly composed of brittle sandstone, the dominant structural features are fractures (faults and joints).

Petra is cut by two main NE-SW trending faults (the al-Mataha Fault in the east and the Abu ‘Ulayqa Fault in the west), which form the sides of a graben in its central part. Two uplifted blocks occur to the east and west. They are branches of the sinistral Al-Quwayra Fault system (3km west of the sheet). Movement has taken place periodically from late Palaeozoic to the early Quaternary time.

One of the most characteristic features of the Palaeozoic sandstone in the area is the net-like nature of the joint system. Generally, it is straight, and individual joints can be traced for distances of up to 500m. The joint planes are for the most part vertical, but low angle inclined joints occur. Some joints form open fissures and the joint surfaces are commonly slightly polished, indicating possible minor displacement along some joints. The intensity of jointing varies from one unit to another and from one bed to another. The major trends of the vertical joint systems within the Palaeozoic sandstone are approximately with a right angle to each other and range between 60°-79° and between 160°-179°. The inclined joints range between 60°- 89° and 130°-169° and dipping between 40° to 80° with dipping direction to the SW, W, NNW, and NE.

The trends of the joint system in the area are controlled by, firstly, the post Ordovician/pre-Neocomian stresses which affected the Palaeozoic rocks only, secondly, by the stresses that created the Dead Sea transform fault system, and, thirdly, by the tectonism within the Petra/ash-Shawbak fold belt.

The Petra area shows a typical fault- and joint-controlled trellis drainage network. Typically, gorges, which are characteristically straight and very deep, have developed in the valleys, while the Wadi Musa (as-Siq) in the area forms a meandering drainage. It is related to the drainage pattern on the mid-Tertiary plain developed on the now eroded Cretaceous rocks cover, which is superimposed on the Palaeozoic sandstone with only local adjustment to rock structures.

Leigh-Ann Bedal

The Petra Garden and Pool Complex

For many decades, archaeologists working in Petra believed that the extensive system of water channels, aqueducts, dams, cisterns and reservoirs were engineered for the sole purpose of serving the domestic and civic needs of the city. They assumed that the gardens described by Strabo (Geography XVI.4.21) were small kitchen gardens or perhaps communal gardens for neighborhoods. It was unimaginable in this arid environment that a resource as precious as water would be used for anything other than necessity

In 1998, excavations uncovered evidence that altered this long-held perception of water consumption at Petra. An archaeological investigation of a large terrace at the heart of the City Center, revealed the remains of a monumental open-air pool with a central island-pavilion overlooking a garden terrace. An elaborate water distribution system was incorporated into the design and construction of the pool which held up to 2069 cubic meters of water. The hills surrounding the City Center are filled with rock-hewn cisterns whose contents could be channeled to the site as needed. The pool’s north wall functioned as an aqueduct conducting water to a redistribution tank which fed into an irrigation system for the expansive garden (65 x 53 meters) laid out on the adjoining earthen terrace. A survey of the garden terrace using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) revealed remnants of several buried features including a large, underground cistern.

The discovery of the Petra Garden and Pool Complex provides a new perspective on the role of water supply and consumption in the Nabataean capital. By collecting and storing every drop of water, the Nabataeans were able to supply a variety of ornamental and recreational facilities that played an important role in promoting Petra’s image as the political and cultural center of Nabataea, an independent and prosperous kingdom. This paper describes the Petra Garden and Pool Complex and the role of water display as a symbol of wealth and status for the Nabataean capital.

Ueli Bellwald

The Hydraulic Infrastructure of Petra

A Model for Water Strategies in Arid Lands

Despite recent large scale archaeological excavations, the infrastructure of Petra, thought to be less spectacular than other monuments, has remained more or less unknown. It was the Swiss funded Siq Project of the Petra National Trust, directed by the lecturer, with its clearly defined and precisely dated results, which revealed how efficient and even spectacular Petra’s infrastructure was. Furthermore, the Siq Project marked the starting point of an intensified and widespread research program dealing with the highly sophisticated infrastructure of the entire city.

The excavation in the Siq proved that the paved street was built in the 2^nd half of the 1^st century BC as part of a comprehensive infrastructure consisting of the street itself, two aqueducts for the spring water supply, one of them built as a pressurized terracotta pipeline, and a flash-flood prevention system as a protection measure to prevent the other elements from destruction. Further research allowed determining the precise course of four other aqueducts, conducting drinking water from ‘Ayn Musa (east of Petra), ‘Ayn Braq (south of Petra), ‘Ayn Debdebeh (north of Petra) and ‘Ayn Abu ‘Ulayqa (north of Petra) into the city centre. The study survey of the aqueducts has clearly shown that they were exclusively built for supplying the city itself, as no branch lines could be detected between the springs and the city area.

The areas surrounding the city basin, which were mainly used as necropoleis and sanctuaries and hence only occasionally frequented, had their water supply assured by stunning runoff water collection systems. The study survey revealed how these runoff water collection systems functioned and experiments have shown the perfect quality of the drinking water they provided.

For the development of such a water strategy, the Nabataeans consulted specialists from the Hellenistic cities in Asia Minor and Ptolemaic Egypt. But due to the outstanding topographical and environmental conditions a comprehensive infrastructure as never erected before had to be developed. Based on their own knowledge, such as the pottery technology, the Nabataeans were able to add autonomous contributions to the hydraulic infrastructure which were later adopted in other cities in the region.

The last element of the hydraulic infrastructure to be investigated at least partially was the waste water system.

Bob Bewley and David Kennedy

Tracing Lines – Aerial Archaeology and Khatt Shebib

Aerial Archaeology relies on traces in the ground to be visible from above. Linear features – ditches, banks and walls – have attracted attention from the beginnings of aerial photography. Throughout the whole of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East these linear features have been photographed and recorded but very rarely understood. In England we have numerous “short dykes”, using every small change in contour, but still we are unsure who built them and why; we have triple-ditched linear features running for kilometres, perhaps tribal boundaries, perhaps tracks and markers – we simply don’t know. In North Africa there are numerous stretches of low wall running for kilometres in the steppe and desert; some appears to belong to the Roman period. Khatt Shebib in Jordan is both visible and substantial (stone-built). It has been traced as a low wall running for at least 30 km in the Ma’an area. It is not at all understood in terms of function, date or even length. Is it a frontier? Was it built for one purpose and then used by an occupying force another? Did its existence influence later land-use and people in the Islamic period?

The few clues we have tell us a limited story and this paper, drawing on the study of aerial photographs, will discuss the possible date, function and parallels for such a feature but also highlight future research which will help us understand this important archaeological monument, and its significance for Jordan’s archaeology.

Piotr Bienkowski and Eveline van der Steen

Wadi ‘Arabah: Barrier or Interface

This paper provides the framework for the Wadi ‘Arabah Project, which aims to establish the key historical role of Wadi ‘Arabah as a dynamic interface between southern Jordan and the Negev of southern Israel.

Wadi ‘Arabah, running between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of ‘Aqaba, and separating the Negev from southern Jordan, marks the line of the modern political border between Israel and Jordan. For the early first millennium BC, it is usually regarded as the border between the kingdoms of Judah and Edom. However, recent research shows that in most periods southern Jordan and the Negev were part of the same socio-economic system, implying that Wadi ‘Arabah was a bridge between them.

The paper discusses the constraints on archaeological research in the ‘Arabah, and presents a GIS of the entire wadi, comprising 1000 published and unpublished sites in the wadi itself, and 5000 in its hinterland. This system is now being used as a framework for the Wadi ‘Arabah Project, which brings together scholars working on both sides of Wadi ‘Arabah, whose aim is:

1. To achieve a comprehensive overview of how Wadi ‘Arabah was formed and how it developed geologically and

environmentally.

2. To determine its resources in terms of routes, minerals and water.

3. To establish the settlement patterns from the Palaeolithic to Ottoman periods.

4. To investigate how Wadi Arabah was used throughout history, including ethnographic data, and to map its role

clearly as a bridge between southern Jordan and the Negev.

Patricia M. Bikai

Petra, BAYDA: al-Amti and the "Nabataean Village"

Excavation and documentation at al-Amti Canyon and the “Nabataean Village” in Bayda (Petra) were conducted in 2003 and 2004. The objectives were: to determine the function of the large building in the canyon; to excavate and document associated installations, and to clear and document the structures in the village.

The large square building (ca. 24.5 m on a side) at the central west side of the canyon has been reduced to its sub-foundation on most of the west and south sides and to its foundation level on the east and north sides. Soundings in the building itself yielded no evidence as to its use but the surrounding area may be more helpful. Access to the building was by a walkway up the eastern side of the canyon. Across the canyon from the building, a break the walkway wall has a substantial doorway in it. From this another walkway, also ca. 3 m wide, leads across the canyon to the building. This east/west walkway forms the northern boundary of what is called the South Field and the southern boundary of the North Field. These large areas are enclosed by a wall system and by the cliff to the west. The South Field covers ca. 13,000 m2 and the North Field ca. 10,000 m2.

Researchers over the last century speculated that al-Amti Canyon was a caravan stop or a fort with adjacent pasturage. It is possible that the Bayda region served as a caravan stop as there had to have one or more stations outside of Petra. The existence of cisterns and fields for grazing, plus the security offered by Siq al-Barid for actual trading make it possible that the general area was used by caravans. However, along the east/west walkway leading to the large building, there are well cut channels for water or water pipes. These suggest that these fields were being irrigated – unlikely if animals were penned in the fields. There are also elaborate water collection systems in the cliffs and in the village. Thus the fields were likely agricultural. The presence of two wine presses adjacent to them makes it possible that grapes were being grown in those fields. The acreage in the enclosures of the two fields would have, very conservatively, produced the equivalent of 8000 modern bottles of wine. That is a commercial quantity.

Home Page Next Page