The Heart Temple

What do archaeologist do with a week off from the dig?

Some went sight seeing and relaxing by the Dead Sea but my friend Eudora and I went visiting other dig sites where the Nabataeans built temples.

Heart Shaped Column Stones

One was a temple that we called the Heart Temple because of the shape of the column stones.

In this picture Eudora is taking GPS readings for various places in the temple.

This is the alter area.

More Neolithic Village Pictures

The people who built and live in this village were a lread civilized and organized.

My friend Eudora Struble examines a dwelling on the site.

In this picture Kim Smith is checking out a circular structure.

Neolithic Village near Little Petra

A favorite thing to do on our days off was to visit other archaeological sites in the area. Here is an excavation of a Neolithic Village near Petra.

Neolithic village from 7200 B.C.

Thought to be one of the first settled villages in human history in Jordan, the Pre-Pottery Neolithic village of Al Beidha is an impressive testament to just how ancient the civilizations inhabiting Jordan were. 

At this site — which is open to all to visit for free — prehistoric houses and the village’s retaining wall are, astonishingly, still upright and visible. 

Artifacts found in and around the village suggest that the ancient inhabitants were goat herders, hunter-gatherers, as well as cultivators of barley and emmer wheat.

Working Hard In Petra

I only have a few pictures of my self on the Petra dig and this is one of them.

I have a goofa full of dirt

As I was not the boss on this dig in 2002 I hauled a lot of dirt in goofas to the wheelbarrow. We moved a lot of dirt that  year and I did my share of that.

I love Petra and long to go back to that dig and see it finished. At the moment no one is digging there.

Digging In Petra

I dearly love to dig in Petra Jordan with good friends.

Field Supervisor Eudora Struble At the Temple of the Winged Lions

Eudora is carrying a rubber basket made from recycled tires and it is called a "goofa." We usually fill them with dirt for removal but they are also useful for transporting artifacts from the dig to the lab. Since she was the boss that goofa did not have dirt in it.

Walking the Main Road in Petra

Walking down a Roman road in the heart of Petra is my dear friend Eudora Struble in 2002. She was the field supervisor for the Temple of the Winged Lions excavation.

Here we get a glimpse of the grandeur that was that great city. Petra once held over thirty thousand people.

Crusader Fortress Near Petra

Crusader Fortress near Petra

I stopped on the road leading to this Crusader fortress because this view was so awesome. In the foreground is an eleventh century crusader castle or fortress set up to protect pilgrims on the way to Petra to visit the tomb of Aaron the first high priest of Israel and the brother of Moses.

 

That tomb is a little white dot at the top of the mountain in the background. It has been and still is a sacred place to Jews, Christians, and Moslem's. It is a considerable hike to get up that mountain but it is well worth the trip.