Roman Admin Building

For many years this ruin in Petra was identified as a great temple. It looked like it could be just that but as the dig progressed the evidence pointed to it being a Roman era administration building.

 In 106 AD the Romans finally conquered Petra and this is what they built to demonstrate their power. The final discovery was in the basement they found a Roman Bath that had to be constructed prior to the rest of the building.

Idol Worship

I have seen a lot of idols that people once worshiped in places where I dig.

This idol of the goddess Allot was found in the Temple of the Winged Lions in Petra. The people of Petra were fond of what I call "Block Deities"

People have worshiped all sorts of idols over the years. When I was in India I visited a temple that had over a thousand different idols. The covered all the bases in one temple.

Some Small Things We Found

Not everything we found was a huge stone building block. Some were rather small.

Here are a few of the small finds that include coins, nails, really small clay lamps and clay markers.
Some of these things are easy to miss when you are digging in the dirt. No telling how many like these were tossed in the goffa and then in the dumping area. Coins are often green or grey and blend in with the dirt. I once found a very small clay marker that was used for counting. It was perfectly round and thicker than a coin and I almost missed it.

How I do love archaeology excavation.

Entrance or Exit

The Plaza Area of the Temple of the Winged Lions is a mystery. What was it used for?

Here is an opening on the shallow end but what was it for?

Here is a closer look as the team remove yet more dirt and obstructions. Can you see the slot and hole near the corner of the wall and opening? Was that for a door frame? There were more questions than answers at the end of the dig season - but solving the mystery is what archaeology is all about.

A Roman Road In Petra

The Romans built this road in Petra around 107 AD and most of it is still usable today. We could take some hints from the ancient Roman road builders they knew how to build a good road and make it last.

This road was once lined with columns and market stalls.

I would love to be ables to see how this looked then.

GPS Readings

On holiday from the dig my friend Eudora and I took a tour of the ruins of ancient temples in Jordan.

In this picture Eudora is taking a GPS reading of the alter area of the Heart Temple.

Some day I must go back there.

First Christian Church of Petra

Today is Sunday and I wanted to share this photo of me in the pulpit of the First Christian Church of Petra built about 500 AD. In its day it was an awesome building.