III. First results – c. A luxurious bathing installation
Some of the structures identified so far can be interpreted in a more precise way, always bearing in mind that these are the results of a survey, without any excavation. Such is the case, for example, with structure 20, standing on the NE edge of the plateau, prominently overlooking the city centre (figs. 4. 5).
Fig. 4: Umm al-Biyara, detail of plan showing ST 20 (plan: G. Teltsch and W. Kennedy)Fig. 5: Umm al-Biyara, overall view of ST 20 with Wadi Arabah on centre right (photo: S. G. Schmid)
The structure consists of several clearly visible rooms: more are most probably buried under substantial amounts of rubble and debris. From the S end of the building, a partially rock-cut and partially built water channel brings in water to the structure (fig. 6; on the water management of Umm al-Biyara, see below). The water is collected in a substantial basin, identified thanks to the greyish hydraulic mortar containing charcoal fragments which improved its waterproofing qualities On Nabataean hydraulic mortars see Shaer 2004. .
Fig. 6: Water channel bringing water into ST 20 (photo: S. G. Schmid)
On a slightly lower level, but on the same alignment within the building, is a huge room from which come a large number of hypocaust and tubuli fragments (fig. 7), distributed all across its extent. Since no such fragments have been found elsewhere in the area, we can assume that it was precisely this room that was equipped with a complex floor and wall heating system. This is confirmed by the modest but clearly visible remains of two hypocaust pillars still in situ (fig. 8).
Fig. 7: Fragments of hypocausts (left) and tubuli (right) from ST 20 (photo: S. G. Schmid)
Since the entire installation is built on the very edge of the cliff, erosion and slippage have exposed and destroyed the easternmost parts of it, and thus at some spots even the floor levels are visible without any additional cleaning. We can therefore identify a room with floor and wall heating systems directly connected to a water tank. In other words, we can interpret at least part of this structure as a bathing complex on top of Umm al-Biyara!
Fig. 8: Hypocaust pillars in situ in ST 20 (photo: S. G. Schmid)
Further elements are likely to confirm this view. At the N end of the building, two rectangular structures measuring 90 x 140 cm and 160 x 220 cm respectively were clearly visible on the surface (cf. fig. 4). The smaller one showed signs of previous excavation, so we decided to clean it and indeed, numerous fragments of plastic bottles were found all the way to its base. Within the structure, several fragments of huge slabs belonging either to a roof or to a floor were found. These had partially destroyed the inner walls of the structure, which consisted of very thin vertically placed sandstone slabs (fig. 9). These were bedded into a layer of the same greyish hydraulic mortar (fig. 10) mentioned above in connection with the water tank, indicating that this structure must have contained water.
Fig. 9: Small bathtub within ST 20 with dumped floor or roofing slabs (photo: S. G. Schmid)Fig. 10: Hydraulic mortar from small bathtub (photo: S. G. Schmid)
This hypothesis was confirmed by an outflow at the bottom of the structure as well as a fragment of a very fine water pipe made of clay (figs. 11. 12). This belongs to the same type of water pipe as used for the distribution of water within Nabataean houses, for example in the huge Nabataean mansion of az-Zantur.
Fig. 11: Small bathtub within ST 20 after cleaning with outflow (photo: S. G. Schmid)Fig. 12: Fragments of clay water pipes from small bathtub (left) and hypocaust room (right) (photo: S. G. Schmid)
The two structures, therefore, can be indentified as bathtubs, the smaller one probably for one person, the bigger one offering space for several persons. In the same area small fragments of alabaster decoration and marble slabs were collected, indicating that the structure was lavishly decorated inside (fig. 13).
Fig. 13: Fragments of suspensurae, mortar, alabaster and marble from ST 20 and ST 26 (top right) (photo: S. G. Schmid)
To the W of the smaller bathtub is a narrow room showing one identifiable doorway in situ. Next to this doorway, the fragment of a twisted column of very fine craftsmanship was collected, made of hard dark gray, almost black limestone and showing traces of fine whitish plaster (fig. 14). In the middle of the column a vertical rounded hole goes through the entire preserved length of it, posing problems of interpretation but maybe also offering a possible solution. Given the specific context, one could imagine the object not as a column but as a stand of a table or a basin In general terms on basin stands see Pimpl 1997, although that author does not list any twisted basin stand nor stands with holes. . In that case, the round hole would have been used to pump water from the bottom into the basin, simply using pressure provided by gravity flow; all that is needed is a water tank on a slightly higher level than the basin. That in general terms basin stands in the shape of small columns were a common feature by the 1st c. CE can be shown by several such objects from Pompeii, although there too no twisted stands seem to be known Pernice 1932: 38–54. . Also from several Pompeian examples comes the confirmation that spectacular water installations such as fountains and pools belonged to the usual features for decorating gardens and thermal installations of the contemporary upper class See some examples in Farrar 1998: 64–96. . Finally, in the Casa del Camillo at Pompeii, a table shaped fountain on a column stand is used in exactly such a way, forcing the water through a central hole of the column stand Cf. Andersson 1990: 234f. with fig. 19. .
Fig. 14: Twisted base of a stand from ST 20 (photo: S. G. Schmid)
