This year’s activities were focussing on the area of the so-called Garden Triclinium (sounding 5 on fig. 1; figs. 20–27). After last year’s discovery of a big cistern, measuring 4x4 m, we first concentrated on a complete cleaning of the cistern that turned out to be 2.40 m deep (Fig. 21).
Fig. 20: Wadi Farasa East, upper terrace with cistern (right) and „Garden Triclinium“ (photo: S. G. Schmid)
The material from the fill contained much of the stone blocks that originally were used in order to built the three massive vaults that covered the cistern. This massive destruction debris probably explains why the big cistern was not reused in the Medieval period, contrary to the small cistern next by (see below). The fill of the bigger cistern contained in its upper part some Medieval pottery Cf. Schmid 2002. , in the middle late Roman and Byzantine elements, including a fragmentary Greek inscription (Fig. 31), and in the lower part exclusively Nabataean pottery.
Fig. 21: Big and small cistern in front of „Garden Triclinium“ (photo: S. G. Schmid)Fig. 22: Collapsed plaster in big cistern (photo: S. G. Schmid)
In the lower fill also two column bases of attic type were found (Fig. 25), belonging to a common type in 1st century AD Petra McKenzie 1990: pl. 50e. g. . To the Greek inscription mentioned above (Fig. 31) can be added a similar one showing even remains of the red colour that was found in surface debris on the lower terrace (Fig. 30). Towards the bottom of the big cistern considerable amounts of plaster that originally covered the walls of the cistern were found that must have fallen into it when it was destroyed (Fig. 22).
These plaster remains were used in order to get a precise dating for the construction of the cistern: As is well known, the Nabataeans did add small fragments of broken pottery to there hydraulic mortar in order to increase its hydraulic qualities. Therefore, all fragments of destroyed plaster were collected and carefully smashed in order to collect the pottery that it contains (Fig. 23).
Fig. 23: Crushing of plaster from fig. 22 (photo: S. G. Schmid)
Several dozen of small and smallest pottery fragments were found, including some rim sherds and some painted fragments (Fig. 24). All of them do belong to phase 3a of Nabataean pottery Schmid 2000A. . We therefore get the same terminus ad quem of the second and third quarter of the 1st century AD for the construction of this cistern as we already got for the water basin next to it Schmid 2000. and for the installations of the lower terrace Schmid 2001; Schmid 2002. . The covering of the cistern and its considerable depth show that drinking water in big quantities was needed for the „Garden Triclinium“. The used water later reached again the cistern using a rock cut channel starting immediately in front of the rock cut façade in the middle between the two columns (Fig. 21 right).
Fig. 24: Nabataean pottery fragments from plaster (photo: S. G. Schmid)
Furthermore, steps leading from above, i. e. the upper level of the huge cistern, towards the area once covered by a roof, as well as a door with a joining doorway that shows rock cuttings for a roof too, connecting the area of the roofed peristyle with the zone of the basins in front of the big cistern, show that we probably have to imagine a entire first floor above the small peristyle with the rock cut cistern. This can now be supported by the two column bases found into the cistern (Fig. 25).
Fig. 25: Upper terrace, Attic column base from cistern (photo: S. G. Schmid)
The clearly indicated use of big quantities of drinkable water strongly points to a rather profane use of the entire complex and against a cultic or funeral aspect. Since the work of Bachmann, Wiegand and Watzinger it is known that the area of trench 5 once was at least partially covered by a roof in the manner of a peristyle courtyard, indicated by similar rock cuttings as on the lower terrace Bachmann – Watzinger – Wiegand 1921: 85–87; cf. fig. 20. .
Fig. 26: Upper terrace, cleaning of first room of „Garden Triclinium“ (photo: S. G. Schmid)
With the first floor, the peristyle courtyard, the cistern hewn into the rock and the additional two rock cut rooms, the entire installation becomes a very good parallel for rich Hellenistic houses like the ones known from Delos or for Roman villas as seen in Pompeii For the Delian houses see for example Kreeb 1988; Trümper 1998; on Pompeii see Zanker 1995 and generally on Italian houses Clarke 1991. . More specifically, a type of Roman house prominent in the western empire shows a strong axial alignment Meyer 1999; Kreeb 1988: 99. , that in our case, however, may be due rather to the specific circumstances of the partially rock cut installation. The profane aspect of our complex is further supported by its opening towards south. Such an orientation, combined with the courtyard in front of it, guarantees less heat in summer and less cold in winter. Therefore, according to Vitruvius, such was the location of the most important rooms in the Greek house, the triclinia or andrones (Vitruvius, de architectura VII 149, 3–4). Indeed, similar arrangements were identified within rich houses and palaces of the late Classical and Hellenistic periods in Greece Reber 1998: 166–169; Zoppi 1991–92. .
Fig. 27: Upper terrace, first room of „Garden Triclinium“ after cleaning (photo: S. G. Schmid)
The overflow from the big cistern was led into a smaller cistern that probably served in order to get the water for the daily needs of the population of the upper terrace of the Wadi Farasa East (top centre on fig. 21). Such an arrangement seems all the more logical as the big cistern probably was covered as pointed out above. How complete it must have been covered is further underlined by the fact that no steps or other forms of access to the big cistern were found and, therefore, it was not supposed even to be cleaned on a regular base. Excavation of the small cistern revealed that it shows almost exactly the same depth as the big cistern, i. e. roughly 2.40 meters. Contrary to the big cistern next to it, the small one apparently was reused during a long period of time, as it contained big amounts of Medieval pottery, some of it lavishly painted (figs. 28. 29).
Fig. 28: Upper terrace, Medieval pottery from small cistern (photo: S. G. Schmid)Fig. 29: Upper terrace, Medieval pottery from small cistern (photo: S. G. Schmid)
This pottery can be dated to the 11th to 13th century AD and is usually called Ayyubid-Mamluk pottery For similar pottery see Walmsley – Grey 2001: 153–159; Tonghini – Vanni Desideri 2001; Pringle 1984; 1985; on local aspects of Late Islamic pottery in central and southern Jordan see Brown 1987; 1988, 1991: 232–241; in general terms on that period in Jordan see Walmsley 2001. . More neutrally that painted pottery can be called Middle Islamic Hand-Made Geometrically Painted Ware Johns 1998. . Beside the painted pottery big quantities of plain hand made pottery were found, including a pottery lamp. So far no wheel thrown and no glazed pottery was found. As previously suggested Johns 1998. this could point to a rather local aspect of that Medieval occupation. So far, all of the motives of the handmade painted pottery seem to fit the know repertoire previously attested for Jordan Homès-Fredericq – Franken 1986: 242–243. .
A Medieval occupation of that part of Petra was supposed since Brünnow and von Domaszewski found what they believed to be a crusader tomb stone inside the „Garden Triclinium“ Brünnow/Domaskewski 1904: 275 fig. 307; Dalman 1908: 196 fig. 117; Brünnow 1909: 249–250; Lindner 1997: 104 with n. 10. . After three seasons of the International Wadi Farasa Project we collected an impressive amount of new data on the Medieval period occupation that needs some explanation. For the time being, it seems very tempting to connect these observations with a supposed crusader fortress on top of Jabal al-Madbah Vannini – Vanni Desideri 1995: 512. . The fact that the Medieval Wadi Farasa community apparently put considerable efforts in the restoration and even extension of the main terracing wall, could indeed point to a military character of this occupation.
Fig. 30: Lower terrace, Greek inscription (photo: S. G. Schmid)Fig. 31: Upper terrace, Greek inscription from big cistern (photo: S. G. Schmid)
The intense sieving of the contents of the small cistern by Dr. Politis revealed big amounts of bones. This will be of particular interest as they can be connected to the eating habits of the above mentioned Medieval community. The preliminary study of these remains by Dr. Jacqueline Studer already led to some interesting results. Roughly three quarter of the bones in fact belong to fish and especially to Red Sea parrot fish. This means that during the 11th to 13th century AD apparently not much elevation of domestic animals was undertaken but big amounts of processed fish were imported from the Red Sea. These results differ remarkably from analogous studies on Nabataean and Byzantine period material.
In order to find out more about the original function of the two rock cut rooms belonging to the „Garden Triclinium“, we started cleaning the first one (figs. 26. 27). Due to the use as stable it contained 30 to 40 cm of sheep and goat dung that developed considerable dust when cleaning started. Therefore, a small sprinkler was used reducing the dust (Fig. 26). The room did not contain any additional rock cut features (Fig. 27); if there is any indication for the functioning of the two rooms, we will have to wait until the cleaning of the second room, planned for 2003.
