IV. Rock-cut room at the western corner of the complex
Since the first travellers visited and described the remains of the Wadi Farasa East, the exact function of this room no. 4 on fig. 1; fig. 15; Brünnow and Domaszweski 1904: no. 238. was not clear, mainly due to the fact that its surface was completely filled by the remains of goat and sheep and secondary dwelling activities and its doorway blocked by a series of stones (fig. 16).
Fig. 15: Wadi Farasa East, rock-cut triclinium in SW-corner of the complex (photo: S. G. Schmid and L. Gorgerat)Fig. 16: Wadi Farasa East, entrance to rock-cut triclinium in SW-corner of the complex (photo: S. G. Schmid)
Already when cleaning the surface of the inner room it became clear that rock-cut banquets were following the walls on three sides of the room. After cleaning a first layer of grayish ash containing the above mentioned remains of secondary use, a second layer of reddish sand started appearing, apparently covering the last few centimetres of the floor in the centre of the room. After the cleaning of this layer, the shape of the room started clearly appearing (figs. 15. 17). Without any doubt, this room used to function as a small triclinium or banqueting hall. The banquets were accessible by a row of three small steps on each side of the entrance. The function of the room is further confirmed by the finds inside and also outside the room.
Fig. 17: Wadi Farasa East, rock-cut triclinium in SW-corner of the complex after cleaning (photo: S. G. Schmid)
The above mentioned last layer of reddish sand inside the room, being of 5 to 10 centimetres thickness, contained a quite important amount of pottery, mainly belonging to the 2nd century AD, as far as a first study could reveal. The most striking fact is the complete absence of fine ware pottery and more specifically of painted drinking cups, a rather astonishing result in the case of a banqueting hall. On the other hand, big numbers of fragmented cooking pots (fig. 18) and amphorae (fig. 19) for storing and transporting liquids clearly underline the interpretation as a triclinium.
Fig. 18: Wadi Farasa East, fragments of cooking pots from inside the rock-cut triclinium in SW-corner of the complex (photo: S. G. Schmid)
The same observations were also made for the upper layer, i. e. massive presence of cooking ware and transport amphorae and absence of fine drinking cups. Further, the upper layer contained some sherds of Medieval pottery, indicating that the room was also used during that period. As for the absence of drinking cups or fine ware pottery in general terms, we can propose three hypothesises for the time being:
Drinking cups could have been personal belongings and, therefore, they were carried away by the users of the triclinium when leaving;
The people using the complex of the Soldier’s Tomb fore sure belonged to the Nabataean upper class, no matter who exactly they were. Since Strabo, writing in the late 1st century BC, informs us that the Nabataean aristocracy used golden drinking cups (Strabo, Geogr. 16, 4, 26: cf. Schmid 2000. , there may have be no need for drinking cups in pottery in that specific case;
And finally, the most probable explanation could be found outside the triclinium itself. On the bedrock of the area in front of the rock-cut room (fig. 20) an important number of fragmented pottery was found. The types of cooking pots and amphorae are perfectly the same as inside the triclinium, but, here there are several sherds of fine ware pottery present, including painted drinking cups (fig. 21), belonging mostly to the late 1st century AD.
Fig. 19: Wadi Farasa East, fragments of transport amphorae from inside the rock-cut triclinium in SW-corner of the complex (photo: S. G. Schmid)
In respect of the third hypothesis set out above, that is to connect the pottery found inside the small rock-cut triclinium as well as the pottery found just outside of it with the banqueting activities that took place within that installation, some other finds may be of interest. Already during the 2001 campaign of the International Wadi Farasa Project, the main retaining wall of the lower terrace was exposed Schmid 2002: 260–262. . On its southern end, where it blocks the same water channel that we discussed above in relation with the northern portico and room 4 cf. Schmid 2002: 262 and 266 with fig. 16. , important amounts of Nabataean fine ware pottery were found inside the water channel and beside it.
Fig. 20: Wadi Farasa East, space in front of the rock-cut triclinium in SW-corner of the complex (photo: S. G. Schmid)
So far, it remained difficult to explain where that pottery came from, since there was no apparent connection with any of the structures excavated. However, that find spot is immediately beneath the rocky terrace that gives access to the small rock-cut triclinium. Since we have clear evidence that pottery was cleared out of the triclinium on several occasions, it is well possible that it fell down into and near to the water channel on the lower level.
Fig. 21: Wadi Farasa East, fragments of painted fine ware pottery from outside the rock-cut triclinium in SW-corner of the complex (photo: S. G. Schmid)
As can be seen on fig. 22, the rocky surface of the interior of the triclinium was not always of the quality needed in order to create a perfectly horizontal surface and, therefore, at some places small stones were used in order to create a horizontal level. However, one can hardly imagine that such as surface was supposed to be visible in antiquity and, therefore, we can probably suppose that the rock was once covered with slabs in order to create a perfect surface.
Fig. 22: Wadi Farasa East, rock-cut triclinium in SW-corner of the complex after cleaning, detail (photo: S. G. Schmid)
The same probably is true for the floor outside the triclinium. At some places, rock-cuttings probably for bedding floor slabs are visible (fig. 20), and indeed a few fragmented floor slabs were found in the debris outside the small triclinium (fig. 23).
Fig. 23: Wadi Farasa East, fragmented floor slabs from space in front of rock-cut triclinium in SW-corner of the complex (photo: S. G. Schmid)
Although the total exposure of the northern colonnade was not accomplished during the 2007 season of the International Wadi Farasa Project, the results obtained in this season are highly encouraging as for the future of the project. On the one hand, the general outline of the Soldier’s Tomb complex, clearly reflecting the luxury architecture of the Hellenistic and Roman upper classes of the wider Mediterranean area, becomes increasingly clear and its chronology will surely be sharpened in coming years, especially for its later phases in the Roman period in general for the wider context see Schmid 2006B; 2007A; 2009. . On the other hand, the results of this year showed that the Medieval occupation of the site is even more important than we were already supposing after the previous campaigns cf. for the moment Schmid 2006A). .
