The International North-Eastern Petra Project

Preliminary Report on the 2011 Season

by Stephan G. Schmid, Zbigniew T. Fiema and Bernhard Kolb

III. 2011 survey season

The 2011 survey of the NEPP consisted of different stages. First, a grid was laid over the area, consisting of squares of 50 m side length (fig. 6). These squares then were walked by small teams. Their tasks consisted of systematically collect surface pottery while walking through the middle of the square in N-S-direction and to describe and sketch visible structures at the surface of the entire square. In a next step, the visible and previously sketched structures were measured by the surveyors, using a Leica Total Station and a Leica GNSS system. Subsequently, the measured structures were numbered and systematically described and documented as units wherever such were identifiable. Also, architectural blocks not being in situ were registered and documented. While we were able to achieve all of the first phase, i. e. collecting sherds and superficially describe structures in all squares, the detailed measuring and describing of identified structures was only partially achieved this year and shall be continued in a coming season.

For this preliminary report we shall concentrate on only very few selected structures in order to show the importance and the potential of the site.