In my recent role as a fellow at ACOR, it was my responsibility to assist with the preparation of the upcoming final publication of the Temple of the Winged Lions (TWL) and to conduct my own research about this Nabataean- to Roman-era (1st–4th-century AD) site in Petra, Jordan, which will lead to a comprehensive chapter in the volume. The TWL is a large sacred complex consisting of a distylos in antis temple (a building with a porch with two protruding side walls and two columns in between at the front) and several other surrounding architectural structures, such as a colonnaded courtyard on the lower terrace and closely connected rooms to the north and west of the temple building (Fig. 1). It was built in the 1^st century AD and is one of the most important buildings within the city center of Petra.

Fig. 1: Temple of the Winged Lions. Aerial view. (AEP/Hammond Archive. 2005.)

The TWL was excavated from 1974 to 2005 by the American Expedition to Petra (AEP), directed by Philip C. Hammond, and subject to continued conservation, site documentation, excavation, and site presentation work as part of the TWLCRM Initiative from 2009 onwards. In the course of the AEP’s excavation of the inner chamber or cella, a number of column capitals featuring winged lions and lion heads were discovered (Hammond 1977), which led Hammond to give the site its modern name (Figs. 2 and 3). The design of the capitals can be seen as a special variation of the Corinthian capital. Given the topic of my dissertation, it was only logical that I was particularly interested in the analysis of the architectural decoration of the temple.

Fig. 2: Capital with winged lions from the cella. (AEP/Hammond archive. 1975.)
Fig. 3: Capital with lion heads from TWL. (Drawing by M. Dehner. 2021.)

Both the remaining findings in the area of the TWL and the extensive information in the AEP/Hammond archive provide material for a wide range of discoveries. A comparative analysis of this important material has been lacking so far, even though individual components have already been discussed in detail in the past by the excavator and other researchers (Hammond 1977–1978; Hammond 1996; Freyberger 1998). The large number of preserved architectural elements offers the opportunity to examine individual components of the temple more closely and to draw conclusions, not only about the decoration of the building but also with regard to typological characteristics of individual architectural elements at the temple and in Petra as a whole. Although a comprehensive study of Nabataean architectural decoration was written by Judith McKenzie in 1990, and this volume still serves as reference, many questions about Nabataean architectural decoration, especially the architectural decoration of freestanding buildings, remain unanswered to this day, e.g., did the freestanding architecture resemble that of the rock-cut facades in Petra, or was it the other way around? Does the evaluation of decorative elements from excavation contexts allow a more detailed chronological classification of these than the observation and analysis of rock-cut facades? Or do detailed typological examinations of individual architectural elements provide more clues to the development of certain decorative forms and, therefore, allow the identification of different construction phases? My new study of the extensively preserved decorative elements, which are still in the area of the TWL, can contribute to new insights into Nabataean architectural decoration and, furthermore, to a better understanding of the development of the city, especially of the decoration of specific buildings.

As TWL Publication Fellow, I was able to concentrate on studying the extensive archival material at ACOR that covers the entire excavation documentation from the AEP between 1974 and 2005, with special interest in the field notebooks and photographs. The chance to work with archival material opens up many opportunities in this regard but also holds great challenges. On the one hand, it allows one to understand important information about methods of work and documentation, to track the progress of excavations and the accuracy of documentation, to rediscover material thought lost, and to identify previously unknown material. On the other hand, the evaluation of the archival material in comparison with already published material and the objects remaining in the excavation area reveals gaps that still need to be filled. This applies in particular to the material group of architectural decoration, which, despite extensive findings, had, to date, not yet been comprehensively documented. As an example, there was a disproportionate focus on the capitals with winged lions and sculptural findings, but the wide variation of capital forms and other groups of architectural elements were given far less attention.

So I put my focus on the comprehensive documentation and analysis of the architectural decoration of the TWL, both the documentation in the excavation archive and the remaining findings in the area of the TWL. Due to the pandemic, it was particularly challenging to plan and conduct the fieldwork in Petra, which I was not able to address until February 2021. For this, there was more time to first analyze the information from the archive before I documented the architectural parts in Petra. The field notebooks from 1974 to 1977 alone provide information on more than 2,000 architectural elements found in the temple building and the pronaos area (Figs. 4 and 5). However, their documentation remained very superficial, so that neither dimensions nor photographs were taken for a large number of the components mentioned. For comparison, between 1974 and 2005, only 800 architectural elements were documented photographically. An extensive architectural survey did not take place during the course of the AEP, even though the building and the preserved structures were repeatedly described in detail (Hammond 1977–1978; Hammond 1996; Hammond 2003) or individual dimensions, e.g., of column drums or ashlars, were presented in summarized form (Hammond 1996). Only in exceptional cases it is possible to assign single photographed architectural elements clearly to the components mentioned in the notebooks. Nevertheless, the photographed architectural blocks allow a first visual impression of the decoration of the temple.

Since the information from the notebooks provides valuable insights into the distribution of certain components, which cannot be clearly identified, my research focused first on the photographed objects. One challenge was now to match the remaining elements in the area of the TWL with the information from the AEP/Hammond archive and to synchronize the variety of information. This results in an exciting field of research, which I first came across in the course of my dissertation. Thanks to the support of ACOR, I was able to survey the objects in the TWL area in 2014 and subsequent years to find comparative objects to the architectural elements from the North-Eastern Petra Project (Schmid et al. 2012; Fiema et al. 2016; Dehner 2020) that I addressed in my dissertation. During the TWL Publication Fellowship, the opportunity now arose, after analyzing only a selection of architectural elements, to gain an overall overview, taking into account the information in the AEP/Hammond archive as well as the objects located on site. Thus, my path led me from the site to the archive and from the archive back to the site in order to create a comprehensive documentation and database on the components for the first time, based on the findings and observed desiderata.

In the following, I would like to briefly outline the challenges that arose during the course of the work and how they were met.

AEP/Hammond Archives

This extensive archive collects information from almost forty years of excavation activities in the TWL area. The photographic documentation and field notebooks in particular are of essential importance for the group of the decorative architectural elements. As mentioned before, however, this documentation is not complete. Judging by the character of the descriptions in the field notebooks, with regard to the architectural decoration, mainly very representative objects were sought out, which were then also included in the registry (Fig. 6), such as winged felines and lion heads. The vast majority of all architectural elements were merely mentioned in the diaries and were partly recorded with distribution sketches and tabular listings. Dimensions are not consistently given. Although there are indications that individual objects mentioned in the diaries were photographed, an assignment of any of the more than 800 photographs with architectural blocks to the information in the diaries is possible only in rare cases. Drawings and section drawings of these objects were completely absent.

TWL Area in Petra

As noted before, it was quite challenging to plan the documentation campaign in Petra. But the overall situation in the winter of 2021 also meant that I was able to enjoy the rare experience of being almost completely alone in Petra and, in addition to the work, being able to enjoy the incredible landscape at my leisure. If you visit the TWL in Petra today, with or without tourists, you will notice not only the building but also several stone collections (lapidaria) that surround the temple. In these lapidaria, more than 800 architectural elements of all groups (capitals, bases, column drums, cornices, and pediment blocks, as well as ashlars) have been collected. This made it necessary to compare the elements still present in the field with the information from the excavation documentation. It quickly became clear that a comprehensive redocumentation of the components in the area of the TWL was essential.

Fig. 7: Lapidarium 1. Mapping of the documented stones. (SfM 3-D model by M. Dehner. 2021.)
Fig. 8: Lapidarium 1. View from north. (SfM 3-D model by M. Dehner. 2021.)

The scope of the redocumentation was greatly reduced by documentation work conducted as part of the Temple of the Winged Lions Cultural Resource Management (TWLCRM) Initiative from 2012 to 2014: team member Qais Twaissi had already documented a large number of objects photographically and by drawing. Thus, a comparison of the information from the AEP/Hammond archive with the documentation of Q. Twaissi, along with documentation by Halemah al-Nawafleh, significantly reduced the number of objects to be documented in detail. Nevertheless, more than 400 additional components, ranging from capitals to cornices, bases, and frieze elements, were extensively documented in February 2021. I not only recorded the dimensions of individual blocks and prepared photographic documentation but also produced more than fifty elevation and section drawings of selected elements as well as more than a hundred 3-D models via structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry. These data, especially the detailed information on dimensions and moldings, now allow for a discussion of the question of use, whether they have to be considered as originating from inside the building (from a first or second floor) or from the exterior, possibly from another architectural structure. All recorded objects were mapped (Fig. 7). For the mapping, the individual lapidaria were also digitized via SfM (Fig. 8), so that at least the location of the architectural blocks in 2021 is understood. A comparison to the documentation of Q. Twaissi and my own documentation from 2014 makes it clear that only a few blocks have changed their location (human intervention) or were no longer detectable or deteriorated due to natural processes (sand drift/erosion) and exposure to rain and humidity.

After the redocumentation, a database of 1,200 architectural elements was created, which—in combination with the information from the AEP/Hammond archive and the documentation carried out through 2014—provides, for the first time since the start of the AEP in 1974, an overview of the architectural elements found in the past as well as those still present today. This database can now serve as a starting point for further research on the building decoration of the TWL, and also on Nabataean architecture in general.

Through the first evaluation, it has become clear that a large part of the elements documented during the AEP can no longer be found in the lapidaria today. It can be assumed that a large number of objects were deliberately reburied in the course of time (Hammond et al. 1999, 3), as was confirmed by Chrysanthos Kanellopoulos, among others, in a personal conversation. This probably included some of the capitals with winged lions. It remains to be discussed whether a new excavation would be useful to collect more data or whether the existing components provide an insight comprehensive enough to investigate the architectural decoration of the TWL. While some objects cannot currently be located, it also became obvious that a large number of architectural elements present in the lapidaria today were not documented by the AEP.

Thus, at the end of the fellowship, a comprehensive database on architectural elements from the area of the TWL was created, which makes it possible to answer several research questions, to conduct new analyses, and at the same time to raise a multitude of new questions. Some of the questions, such as on the typology of the wide variation of capitals and cornices as well as the use of such in the interior and at the exterior of the TWL, will be answered in my contribution to this group of materials in the final publication on the Temple of the Winged Lions. For those who do not want to wait until the final publication comes out, some of the results of my research will be presented at the American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR) annual meeting later in 2021.

Editor’s Note: To find out more about ongoing scholarly work at the Temple of the Winged Lions, visit the Archaeological Projects portal on our website or check out this recent recorded presentation by project director Dr. Jack Green. Subscribe for future updates about this and other research initiatives at acorjordan.org/mailing-list.

References

Dehner, M. 2020. “The Capitals of the Capital: New Insights into Freestanding Nabataean Architecture in Petra.” Jordan Journal for History and Archaeology, Special Issue “The Third International Conference on Petra and the Nabataean Culture,” 14 (4): 125–146.

Fiema, Z. T., S. G. Schmid, and B. Kolb. 2016. “A Palatial Quarter in Petra: Preliminary Results of the North-Eastern Petra Project.” Studies in the History and Archaeology of Jordan 12: 747–763.

Hammond, P. C. 1977. “The Capitals from ‘The Temple of the Winged Lions,’ Petra.” Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 226: 47–52.

Hammond, P. C. 1977–1978. “Excavations at Petra, 1975–1977.” Annual of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan 22: 81–101, 229–246.

Hammond, P. C. 1996. The Temple of the Winged Lions: Petra, Jordan, 1974–1990. Fountain Hills, AZ: Petra Publishing.

Hammond, P.C., L. J. Hammond, and D. J. Johnson. 1999. “Interim Report: 1999 Season.” Unpublished report. American Expedition to Petra/Hammond archive, American Center of Research, Amman.

Hammond P. C. 2003. “The Temple of the Winged Lions.” In Petra Rediscovered: The Lost City of the Nabataean Kingdom, edited by G. Markoe, 223­–229. London: Harry N. Abrams.

Lichty, A. 1976. “Field Notebook: Site II.2.S.U.224.” Unpublished notebook. American Expedition to Petra/Hammond archive, American Center of Research, Amman.

McKenzie, J. S. 1990. The Architecture of Petra. New York; Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Schmid, S. G., P. Bienkowski, Z. T. Fiema, and B. Kolb. 2012. “The Palaces of the Nabataean Kings at Petra.” In The Nabataeans in Focus: Current Archaeological Research at Petra; Papers from the Special Session of the Seminar for Arabian Studies Held on 29 July, 2011, edited by L. Nehmé and L. Wadeson, 73–98. Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies 42, Supplement. Oxford: Archaeopress.

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With the support of ACOR staff, Pauline is working on providing a better understanding of the nature and extent of the excavation archive housed at ACOR. Through a bibliographical review, she is drawing upon key research questions associated with the TWL, in order to help prepare a grant application for a multi-year collaborative research and publication project.

The exceptional documentation gained by the American Expedition to Petra (AEP) excavation directed by Philip C. Hammond (1974-2005), followed by ACOR’s TWLCRM Initiative (2009 to present) provides scholars with new-found elements regarding Nabataean religious architecture and worship practices. This will allow scholars to address common issues that surround the study of Nabataean sanctuaries, such as restoring the environment of this 1^st to 4^th century sanctuary and understanding its location within the city of Petra, dating the phases of its construction and changes over time, proposing hypotheses regarding how different rooms were roofed, and attempting to fully document its decorative scheme. Through the analysis of archaeological artifacts, there are also key questions raised related to ritual and worship, including the identification of the deity or deities to whom this sanctuary was dedicated. The excavation of this complex also allows scholars to address some uncommon issues regarding the site’s four workshops, where excavators uncovered materials used to create wall paintings, metal elements, marble slabs, as well as perfumed oils.

Since the 1990s, Pauline has been taking part in research and fieldwork on the Nabataean sanctuary of Dharih, Jordan, and other sanctuaries such as Sia and Sahr al-Leja in Southern Syria. It was with this experience, that she enthusiastically threw herself into the exploration of the archaeological archive of the Temple of the Winged Lions.

Learn more about the TWLCRM Initiative, and consider supporting ACOR’s ongoing, vital conservation work at the Temple of Winged Lions

Pauline Piraud-Fournet received her PhD in Archaeology from the University of Sorbonne (Paris, France) in 2016. Her PhD dissertation was on dwellings in the ancient capital of the province of Arabia, Bostra (Southern Syria), and the development of the city in Late Antiquity. Previously, she earned a B.A. and a M.A. in History of Art and Archaeology and in 2005, a Diploma in Architecture. From 2006 to 2012, she held the position of architect-archaeologist at Ifpo (the French Institute of the Near East, placed under the aegis of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and CNRS, the National Center for Scientific Research), in Damascus and then in Amman. Pauline has worked for many years on various archaeological sites in the region. In Jordan, she takes part in research and archaeological surveys at Dharih, Petra, Jerash and Umm es-Surab (Hawran). Since completing her PhD, Pauline is carrying out a new research programme entitled Holyhost. Welfare and Hosting buildings in the “Holy Land” (Jordan and Palestine – 4th-7th centuries AD).

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For Safa’, her first time learning about ACOR’s Temple of the Winged Lions Cultural Resource Management (TWLCRM) Initiative was two and a half years ago. She was in her fourth year of architecture school, sitting in a dark room listening to her professor explain a reconstruction method that had been used in the temple. She cites this moment as the start of her interest in both TWL and the archaeological field. For Libby, her first knowledge of Petra was through the flashy study abroad brochures passed around her university in the United States. The advertisements claimed that studying abroad in Amman was the prime opportunity to visit the ancient archaeological city in southern Jordan. Upon arriving in Amman, she soon discovered TWL through ACOR’s website and lecture series.

Together, Libby and Safa’ have been working with Dr. Jack Green of ACOR to process and document materials from the TWL excavation. Each day, the interns handle many pieces of pottery, glass, bone, stone, painted plaster, beads, and coins that have been retrieved from the sifted soil dumps surrounding the temple. Libby and Safa’ are responsible for identifying, photographing, and measuring the objects, to be assessed in the future as the TWL moves into a research and publication phase. The rapid documentation of material will help assess the wide range of material that was not collected by the American Expedition to Petra during that earlier mission. Their constant contact with two thousand-year old remnants of Petra has given them both an appreciation of the temple and the Nabataean kingdom. “One of the things that amazes me the most,” said Safa’, “is trying to connect the objects with life at the site in the past…including the functions of every part and room in the temple. From the thicknesses of the pottery pieces as well as the different types of stone, to the slag and bones, [everything] has made me more conscious and aware of archaeological work.” According to Libby, every piece has a different story to tell. She said, “pieces of worked stone and shell fragments suggest there was a workshop in the temple area…We never know what to expect until we open the bag and take its contents out.”

The culmination of Libby and Safa’s internship was in November 2018 when the interns attended an ACOR-sponsored visit to Petra. Safa’ was responsible for photographing and drawing sections of the temple’s northernmost wall, while Libby distributed surveys to visiting tourists. During their time on site, the interns talked to visitors from around the world—Austria, Canada, Denmark, England, Taiwan—about their experience at TWL and Petra. “It was neat to see so many people from different places gathered in Petra,” said Libby, “It really highlights Petra’s significance as a point of cultural and historical pride to the Jordanian people.”

TWLCRM has worked diligently to support the local community. The initiative has created job opportunities for over 700 people over several years, especially with women and youth in Petra’s nearby Bedouin communities. In previous years, local women sewed burlap bags together that were filled with soil sifted from the dump sites. They then stacked the bags against key sections of the temple’s walls to stabilize the area. Many of the 1,700 objects Libby and Safa’ documented have been pulled directly from the soil the women sifted to fill these sandbags.

After the internship, Safa’ will continue pursuing archaeological work in Jordan and Libby will return to the United States. Despite their different paths, both young women will take with them the memory of TWL for the rest of their lives. Safa’ has already reflected on how her experience in Petra has been shaped by TWL. “This year’s visit to the temple was really different from last year,” She says, “I had a different level of understanding. Dr. Green walked me around the site [and] explained the nature and the function of every part of it.” Thanks to ACOR, both interns have a deeper insight into the temple, its inhabitants, and its contents. According to Libby, “When I found out I was going to Jordan, one of my professors congratulated me and told me I absolutely had to visit Petra. When I go back, I’ll be sure to tell him I saw everything imaginable both above and below the ground.”

Learn more about the TWLCRM Initiative, and consider supporting ACOR’s ongoing, vital conservation work at the Temple of Winged Lions

Safa’ Joudeh graduated from the Hashemite University in June 2018 with a degree in Architectural Engineering. She is interested in reuse and renovation of heritage and  archaeological sites. Previously, she helped create digital 3D reconstructions of Roman period statues recently unearthed at Jerash. Safa’ joined ACOR as an intern in fall 2018 in support of the Temple of the Winged Lions Cultural Resource Management (TWLCRM) Initiative.

Libby Trowbridge is a double major student in Arabic and International Relations at the University of Oklahoma. She is interested in history, archaeology, and Middle Eastern studies. Libby joined ACOR as an intern in fall 2018 in support of the Temple of the Winged Lions Cultural Resource Management (TWLCRM) Initiative.

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This second visit came as part of my work with ACOR over the past two months, where I volunteered to help organize and inventory photographs from the American Expedition to Petra (AEP) and the TWLCRM Initiative. As an American student studying abroad in Jordan for the spring semester, I was looking for an opportunity to experience the country in a unique way while also giving back to the place that I found so welcoming and hospitable. I’m a journalism major and hope to work as a foreign correspondent in the future, but I’ve always been fascinated by archaeology and hope to write about new discoveries in the field in publications that can help make the subject accessible to the general public. ACOR offered me the perfect opportunity to see the work that was being done in Jordan today, and to contribute my part while also learning about how things worked behind the scenes.

My ACOR-sponsored visit to Petra came at the culmination of my semester-long project, which involved combing through the archival photos from the American Expedition to Petra and the TWLCRM Initiative and picking the best ones to present to the public in a digital collection. By doing this work, I was able to see how the temple was excavated from start to finish; taken from year to year, the photos peeled back the layers of an archaeological expedition and showed just how much work went in to not only revealing, but also preserving important historical sites. I saw how many people contributed to the work and noted the faces that returned year after year; I also took note of the various artifacts that were discovered there over the years, and the ways in which they were documented, preserved, and displayed.

When I came to Petra at the end of April, I was able to connect everything that I had observed in the archival photographs with the present-day character of the Temple of the Winged Lions, which dates back to the first century AD – the peak of Nabataean civilization. The site that had seemed so ordinary to me the first time I visited Petra – somewhat off the main path, and with freestanding columns rather than the dramatic carvings I had come to expect from seeing the Treasury and the Monastery – suddenly came alive with layers of history. As Jack Green, who directed my work throughout the semester, walked me around the site and explained the nature and function of each separate part of the temple, I was able to imagine what it had looked like in its heyday, when it was a grand place of worship in the larger fabric of the city.

This feeling of understanding is what ACOR is working to achieve for visitors in Petra – an aspect that I also got to experience, as the purpose of the visit was largely to examine the layout of the site and evaluate how it would impact the visitor experience. The new explanatory signs that ACOR had put up helped tourists to learn about the temple and what it meant to the people who lived here so long ago, and in checking each one to make sure it was readable and easily visible, I got to see the other side of archaeology – the side that’s not just about excavation and academia, but about helping the public connect with the history of the places that they’re visiting. I was able to gain a deeper appreciation for all of the effort that went into presenting places like the Temple of the Winged Lions to people who come to Petra to try to learn more about our shared world heritage.

I saw, too, how modern-day archaeological projects are able to bring in members of the surrounding community as stewards of sites like Petra, which provides a motivation to preserve the place as well as a valuable livelihood. By talking to the local Bedouin who had worked with ACOR to preserve the Temple of the Winged Lions for visitors to experience, I learned how much the site meant for them as well, and how archaeology can actually benefit people living near such historically rich areas rather than simply furthering academic interests. I may have come to Petra for the first time, like so many others, just hoping to see the place that had been immortalized as one of the wonders of the ancient world; thanks to ACOR, I came a second time to see the work that goes into crafting that experience in the first place.

By Diana Kruzman

Learn more about the TWLCRM Initiative, and consider supporting ACOR’s ongoing, vital conservation work at the Temple of Winged Lions

Diana Kruzman is a double major student in Print and Digital Journalism and Middle East Studies at the University of Southern California. She is interested in history, archaeology, and paleontology, and joined ACOR as an intern in Spring 2018 in support of the Temple of the Winged Lions Cultural Resource Management (TWLCRM) Initiative.

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The mammoth task of unearthing Petra

To preserve the ancient site of Petra for future generations, archaeologists and locals are re-excavating earlier archaeological “dumps” in search of lost treasures.

This video is brought to you by BBC’s Travel Show.

To see the original BBC episode, please follow this link:

http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20160929-the-mammoth-task-of-unearthing-petra

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Were the Women of Petra More Important Than Men?

The Nabataeans worshipped powerful female deities and built lavish shrines in their honor. Could this religious order be a clue into the elevated status of women in Petra?

This video is brought to you by the Smithsonian Channel.

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