Ground-penetrating Radar at edh-Deir, Petra, Jordan

Summary

Petra is famous for the many tomb façades and complex water management systems carved in its surrounding mountains. The ancient city has been studied by traditional archaeological survey and excavation techniques for more than 100 years. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) has been previously used in several locations with excellent results, including in front of the al-Khazneh ("the Treasury"), near the Temple of the Winged Lions, on the "Upper Market" and the Garden and Pool Complex (the "Lower Market"), as well as on several agricultural systems in the hinterland. This poster presents results from the 2013 GPR survey conducted in front of edh-Deir (also known as the Monastery), which is located on a high plateau above the city center. A 400 MHz antenna was used to explore the ca. 2,500 square meters immediately in front of the façade, revealing an architectural arrangement oriented at a 45 degree angle from the monument. The nature of the orientation and architectural pattern, combined with insights gained from a related terrestrial scanning project, lead to a new understanding of how edh-Deir may have been used in the broader Petra landscape.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

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