BackgroundBy Charlott Hoffmann Jensen & Bo Dahl Hermansen Site LocationThe site of Shkarat Msaied is situated in the sandstone mountain area some 13 km north of Petra in the Nemelleh region right next to the track leading from Wadi Musa into Wadi Araba. The site rests on a small plateau in a saddle-like situation in between two peaks. The height is ca. 1000 m above sea level according to a GPS reading in August 2002. The present day vegetation of the area is dominated by stone oak with some juniper and pistachio as well as shrubs and other minor herbs (Gebel 1986). No permanent spring is situated in less than two-hours walking distance (Gebel 1988: 81). The plateau has been used for agricultural activities in Nabatean and recent times. Due to erosion of the southern and western edge of the site, as well as to recent construction works, the original size of the settlement is not known. Never the less more than 1000 m 2 of well preserved circular architecture is still present of which ca. 600 m 2 have been subjected to excavation, so far [2004].
Excavation historyThe site was discovered by Diana Kirkbride, the excavator of nearby Beidha, in 1964 during a survey in the area with the purpose of locating contemporary sites in the region (Kirkbride 1966: 54). She conducted a survey on the site and made a small sounding in the southern slope. In 1984 a part of the site was systematically surveyed by Dr. Hans Georg Gebel in connection with his work in the greater Petra area (Gebel 1986; 1988). He also made a sounding in the south-eastern slope, 2 m2 in size and c. 80 cm deep, in which architectural remains and artifacts were found (Gebel 1988: 83). Since 1999 the site has been under excavation by a Danish team (Kaliszan et al . 2002; Hermansen in press; Hermansen and Jensen 2002; Jensen 2002, 2004, in press). The promising results of the first seasons followed by a short study season in 2002 encouraged us to continue work at the site, and plans were made for three additional years of excavation [2003-2005]. One of the goals of the remaining field work is to enlarge the excavated area further in order to enable a study of intra-site space use on a broader base.
Dating of the siteOne major building phase has been identified, conventionally dated to the MPPNB (see also text on architecture). At least two buildings (Units E and F) are constructed on earlier walls, also dated to the MPPNB. And in the Eastern part of the site a pavement and a few flimsy structures, represent a modification of the main phase, partly using the remains of earlier walls. These include Unit O, L, and P on the plan. They, too, would seem to be datable within the MPPNB, to judge from the inventory of finds made in these structures. But a secure dating is not possible until the finds have been analysed in detail, and a C14 sample of charred wood, recovered from one of these structures, has been processed and dated. The site was apparently also in use during the Pottery Neolithic as seen from the chipped stone material and indicated by a few flimsy structures, not shown on the plan. Finally, the upper layers were modified through Nabatean reuse of stones from the PPNB architecture, Nabataean terracing, and agricultural activities of Nabataean and more recent date. The dating of the main
building phase to the MPPNB is based on
the chipped stone material, showing arrowhead
types dominated by Jericho and Jericho/Byblos
transitional forms. Additionally, a very
small proportion of Helwan points (a total
of 6 pieces) have been recovered, some
in stratified context. Two C-14 dates
are available 1); giving conventional
dates of 9144 + 55 BP (Wk-15160) and 8977
+ 60 BP (Wk-15159) respectively . These
conventional dates would seem to place
the tested samples in the early part of
the MPPNB. The presence of a few Helwan
points in stratified contexts may also
point towards an early dating; as such
points dominate in the Early PPNB and
continue into the MPPNB (Gopher 1994;
Rollefson 2001). These data suggest a
date in the first half of the MPPNB for
the site of Shkarat Msaied.
1) The two C14 samples have been dated at the Radiocarbon Dating Laboratory at the University of Waikato, New Zealand. The results are based on a Libby half-life of 5568 years with correction for isotopic fractionation applied. The results are Conventional Age as per Stuiver and Polach 1977, Radiocarbon 19: 355-363. The results have been received in August 2004. Other samples have been sent to the AMS laboratory at the University of Aarhus, Denmark. ReferencesGebel H.G. 1986 1988 Gopher, A. 1994 Hermansen, B.D. In press Hermansen, B.D. &
C.H. Jensen 2002 (2004) Jensen, C.H. 2002 2004 In press Kaliszan L.R., Hermansen B.D.,
Jensen C.H., Skuldbøl T.B.B., Bille
M., Bangsgaard P., Ihr A., Sørensen
M.L., and Markussen B. 2001 Kirkbride, D. 1966 Rollefson, G. 2001 |
