The Ancient Hydraulic Infrastructure of Wādi eṣ-Ṣader near Petra, Southern Jordan

Abstract

Intensive investigations of the archaeological remains at agricultural sites and water springs may provide a wealth of information. The remains, recently revealed in the vicinity of eṣ-Ṣader spring 3 , inspired the authors to investigate the area in and around Wādī eṣ-Ṣader. These explorations have enhanced our knowledge about the importance of this spring in the lives of the inhabitants of Wādī Moūsā as early as the Nabataean period. The existing archaeological evidence in this region, which will be discussed in this paper, includes remains of Nabataean terracotta water pipelines as well as Islamic water mills. In addition, the paper includes a discussion on some of the ancient toponyms either mentioned in the Petra archive and other place names which are of Aramaic origin. The latter indicates that these were used when Aramaic was the lingua franca in the region during the Nabataean period. Additionally, the inherited water traditions in the study area are presented in an attempt to trace their historical origin. Finally, the importance of terrace cultivation in this region through ages is also highlighted.

HORIZONTAL WATERMILL CHRONOLOGIES BASED ON 14C DATING OF ORGANICS IN MORTARS: A CASE STUDY FROM JARASH, JORDAN

“…Watermills have been recorded in several studies elsewhere in Jordan. The most detailed commentary concerns nine Islamic arubah watermills in Wadi Mousa near Petra (Al-Salameen 2019:296–303). MacDonald (1988:284–88) described 14 watermills located during a survey of the Wadi el Hasa district, but none was securely dated.…”