The weather is starting to heat in Jordan after an unsually cool start. Several team members left last weekend for home. (This was planned for them but unplanned for me.Since some of you have communicated their concern for me, I thought I would tell you I am do well. My doctor here in the US beleives with treatment I should be fine in about two weeks. Thank you for your concern and prayers.)
The team took a well deserved day off from excavation which include a field trip to the Dead Sea and the site of Bab ed-dhra.
As the team desended down to Dead Sea they passed a Crusader Castle on this high point. This is Karak Castle (also known as the Fortress of the Ravens) built in the early 11th century by King Fulk from France. It was in the control of the Crusaders for about 50 years before it fell the Saladin after a seige that lasted more than a year. From this castle the Crusaders could signal to Jerusalem, in fact they could use signal fires to relay messages up and down a chain of castles and strongholds. At the time of Saladin's attack it was controlled by Reynald, a man who was, by all accounts, a cruel man.
As the time head down the valley they dropped in elevation from about 1400 feet above sea level to 1400 feet below sea level. Here the group paused to photograph a sign which indicates that they are at sea level.
Here is a sign which will give you an idea of the depth of the Dead Sea. It is the lowest point on the face of the earth. The Dead Sea is in a Rift Valley created by geological pressure. In this sign you can see that Amman and Jerusalem are about at the same elevation.
On the way down to the Dead the group stopped at Bab eh drah an Early Bronze Age site. As you might have noticed archaeologists are proned to take "Busmen's holidays." We like to a break from digging by going and seeing where other people dug. This site was excavated by Paul Lapp and then later by Thomas Schaub and Walter Rast. There is evidence of burning, sulfur and bitumen at the site. Some people have argued that this is location of Sodom.
On this hillside you can see pitting. Each of these pits indicates a robbed out tomb. The site has been ripped apart by illegal digging by tomb robbers who then selling the pottery on the black market. If you do a google search on Bab edh drah you cna see where this material ends up. Here is a link for example
http://cgi.ebay.com/BURNISHED-ARCHAEOLOGY-JUG-3100-2900-BC-BAB-EH-DRAH-/350444141060
This is currently listed on Ebay. It is a burnished piece of pottery from the Early Bronze period. It is this type of black market which fuels the destruction of archaeological sites around the world.
Here are one of the robbed out tombs.
Here is a piece of broken pottery which the robbers left behind. They are interest in whole objects because they can sell them for more money.
Here is the view they have as they drive down to the Dead Sea. You can see the valley and the Dead Sea in the distance.
Here some of the group looks over the Dead Sea while Melissa Hope wades out into the water.
This is a pool of water now cut off from the Dead Sea. The diversion of water along the Jordan valley is causing the Dead Sea to dry up. Water is in short supply in the Middle East and much of the water of the Jordan River and its tributaries are captured for use as drinking water and for irrigation. For many years there has been a plan to pump water from the Ocean to the Sea. The plan would be to install turbines which would be turned by the desending sea water. This process would create electrical energy. It also would replenish the water of the Dead Sea.
Here is a nice graphic which illustrates how the Dead Sea has changed since 1960. Notice the the southern area of the Sea has evaporation pans. This is where potash and other chemicals are extracted from the water.
Here is a nice picture of our faithful bus drivers, Salah and Hussein. They help us in many ways and are good friends. It is hard to image doing this work with out them.
John Wineland
Grayson. Kentucky
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