Survey Team

So far I have focused on the work on the site and in camp. There is another important aspect of our work called survey, in fact our project, KRP began as a survey. In our region hundreds of archaeological sites have been identified. These range from a small encampments to major cities. We continue each season looking for more archaeological sites of all time periods.

Through the dusty windshield of the 4-wheel drive survey vehicle you can see Dr. Daniel Hoffman, Lee University and Dr. Mark Green, Indiana State University spread out a map of the area on the hood. They are looking for sites in the desert of Jordan.

The is the Fajj a valley formed by a block of the earth dropping as a block (a graben). This create a natural passage way used my merchants and soldiers. You can see on the left and right in the distance ridges which line the Fajj. These ridges have scores of fortresses, towers, and fortlets from the Iron Age, Roman, and Byzantine periods.

Here is a view of the ridge of the Fajj, if you look carefully you can see the ruins of an outpost on the ridge just right of the center of the picture.

Here is closer view of the ridge you can see the fort to the left of center on the ridge. (you can click the image for a larger image). These ridges have scores of these sites.

Here Mark Green photographs a new road being built through the Fajj. Mark is a geographer who studies changes in the use of land.

After locating a site the work begins, the team searches the area for pottery sherds and other artifacts. Here Mark Green, Daniel Hoffman, and our Department of Antiquities representative Achmad Lash comb the area for pottery. This pottery is returned to camp washed and read just like the pottery from the site. The chronology of the pottery gives a good indication of when the site was occupied. To the right in photo is an Ottoman period building in ruins.

Next it is time to photograph the site.

Here Dr. Green, using a handheld Global Positioning Device (GPS), records the coordinates of the site.

Here Dr. Hoffman examines the ruins of the Ottoman building.

All of this information is recorded. Here is field map with handwritten locations. Each site is assigned a site number, eventually this data is transfer to computer data files.

The team has moved to a new location this time a Paleolithic site.

If you look carefully you can see the spreading out over the site looking for lithics and other artifacts.

The survey crew is out everyday searching and recording archaeological sites around the region.

John Wineland
Jordan