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Descriptive Attribute Value(s)
Description
  • Locus 3 includes the stylobate itself and the wall supporting it. The wall of the stylobate exhibits two construction stages. The earlier stage consists of the lowest nine courses excavated. These courses are made of large, regularly-spaced, sandstone blocks, many of which are diagonally-dressed, with a sparse use of chinking stones. Resting on the fifth course from the bottom of the trench (* 875.92 m) are arch springers. Two springers are revealed in Locus 3. These springers (see also Locus 4, SP 25 for east side of wall and Locus 21 for a mirror-image in Trench 17) are constructed of limestone blocks diagonally-dressed, mortared together and plastered on the sides. At the point where the arches break off, the south arch extends 0.28 m from the wall face and the north arch 0.22 m. These springers are 0.56 m wide and are approximately 0.80 m apart.
  • The stylobate is constructed, with one exception, of three limestone slabs (0.52 m-x-0.96 m) separating larger, square slabs (0.96 m-x-0.96 m), which supported the columns and served as their bases. The exception is in the fourth column from the south which is preceded by two square blocks (0.70 m-x-0.96 m) and rests on two rectangular slabs (0.48 m-x-0.96 m). The slabs supporting the columns are carved convexly to support the base of the lowest drum. The 10 m area excavated revealed spacing for six columns. The third southernmost column still retains its lowest drum. All these drums have been robbed from the original positions of the next four columns going north, and the northernmost column is missing all its drums as well as the limestone slabs of the stylobate. Drums were re-erected for all columns in Trench 17 except for this northernmost one. The second stage of construction exhibits a much cruder manner of construction. In the upper portion of the wall, irregularly-hewn sandstone blocks are built in what can roughly be called courses, and they are liberally surrounded with chinking stones. This second stage includes repairs (chinking stones and mortar) made in the south of the wall from the fourth to sixth courses from the bottom. Additionally, large, square blocks were placed at the top of the springer (*878.05 m extending 0.20 m from wall face), and the mortar and stone extension from the wall were used to support these stones above the springers. This stage also includes the stylobate. This portion of the wall has several gaps in the mortar extending as much as 0.30 m into the interior of the wall.
  • A 1 m extension north made into steps. Excavated through both topsoil and reddish fill.
Bottom (m) Bottom elevation: Unknown.
Definition
  • Pink fill (SP 25).
  • East Stylobate (Locus 4, SP 25).
Top (m) Top elevation: 898.546 m at southwest.
Runs up to West face of SP 25 and east face of all loci in Trench 17, except Loci 1, 8, 10. Note that Loci 7 and 11 abut Locus 3.
Suggested Citation

Martha Sharp Joukowsky. (2007) "Locus 3 from Asia/Jordan/Petra Great Temple/Lower Temenos/Trench 17 Part I and Special Project 25". In Petra Great Temple Excavations. Martha Sharp Joukowsky (Ed). Released: 2007-11-11. Open Context. <https://opencontext.org/subjects/6cd096c3-574d-4cbc-284e-f5e24b8193d4> ARK (Archive): https://n2t.net/ark:/28722/k2r78dz2c

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Petra Great Temple Excavations
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