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Settlement Patterns and Military Organisation in the Region of Udhruh (Southern Jordan) in the Roman and Byzantine Periods

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Settlement Patterns and Military Organisation in the Region of Udhruh (Southern Jordan) in the Roman and Byzantine Periods Settlement Patterns and Military Organisation in the Region of Udhruh (southern Jordan) in the Roman and Byzantine Periods By Fawzi Abudanh MA Greekand RomanArchaeology, Newcastle upon Tyne University, 2002 BSc. Archaeologyand Tourism, Mu'tah University (Jordan),1998 Submittedfor the Degreeof Doctor of Philosophy At Schoolof Historical Studies Newcastle upon Tyne University May 2006 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY ---------------------------- 204 26823 3 ---------------------------- VOL :r- Publications related to this thesis 1. Abudanh, Fawzi. (2005). "Preliminary Report of the Archaeological Survey in the Region of Udhruh, 2003. Annual of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan. 2. Abudanh, Fawzi (forthcoming). "The Water Supply Systemsin the Region of Udhruh, southernJordan. Studies in the History and Archaeology of Jordan. Abstract This thesisconsiders the changesto settlementand landusethat occurredin the region of Udhruh, southernJordan, following the annexationof the Nabataeankingdom by Rome in AD 106 until the Early Islamic period. The region experienceda long flourishing period of history as part of the Nabataeankingdom in the hinterland of the capital at Petra.Historical and archaeologicalresources clearly indicate its importancethroughout most of the historical periodsafter the Romanconquest. A legionary fortressis still fairly well preservedat Udhruh and other military structureshave long been suspectedat Ayl and Sadaqaand elsewhere.Apart from Alistair Killick's study in the 1980s(not yet fully published),the areahas received little scholarlyattention. This study provides for the first time a detailedsurvey of about 336 archaeologicalsites, most of which were undocumented.These were recordedin the courseof two seasonsof fieldwork and many of thesesites demonstratedcontinued occupation and activity up to the last century. Overall, there is exceptionalpreservation and very little disturbanceof the archaeological remains from the period under study. The thesis also considers evidencefor the region found in historical documents.Udhruh, for instance,was second on the BeershebaEdict list of tax-paying towns in the province of Palestenia Terfla during the Byzantineperiod. Udhruh and al-Jerbaare also said to havepaid the poll tax to the Muslims in AD 630. Finally, apart from investigating the shifts in settlementpatterns, the thesis provides a clear understandingof the military organisationin the region and its relation to the broad systemof the limes Arabicus. There is also a detailed discussionof the road systemand its relation to the imperial road systemsuch as the via nova Traiana and the ancienttrade routes. This study also presentsa detailed investigation of the water supply systemsand the techniquesused by the inhabitantsof the region to overcomethe shortageof water resourcesin a dry zone of Jordan and its impact on the economic situation of the area. Other significant archaeologicalfeatures such as Khatt Shabib were also consideredin this study. ii Acknowledgments This thesiswould not be finished without the help and supportreceived from individuals and academicbodies. On top of the latter is al-HusseinBin Talal University (Jordan)who sponsoredthe author's PhD program. Other institutions supportedand facilitated the conductionof fieldwork in the study area.Many thanksto the Departmentof Antiquities of Jordan for giving the permissionto conduct archaeologicalsurvey in the region of Udhruh. Specialthanks also to GertrudeBell Archive/Schoolof Historical Studiesat the University of Newcastleupon Tyne for the financial help it offered to buy digitized maps of the study area.My appreciationis also due to Petraand Ma'an Archaeologicaloffices for supportingthe project andproviding the equipmentneeded during the fieldwork. Many people throughoutthe world have supportedthis study and offered valuable ideas and commentsthat guidedthe authorto finish this thesis.Many academicmembers of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne offered their help and support throughout the five years I have spent in the university. To those people I would like to expressmy sincere appreciation.Many thanks to Mr. JamesCrow, my supervisor,for his help and support during the conduction of this study. The following individuals have also been sincere and offered their help to the author: Dr. Mark Jacksonfrom the School of Historical Studiesread many chaptersof my thesis and presentedvery useful comments.Andrew and SheilaNewton have beenvery friendly and helpful and they checkedthe languageof this thesis.Neomi Belshaw has beenvery supportiveas she trained the author the basics of using the GIS software.Many thanks also to Averill Robesonwho offered every help wheneverI consultedthe School's library. Finally, I would like to thank the examiners: Dr Philip Freemanand Dr SamTurner who examinedand passedmy thesis. Significant figures in the field of archaeologywere helpful and supportedthe conduction of this study. To those scholars I should expressmy respectand appreciation.Among those figures is ProfessorDavid Kennedy who supportedthe project and provided aerial photographsof the study area, some of which were used as illustrations in this thesis. ProfessorDavid Graf and Dr Zbigniew Fiema were also helpful, and the latter drew the iii author's attention to important sites in the study area. Jordanian archaeologistsand scholars were extremely cooperative during the fieldwork and after. Many thanks especially to Dr. Kairieh 'Amer and Ahmed al-Momani from the Department of Antiquities of Jordan and Dr. Hamzeh Mahasnehfrom Mu'tah University for their supportand particularly for readingthe ceramicsfor the region of Udhruh. Specialthanks to SalehNwafleh andAmer al-Bedourfor their help with drawing somemaps and pottery sherds. Finally, it is my family, especiallymy belovedwife and daughterwho were very patient and supportiveduring my study particularly during the hard times, and to them I dedicate this thesis. Many friends in the University of Newcastleupon Tyne and in Jordanwere helpful and their prayersare highly appreciated. iv Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................. i Acknowledgement .................................................................................... ii Table of contents..................................................................................... iv List figures of ........................................................................................ Viii ChapterOne Introduction ..........................................................................................................................I The Importance Study of ............................................................................. I Climate ................................................................................................. 4 Topography ............................................................................................ 5 Vegetation .............................................................................................. 5 Thesis structure ........................................................................................ 6 ChapterTwo Historical background ................................................................................ 9 The Nabataean period................................................................................ 9 The RomanPeriod: Provincia Arabia ............................................................ II The Traiana via nova ............................................................................... 14 The Tetrarch third century and period............................................................ 16 Petraduring Roman the period.................................................................... 20 The B zantineperiod ............................................................................... 21 The 5ý 6th AD and centuries ....................................................................... 23 The Islamic period.................................................................................. 25 Previous studies..................................................................................... 27 Previous in research the study area............................................................... 31 Systematic in surveys adjacentareas ............................................................. 34 Conclusion ........................................................................................... 37 Chapterthree Methodological the type 39 approaches and of evidence...................................................... Introduction .......................................................................................... 39 Surveying methods ................................................................................. 42 Assessment techniques of surveying ............................................................. 44 Recording system.................................................................................... 46 Ceramics data ........................................................................................ 47 Ceramic 48 wares and site continuity ................................................................ The type of evidence................................................................................ 50 Settlement hierarchy ................................................................................ 53 Masonry and plan ...................................................................................
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