Ident & Orient
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IDENT & ORIENT ^Ni v..- J"'? Newsletter of the German Protestant Institute of Archaeology in Amman Jutta Haser - the new director of the German Protestant Institute in Amman By: Dieter Vieweger, BAI, Wuppertal (Germany) '"^ . • . .V*.* s On the 1 ' of April 2004, Dr. Jutta pervised by two distinguished pre- Haser started her new job as di historian archaeologists: Prof. H.- rector of the German Protestant J. Nissen and Prof. B. Hansel. Vol. 9, No. 1 & 2, 2004 Institute of Archaeology in Am During the last six years, Dr. Jutta man. She is an internationally re CONTENTS Haser was employed by the De spected scientist with a lot of ex Jutta Haser - the new director of the partment of Orient-Archaeology in perience in archaeological pro German Protestant Institute 1 the German Archaeological Insti jects in the Arab world. Her reputa Syrian-French-German Co-operation tute in Berlin. She was especially tion in the scientific world was ac in Training for the Preservation of engaged in the publishing of jour the Cultural Heritage 2 quired by a lot of successful exca nals and books of the German Ar Ras Batahi: A caravan stop halfway vations and surveys in Sudan, Sy chaeological Institute Berlin. between Petra and Sabra 3 ria, the United Arab Emirates, Isis in the East The Veneration of Oman and Jordan as well as in During this time her scientific in the Egyptian Deities in the Middle Germany and Italy. terest was directed to Oman. She East during the Graeco-Roman is the head of the archaeological Period 5 Dr. Jutta Haser was born in 1961. team of an interdisciplinary re Archaeological reconnaissance She studied Near Eastern ar at Izki and the Jebel Akhdar 6 search group focused on the ex chaeology, prehistory and cunei ,n ploration of the transformation pro Excavations at the 4 millenium form studies in Gottingen, Aarhus site of Tall Hujayrat al-Ghuzlan / cesses in oasis settlements in and Berlin. Her MA-thesis was Aqaba - New Results 2004 12 Oman. This project is financed by about stone artefacts of the Fellows in Residence and the German Research Founda second millennium B.C. in the Gulf Visitors 16 tion, the German Archaeological region. Her Ph.D.-research was Tall Zera'a in the Wadi al-'Arab, Institute and the University of Mus the 2003 and 2004 campaigns 16 entitled: „Archaeology of Settle cat. It will continue until 2006. Donors to the Institute 21 ment Patterns in the Jebel Marra Information 21 Region in Darfur (Sudan)". This A second special interest of Dr. work was based on remote sens Haser is the water management ing data in the Sahel region. Both in arid and semi-arid regions of the investigations were carried out at Near East. She worked especially Published twice a year by the German the Free University Berlin and su on irrigation and tunnel systems Protestant Institute of Archaeology in in Oman and Jordan. Amman. P.O.Box 183, Amman 11118, Jordan. Tel. 06/5342924, Fax 06/5336924. E-mail: [email protected]. Editor: Dr. Jutta Haser, Amman. Technical and editorial assistance: Susanne Helbig, DEI Hannover, Evan- gelische Kirche in Deutschland. Newsletter logo above by Samir Shray- deh. 2 OCCIDENT & ORIENT - 2004 Syrian-French-German Co-operation in Training for the Preser• vation of the Cultural Heritage New Missions in the National Museum of Damascus and in South Syria By: Felicia Meynersen, German Archaeological Institute, Orient Section, Damascus Syria possesses one of the richest ral and Museums (DGAM) in areas tackled by the programme. archaeological and monumental carrying out sixteen missions of The project work was realised as heritages in the world. This cultural experts from different scientific a co-operation „hand in hand". heritage has been subject for stu• fields, e.g. archaeology, restora• From August 20,h to October 14th dies and research work since the tion, history etc in training about of 2003, the first Syrian-European beginning of the 20,hcentury. eighty Syrian specialists, selected project mission (No 4) carried out by the DGAM. Today, many sites and findings a training programme for archi• need conservation, documenta• tects in connection with a field re• tion and protection. In line with Campaigns of the Syrian- search about 85 km South of Da• these considerations, the estab• French-German Co-opera• mascus where the moonlike-land• lishment of different types of train• tion Projects scape is shaped by extinct volca- ing programmes for Syrian experts nos. Work concentrated on the so- is a priority for the preservation of Two of the sixteen training projects called Serail in Qanawat, an offi• Syria's cultural heritage, cultural are realising a bilateral co-opera• cial cult building, and on a house communication and exchange. tion in a double meaning: Those complex in Sweida, a typical ex• Therefore, the European Commis• Syrian-European projects in south ample of private domestic houses sion is financing the ..Preservation Syria includes both a co-operation (fig. 1). The training programme of Cultural Heritage Training Pro• between Europe and Syria as well included the work on different do• gramme" which is built into the as an Jnter-European" co-opera• cumentation methods depending overall framework of the Euro• tion between French and German. on the technical equipment and pean-Mediterranean Partnership The European members are the the special kind of building. It was and deals with an aspect that is German Institute of Archaeology, emphasised that drawings cannot fundamental in achieving long- Orient Department (= DAI) and the be the result of scientific research term sustainability: the capacity of Institut Francais du Proche-Orient and documentation. But the de• Syria to preserve its archaeologi• (IFPO). Those two partners were scription and the photo documen• cal and monumental heritage. This selected and appointed by the tation of buildings are essential to programme that started in 2001, DGAM due to their proven exper• understand ancient building pe• supports the Directorate of Gene• tise and high profile in the scientific riods and to document their dama• ges for further preservation activi• ties. From September the 14"1 to De• cember the 7lh, German, French and Syrian archaeologists working on the second project (No 10), per• formed archaeological documen• tation and preservation work in the National Museum of Damascus, the heart of the Syrian museologi- cal landscape. Here, the mission initiated a scientific inventory of ar• tefacts, and preparation of a da• tabase. Qualified Syrian archaeo• logists of the museum were train• ed in computerised inventory cata• Fig. 1: Private domestic house in Sweida. logue and its maintenance. OCCIDENT & ORIENT - 2004 3 The objects presented in the so- Results and Outlook Furthermore, the outcome of the called Palmyra Collection set an two projects should also be mea• Syrian, French and German ex• interesting example for teaching sured by nonvisible indicators: perts have in all matters co-operat• description techniques according capacity building, transfer of know- ed successfully. The outcome of to scientific standards in archaeo• how, passion, ambitions and wil• the projects No 4 and No 10 can logy (fig. 2). The Palmyrenean art, lingness are also part of the results be measured by a great number cut in the soft creme-coloured li• of those co-operation. of visible structures: By documen• mestone, depicts a great wealth tation and research work as well As an investment into Syria's fu• of antiquarian details compelling as by giving several interviews on ture human capital, these young one to look carefully and formulate TV, newspaper and radio, where archaeologists and architects will exactly (fig. 3). the members of the projects pre• help to support the preservation of sented aims, methods and first re• their cultural heritage in Syria. sults of their missions. Fig. 2: Sculpture in the so-called Palmyra Collection Ras Batahi: A caravan stop halfway between Petra and Sabra By: Ulrich Hiibner (University of Kiel, Germany) Ras Batahi is situated just 3.5 km through the middle of the Wadi Sa• Lindner (Naturhistorische Gesell- south of Petra and about 3 km bra down to the small Nabataean schaft Nurn-berg) occupied north of Sabra, in the place where town Sabra (about 800 m above himself in 1983, 1984 and 1990 the plateau south of Petra falls sea level). The ancient place with the place. It was explored in straight down into the wide valley name is unknown. The town, more detail by Ulrich Hubner of Sabra (fig. 1). Situated halfway which Leon de Laborde (1807- (University of Kiel) in 2002 and between Petra and Sabra, it forms 1869) and Louis Maurice A. Linant 2003. a small caravan stop on the way de Bellefonds (1799-1883) came As the pottery proves, the place into the Araba. From here, about to in 1828 on their way to Sabra, was first built on in Nabataean 990-1010 m above sea level, runs was visited several times time (1s' century B.C.) and used a well built ancient road which lead afterwards, but never received as a caravan stop at least into the through the wadi of the same further atten-tion or was referred 2n0 century A.D. Later, because of name, Wadi Batahi, and after 2 km to by name. Much later Manfred 4 OCCIDENT & ORIENT - 2004 its convenient location, the place then in large, fortified windings 2). At its top, to which lead 12 was used as a transit station up to down the steep slope towards stairs, and at its northeast base the present, without being chang• Sabra. The slope was terraced are two graves in the rock that ed by new buildings or being used and seems to have had a few scat• have been plundered and are part• to live in.