Petra Pool Complex

Background

One of the major achievements of the Nabataeans at Petra was the construction of a massive Pool Complex that was uncovered in the summer of 1998 by a group investigating what they believed to be a public market area. Subsequent excavations revealed it was in fact an extensive pool and gardens structure that was supplied using hydraulic technology by from the nearby hills. The water would then flow from the pool into a large earthen terrace had been previously been interpreted as being the Lower Market. Through excavations it was revealed to be a formal garden. Similar complexes have been found in Hellenistic palaces such as that of Herod the Great in Judaea.

The pool itself was lined with a waterproof cement like the cisterns and reservoirs around the city. None of the decorative elements remain however, debris evidence of marble, limestone, painted stucco and more have been found in the pool. In order to supply this massive pool the East-West wall was used as an aqueduct which fed into a distribution point. The pool was supplied by a reservoir perched above the structure and there is evidence of pipes being implemented in the construction. (Bebel 2001) In conclusion archaeologists figured out that this perceived center of economic activity was in fact a beautiful oasis and retreat in the center of the city that was a testament to the power and wealth that Petra had to offer.

Based on dating done by several archaeologists there are nine different levels of construction which begin around the 1st century BC based on the discovery of coins dating to the reign of Aretas IV (9 BC – AD 40) found in a floor and foundation trench (Bebel 2001) During this phase called Phase I the general structure was formed including an island in the center of the pool which housed a pavilion. Following this the Roman phase (Phase II) included extensive renovations to the pool including the construction of a bridge from the East-West Wall and the northern face of the island in the center.

However, in following with the decline in prominence of the city as the center of the caravan trading network shifted to Palmyra, Phase III of the Pool Complex contained a high level of material debris including glasses, lamps, stucco, marble, carbonized wood and animal bones which suggest it fell into disuse and parallels abandoned pools of the modern age. Following this in Phase IV of the Pool Complex the pavilion walls collapsed into the pool, likely caused by the earthquake of AD 363 as interpreted by anthropologists given the destruction of other monuments in the city. (Bebel 2001). Overall through analysis of the Pool Complex one can trace the development of the city as a whole as given the prominence of this structure.

Sources

Primary Sources

Secondary Sources

Bedal, L. (2001). A Pool Complex in Petra's City Center. Bulliten of the American Schools of Oriental Research, No 324, Nabatean Petra, pp. 23-41. The American Schools of Oriental Research.