A geophysical investigation of a newly discovered Early Bronze Age site near Petra, Jordan

The hinterland of the famed Nabataean city of Petra in southwestern Jordan has yielded archaeological remains ranging from the Paleolithic to the Medieval Period, with a time-span of approximately one-million years of human and hominin activity represented in the archaeological record of the region. Bronze Age sites, however, have been grossly underrepresented for reasons that are not presently well understood, even to the extent that some past researchers have assumed that the region was sparsely occupied during this period. Our team has conducted a preliminary investigation at a previously undocumented Early Bronze Age site, located on an isolated hilltop in the northern hinterland of Petra. The site was recently noted during a pedestrian survey in the area as part of the Brown University Petra Archaeological Project (BUPAP). Follow up documentation and investigation included the production of a site plan, a geophysical survey with magnetometry and ground-penetrating radar, and small scale exploratory excavation. The geophysical results revealed a number of archaeological features in addition to yielding information about site taphonomy. Qualitative examination of the survey results indicated evidence of structures, burnt features, and modern disturbance, while potential-field transformations offered additional insights on the distribution of some of these features.