The Excavations At Deir 'Allā in Jordan

Abstract

The third season of the Dutch excavations at Deir 'Alla began on Jan. 2, 1962 and lasted the customary three months. The team which was led by the author consisted of students from Leiden, Utrecht and Wageningen, and for half the season there was also one from Boston. The team was lucky in once again obtaining the services of William BALL, the draughtsman and S. SCHOLTEN, the photographer. The study of the pottery techniques was furthered by a Leiden potter and a school film was made of our activities by E. D. PFEIFFER of the Netherlands School Film Foundation 1). We arrived in Deir 'Alla to find a three roomed village-type house under construction for our use on the camp site. This proved most serviceable, providing a kitchen, store room-cum-sick bay, and registration room. For making this possible we have to thank Saleh MUASHER Bey, our landlord. Once again it is a pleasure to record our gratitude to the Dept. of Antiquities, Jordan for all their friendliness and help. The aims and objects of the expedition are set out in V.T. Vol. X, 4, p. 386, and these were in no way altered this season except with regard for the Late Bronze period. Tempting though it was to press on down to the lowest shrine levels, the decision was taken to resist this temptation and to concentrate on the chronology and stratigraphy of the Iron Age levels first. It was felt that digging in such a restricted area that was then open could lead to serious damage to the shrine without producing so much as the total ground plan. The shrine area was therefore partially filled in to protect it from the elements, and