Transliterated Name | Source | Name |
---|---|---|
Wadi Sabra | Arabic | وادي سابرا |
The Wadi Sabra Theater is located ~6.5 km. south of Petra ( Tholbecq et al, 2019).
Phase | Phase Label | Date | Comments |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Digging and development of the cavea | no later than the 2nd century CE |
|
2 | Closure of the theatrical space and monumentalization of the facade | 2nd century CE |
|
3 | Partial destruction and reassignment | 2nd-3rd century CE |
|
4 | Construction of a barrier wall to the south of the theater and new secondary facilities. | Late Roman or Byzantine |
|
The Phase 3 Earthquake appears to be based on rebuilding evidence.
Tholbecq et al (2019) report that various clues suggest that the theater underwent violent destruction, at least on the north side
where
the upper parts of the walls seem to have been destroyed, then rebuilt by recycling collapsed bleacher seats
. An alternative hypothesis suggested voluntary dismantling
as a possibility. This happened no later than the 3rd century CE
.
Based on soundings in Sectors 2 and 7,
Tholbecq et al (2019) reports phase 4 destruction of the northern masonry of the orchestra
. They deduce that this event (earthquake?) occurred shortly after the late
Roman period, or even during this period.
Effect | Location | Image(s) | Description/Comments |
---|---|---|---|
Recycled Building Elements suggests Collapsed Walls |
Blockade Walls (aka analemmata) ?![]() ![]() General plan of the theater, based on a photogrammetric survey, with location of soundings (M. Kurdy). Tholbecq et al (2019) |
the upper parts of the walls seem to have been destroyed, then rebuilt by recycling collapsed bleacher seats- Tholbecq et al (2019) |
Effect | Location | Image(s) | Description/Comments |
---|---|---|---|
Displaced Masonry Blocks ? | Northern masonry of the orchestra - Soundings 2 and 7![]() ![]() General plan of the theater, based on a photogrammetric survey, with location of soundings (M. Kurdy). Tholbecq et al (2019) |
destruction of the northern masonry of the orchestra- Tholbecq et al (2019) |
Effect | Location | Image(s) | Description/Comments | Intensity |
---|---|---|---|---|
Recycled Building Elements suggests Collapsed Walls |
Blockade Walls (aka analemmata) ?![]() ![]() General plan of the theater, based on a photogrammetric survey, with location of soundings (M. Kurdy). Tholbecq et al (2019) |
the upper parts of the walls seem to have been destroyed, then rebuilt by recycling collapsed bleacher seats- Tholbecq et al (2019) |
VIII+ |
Effect | Location | Image(s) | Description/Comments | Intensity |
---|---|---|---|---|
Displaced Masonry Blocks ? | Northern masonry of the orchestra - Soundings 2 and 7![]() ![]() General plan of the theater, based on a photogrammetric survey, with location of soundings (M. Kurdy). Tholbecq et al (2019) |
destruction of the northern masonry of the orchestra- Tholbecq et al (2019) |
VIII+ |
Lindner, M. (1982) “An Archaeological Survey of the Theater Mount and Catchwater Regulation System at Sabra, South of Petra, 1980
”, ADAJ 26, p. 231-242.
Lindner, M. (2005) “Water Supply and Water Management at Ancient Sabra (Jordan)”, PEQ 137.1,
p. 33-52.
Lindner, M. (2006a) "Theater, Theater, Theater ... Zu Forschungen der Naturhistorischen
Gesellschaft in Sabra", Natur und Mensch. Jahresmitteilungen der Naturhistorischen Gesellschaft
Nürnberg, 2006, p. 75-84.
L. Tholbecq (2016) “Petra. Wadi Sabra Archaeological Project ”, GJ Corbett et al. (Ed.), “Archeology
in Jordan, 2014 - 2015 ”, AJA 120.4, p. 666-668.
Tholbecq, L., Fournet, T., Paridaens, N., Delcros, S., & Durand, C. (2016). Ṣabrah, a satellite hamlet of Petra.
Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 46, 277–297.
L. Tholbecq, T. Fournet, N. Paridaens, S. Delcros, G. Dumont & C. Durand (2015) “The
Nabateo-Roman site of Wadi Sabra: inventory, survey and working hypotheses”, L.
Tholbecq (Ed. ), French archaeological mission of Pétra: Report of the archaeological campaigns 2014
- 2015, Brussels, p. 63-100.
Tholbecq, L., et al. (2019). Mission archéologique française à Pétra. Rapport des campagnes archéologiques 2018-2019.
Tholbecq, L., et al. (2021). Mission archéologique française à Pétra. Rapport des campagnes archéologiques 2021.