The Temple of the Winged Lions gets its name from a the columns surrounding the main podium. These columns had a unique Winged Lion Capital rather than Corinthian ones.

• from Petra - Introduction - click link to open new tab

• from Petra - Near the Temple of the Winged Lions Webpage - click link to open new tab

• Temple of the Winged Lions
  Temple of the Winged Lions vicinity in Google Earth
  
  click on image to explore this site on a new tab in Google Earth
  vicinity in Google Earth
• Location Map from Jones (2021)
  Figure 2
  
  Map of Petra with the locations of major excavations marked
  
  Jones (2021)
  
  Basemap: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics, USDA FSA, USGS, Aerogrid, IGN, IGP, and the GIS User Community
• Fig. 5 - Plan of the Temple
  Figure 5
  
  Plan of the Temple of the Winged Lions
  
  (Plan: Qutaiba Dasouqi; courtesy of Temple of the Winged Lions Cultural Resource Management Initiative).
  
  Ward (2016)
  of the Winged Lions from Ward (2016)
• Fig. 5 - Plan of the Temple
  Figure 5
  
  Plan of the Temple of the Winged Lions
  
  (Plan: Qutaiba Dasouqi; courtesy of Temple of the Winged Lions Cultural Resource Management Initiative).
  
  Ward (2016)
  of the Winged Lions from Ward (2016) (magnified)

Russell (1985) noted that during the 1976 excavations at Petra, a brass coin (sestertius) commemorating Trajan's alimenta italiae endowment was uncovered on a floor-slab next to several crushed unguentaria in a storage room of a collapsed house [in Area I according to Erickson-Gini, T. and C. Tuttle (2017)] of the early 2nd century. Russell (1985) relates that Sestertii of this type were minted between 103 and 117 ( Robertson 1971: 57-59, and pl. 13, nos. 344, 350, 354). Unfortunately, the consulship was illegible in the obverse inscription which would have allowed for more precise dating.

Erickson-Gini and Tuttle (2017)'s analysis suggests that, although early 2nd century CE earthquake evidence is present in Petra and other sites of the Nabateans, some of Russell (1985)'s phasing for Area I near the Temple of the Winged Lions was off by up to a couple of centuries. In particular, they suggest that the abandonment of the Early House in Area I and abandoned hoards in rooms of the Temple of the Winged Lions complex were probably the result of an epidemic that occurred sometime in the 3rd c. rather than the early 2nd c. earthquake as claimed by Russell. They explained this as follows:

The primary issue concerning the Early House is the date and manner of its abandonment. An outstanding difficulty in Russell's phasing in Area I is the two hundred year period between the renovations that supposedly took place in the Early House in the early 2nd c. CE (Phase XVI) and the construction of the Middle House in the early 4th c. CE (Phase XII). This gap in the archaeological record is largely artificial and can be attributed to the fact that a single coin was used to date the critical ceramic assemblage found in Room 2 (antechamber) of the Early House (SU 176, 800, 803) to the very beginning of the 2nd c. Rather than its destruction by earthquake in the early 2nd c., the body of evidence points to its abandonment sometime in the early 3rd c. similar to sites along the Petra—Gaza road.

• blockage of doorways with architectural fragments that appear to have been derived from the temple, for instance in Area III.8 (SU 113; W2; Aug. 2, 1977), that were also used in the construction of the pavement in WII.1W.
• Revetments adding support to walls ... photographed in Area III.7 (AEP 83900)
• a hoard of vessels of the late 1st c. BCE and first half of the 1st c. CE ... discovered in the AEP 2000 season in a spot next to the eastern corridor in Area III.10 (SU 19) - an assemblage which included several plain fineware, carinated bowls that correspond to later forms of Schmid's Gruppe 5 dated to the second half of the 1st c. BCE (2000 AEP RI. 41), (2000: Abb. 41) together with early forms of his Gruppe 6 dated to the 1st c. CE (2000 AEP RI. 11), (2000: Abb. 50) and two early painted ware bowls (2000 AEP RI. 42) corresponding to Schmid's Dekorgruppe 2a (2000: Abbs. 80=81) dated to the end of the 1st c. BCE and early 1st c. CE.

Although the Phase X destruction layer was initially misdated to the Crete earthquake of 365 CE, Hammond (1980) later acknowledged this as a mistake. The corrected correlation of the Phase X destruction layer would then be to the southern Cyril Quake of 363 CE. Jones (2021) noted that

Ward (2016: 144) has pointed out that the evidence for dating the major destruction to 363 is quite limited, although this is still the most reasonable date for this destruction.

Jones (2021) noted the following:

Erickson-Gini and Tuttle (2017: 144-45) note the lack of 6th century material at both the Temple of the Winged Lions and the residential complex in nearby Area I, although this may simply indicate that the area was abandoned prior to its destruction in the late 6th century.

Hammond (1975) discussed this archaeoseismic evidence as follows:

There can be no question that the architectural debris covered by the silting of the previous phase and resting on the surface of the next phase below represents anything but the final destruction of the building of Phase XV. The direction of this fall ran from the Northwest to the Southeast consistently throughout the excavated areas of the previous phase and resting on the surface of the next phase below represents anything but the final destruction of the building of Phase XV. The direction of this fall ran from the Northwest to the Southeast consistently throughout the excavated areas.

... much of the building was intact at the point of this destruction --with columns still standing, some capitals and cornices still in place, considerable plaster decoration still in situ, intercolumnar or gate (?) arches (?) still standing, and possibly even sections of the roof (?) still in place. With this earthquake all of the superstructure was tumbled that had survived the earlier earth tremor which had already partially - but only partially - demolished the structure.

... it is suggested that the same chronology be postulated for this structure, in terms of destruction, as was established for the Theater: namely that this phase be dated to A. D. 746/748, the second and most severe of the two earthquakes involved. The overlying recovered materials of the higher phases do not conflict at all with this dating and it can plausibly fit the peculiarities of ceramic materials recovered -- i. e. early in the Early Islamic period wherein local potters ("Byzantine") continued to produce familiar wares and types without yet evidencing "Islamic" influences.

... This fall phase was the richest in recovered architectural materials per se, and the specifics of content greatly assist in suggesting possible reconstructions. This quantity of material also attests to the force of the earth tremors which finally brought down the super-structure of the building, as was also the case at the Main Theater.

Hammond (1975) described seismic effects as follows:

much of the building was intact at the point of this destruction --with columns still standing, some capitals and cornices still in place, considerable plaster decoration still in situ, intercolumnar or gate (?) arches (?) still standing, and possibly even sections of the roof (?) still in place. With this earthquake all of the superstructure was tumbled that had survived the earlier earth tremor which had already partially - but only partially - demolished the structure.

• Earthquake Archeological Effects chart
  Earthquake Archeological Effects (EAE)
  
  Rodríguez-Pascua et al (2013: 221-224)
  of Rodríguez-Pascua et al (2013: 221-224)

Effect	Location	Image(s)	Description/Comments	Intensity
Collapsed Walls	Temple of the Winged Lions Figure 5 Plan of the Temple of the Winged Lions (Plan: Qutaiba Dasouqi; courtesy of Temple of the Winged Lions Cultural Resource Management Initiative). Ward (2016)		some capitals dislodged, along with cornice-carrying blocks, wall members, and other structural members - Hammond (1975)	VIII+
Rotated and Displaced Masonry Blocks in walls and drums in columns	Temple of the Winged Lions Figure 5 Plan of the Temple of the Winged Lions (Plan: Qutaiba Dasouqi; courtesy of Temple of the Winged Lions Cultural Resource Management Initiative). Ward (2016)		some capitals dislodged, along with cornice-carrying blocks, wall members, and other structural members - Hammond (1975) loss and fragmentation of some capitals - Hammond (1975)	VIII+
Displaced Walls	Temple of the Winged Lions Figure 5 Plan of the Temple of the Winged Lions (Plan: Qutaiba Dasouqi; courtesy of Temple of the Winged Lions Cultural Resource Management Initiative). Ward (2016)		a great deal of internal plastered decoration, including undercoatings, was also dislodged - Hammond (1975)	VII+

• Earthquake Archeological Effects chart
  Earthquake Archeological Effects (EAE)
  
  Rodríguez-Pascua et al (2013: 221-224)
  of Rodríguez-Pascua et al (2013: 221-224)

Effect	Location	Image(s)	Description/Comments	Intensity
Collapsed Arches	Temple of the Winged Lions Figure 5 Plan of the Temple of the Winged Lions (Plan: Qutaiba Dasouqi; courtesy of Temple of the Winged Lions Cultural Resource Management Initiative). Ward (2016)			VI+
Fallen Columns	Temple of the Winged Lions Figure 5 Plan of the Temple of the Winged Lions (Plan: Qutaiba Dasouqi; courtesy of Temple of the Winged Lions Cultural Resource Management Initiative). Ward (2016)			V+
Displaced Walls ?	Temple of the Winged Lions Figure 5 Plan of the Temple of the Winged Lions (Plan: Qutaiba Dasouqi; courtesy of Temple of the Winged Lions Cultural Resource Management Initiative). Ward (2016)			VII+