Grindstones & Toilets

A quite common artifact lying on the surface of the Tall, and we have also dug some up, are grindstones used to grind grain. The one in the picture they reackon is at least 3,000 years old if it is Iron Age, 3,700 years plus if it comes Middle Bronze - no way of telling. They are made of granite so have been specially sourced from somewhere in the mountains. Granite is hard wearing so when you find them curved like this generations of women used them. Again, handling objects like this forms a strange attachment to the ancients of this place. Helen really wants to bring this one home but the main stone must weigh at least 30kgs, and it would be a pity to seperate it from its companion of millennia. Helen just said we are going to leave everything behind and pack this home. At the monet one of our team has badged it for his seat at our lunch time place.

Following on from a brief mention of food preparation, a word on Jordainian toilets, something you learn as you go. On the Tall you have three options. On top where we are digging the tank trench dug by the military back in 1967 within sight of the Royal Winter Palace, plus the chance of wandering Bedouins going past and teenage boys carrying goofahs not to mention the rocks with the chance of critters is it. On the lower Tall there are the banana plantations that do offer acceptable privacy, but a greater chance of scorpions and vipers. Or its the walk back to the Mosque to use the One-O-One (101). This is a squat toilet. A place for one foot and another place for the other, and the 0 doesn't need any more explaination. The 101 is actually a long drop with a neat contraption that opens and closes with the weight of deposits, if you get the drift. The cultural complications. Supply your own toilet paper and after using it put it in the waste paper basket provided to be burnt at the end of the day.

The toilet at the hotel is modern and western. When you go to toilets in the city it is always provide your own toilet paper, and even though they are always flush toilets, depending on where it is and how efficient the sewerage system is, its either flush the paper or put it in the bin, or take it home I suppose. At one place we went to it was a unisex toilet with cubicles that you paid 1JD to use, and the lady attendant handed you some toilet paper if you indicated you needed some, which you could flush, and then a paper towel if you washed your hands, which as always is advisible.

Helen is now busy most of the day down with pottery washing and sorting which is good because she's in the shade and its not so hot. She is entertained by our host on the land Abu-Ahmed who is in his 70's. He has four wives one of whom had 15 children, 12 of whom survived. He's a bit of a character. He brings along a teapot of black tea that is very sweet with some herb in it to keep Helen's team well watered. Meanwhile up on the Tall it was very dusty and the hottest day yet, getting mid 20's now. The dig is going well. The cobble floor I uncovered yesterday now might be a street or walkway between buildings. As more features are uncovered the story changes and it will probably go back to being a floor again tomorrow. We spent the day going down another 15cm around the significant features to see if we can find what's underneath before we destroy them. All to do with layering and context.

The big news in Jordan is the negotiations for their airforce pilot captured by ISIS, plus the killing of the Japanese. An attack on Thursday that killed 30 Egyptian soldiers in Sinai is also topical because the attack happened not far from the Jordanian border, which Petra is quite close to, and we are going there on Friday.

We are both fit and well, and enjoying the rich experience that Jordan provides. Helen even commented that she was beginning to feel she is on holiday. I would choose to do other things on my holidays.