Hello Everyone,

All is well here in Karak, our work is progressing well. We are now past the half way point in our work. Everyone enjoyed their time in Petra and today it was business as usual.

I have tried something new today, you will have to let me know how well it works. My digital camera can take video, so I have uploaded a short video of Petra. It is a view in the center of the city and it shows the Great Temple and the Roman road and some of the tomb facade. If this works I might try loading a short video from the site tomorrow. Just click the arrow.

Here is Valdecy da Silva, this was his last day with us, he is flying out about 1AM tonight. We will miss him, have a safe trip. Here he is working in his square in Area D.


This is the Area D group photo. With all of the local workers included. Second from the left is Khalid Tarawna, our Department of Antiquities Representative. Next to him is Valdecy DaSilva, Hadassah Penwell, Gerald Keown, John Mark Wade, and Miriam Perkins, along with the local workers.



This is Khalid and Hadasah Penwell working in Area D, they look like bandits with their faces covered to keep out the dust. The weather was cooler than usual today but very windy which blows around a great deal of dust.



Also in Area D, this Area supervisor, John Mark Wade giving advice to Gerald Keown and Miriam Perkins.

Over in Area B, the gate area, this is Linda Perkins and Friedbert Ninow working hard in one of the chambers that has a curious blocking wall.

Now working in same square but on the other side of the pier wall is Ted Carruth and Melissa Spong.
In Area A, area supervisor Mike VanSant and Emily Saunders are working hard to unearth a wall. Up above Jim Pace gives advice as the work progresses.

Also in Area A today is Don Garner and Emily Dew they have uncovered what appears to the "bedrock" soil layer in their square.

Our photographer Tim Snow was working hard today, taking photos of the exterior walls of the site in addition to his other duties. Here he is recording the soil layers in Don Garner and Emily Dew's square.

Later Tim is almost standing on his head to prepare for a picture in Area B, in Ted Carruth and Melissa Spong's square.



Jim Pace was able to come out to the site for the first time today. He works hard back in Karak each day recording and processing all of our material. He injured his ankle a week or two before the excavation began and he has had a brace on ankle since he arrived in Jordan. But he is feeling better and we were glad to have him on site today.

This is a scene from last Thusday which is "pay day" for our workers. They push around the bus to receive their weekly pay.

Here Ted Carruth hands the pay to his worker, while Jerry Mattingly and Khalid Tarawna look on. Pay day is always the highlight of the week for the workers as you might expect.


Last Thursday our surveyor Paul Mabry, found a lizard during our "second breakfast" he fed it some water melon.

On our way back into Karak, Thursday afternoon we followed this small pickup with a sheep in the back. This sheep was probably on a one way trip to local butcher shop.




It is late again and I am tired. The weather has been cooler than usual with more clouds and dust in the air which helps produce some beautiful sunsets. We had a short worship service this evening in Karak, Valdacy DaSilva spoke. Good night.

John Wineland
Karak, Jordan