The 1927-1938 Italian Archaeological Expedition to Transjordan in Renato Bartoccini's Archives 2015

This volume presents the results of the Italian excavations and surveys carried out in Transjordan between 1927 and 1938. After a first excavation campaign conducted in 1927 on the Amman Citadel by Giacomo Guidi, the excavations were resumed in 1929 by Renato Bartoccini (Rome 1893–Rome 1963), who carried out four campaigns on the Citadel in 1929, 1930, 1933 and 1938. He also travelled across modern Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, taking photos and writing reports on several archaeological sites. Bartoccini published a few notes and reports, but almost all the original documentation of his work was still unpublished at the time this study was conducted. The main source of data is the Fondo Renato Bartoccini, i.e. the private archive of Bartoccini, today held by the University of Perugia, while other useful documents are kept in other archives in Macerata and in Rome. Furthermore, some decorated Islamic pottery from the excavations on the Citadel is held at the Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza. The retrieved photos, excavation journals, letters, and administrative documents make it possible to understand, after almost a century, how the Citadel of Amman appeared at the time of its first excavation. Table of Contents Foreword, by S. Anastasio and L. Botarelli Renato Bartoccini and his Archives, by S. Anastasio The Amman Citadel, by L. Botarelli Research in Amman prior to the Italian Expedition, by S. Anastasio The 1927-1938 Italian Expedition, by S. Anastasio Investigations in Amman after the Italian Expedition by L. Botarelli The Excavations and the Surveys carried out by the Italian Expedition, by S. Anastasio and L. Botarelli The Lower Terrace, by S. Anastasio The Fortifications, by S. Anastasio The Roman Temple, by L. Botarelli The Water Cisterns, by L. Botarelli The Byzantine Church, by L. Botarelli The Audience Hall, by S. Anastasio The Umayyad Palace, by S. Anastasio Architectural Elements, by S. Anastasio The Theatre, by L. Botarelli The Odeon, by L. Botarelli The Nymphaeum, by L. Botarelli The Surveys outside Amman, by S. Anastasio The Pottery held at the Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza, by L. Botarelli Conclusions, by S. Anastasio and L. Botarelli Appendixes, by L. Botarelli Bibliographic References This volume presents the results of the Italian excavations and surveys carried out in Transjordan between 1927 and 1938. After a first excavation campaign conducted in 1927 on the Amman Citadel by Giacomo Guidi, the excavations were resumed in 1929 by Renato Bartoccini (Rome 1893–Rome 1963), who carried out four campaigns on the Citadel in 1929, 1930, 1933 and 1938. He also travelled across modern Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, taking photos and writing reports on several archaeological sites. Bartoccini published a few notes and reports, but almost all the original documentation of his work was still unpublished at the time this study was conducted. The main source of data is the Fondo Renato Bartoccini, i.e. the private archive of Bartoccini, today held by the University of Perugia, while other useful documents are kept in other archives in Macerata and in Rome. Furthermore, some decorated Islamic pottery from the excavations on the Citadel is held at the Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza. The retrieved photos, excavation journals, letters, and administrative documents make it possible to understand, after almost a century, how the Citadel of Amman appeared at the time of its first excavation. Cover 1 Title Page 3 Copyright Page 4 Contents 5 Foreword 7 Acknowledgments 7 Renato Bartoccini and his Archives 9 Renato Bartoccini 9 The Archives 9 The Amman Citadel 15 The Natural Setting 15 The Occupational Sequence 15 Research in Amman prior to the Italian Expedition 21 The 1927-1938 Italian Expedition 31 The birth of the expedition 31 The 1927 expedition 32 The 1929 expedition 33 The 1930 expedition 34 The 1933 expedition 35 The 1938 expedition 35 The 1927-1938 Italian Expedition 31 The birth of the expedition 31 The 1927 expedition 32 The 1929 expedition 33 The 1930 expedition 34 The 1933 expedition 35 The 1938 expedition 35 Investigations in Amman after the Italian Expedition 55 The Excavations and the Surveys carried out by the Italian Expedition 59 The Lower Terrace 61 The Fortifications 71 The Western Gate 71 The Ayyubid Tower 72 The Roman Temple 81 The Water Cisterns 103 The great Circular Cistern 103 The Northern Cistern 103 The Byzantine Church 107 The Audience Hall 115 The Umayyad Palace 129 The Italian excavations 129 Architectural Elements 147 The Theatre 169 The Odeon 183 The Nymphaeum 189 The surveys outside Amman 195 The project for the architectural survey of Petra 197 The Pottery held at the Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza 215 Conclusions 221 Appendixes 225 Bibliographic References 243 Transjordan;,excavations;,archaeology;,Amman Transjordan,excavations,archaeology,Amman Forword -- S. Anastasio and L. Botarelli Renato Bartoccini and his Archives -- S. Anastasio The Amman Citadel -- L. Botarelli Research in Amman prior to the Italian Expedition -- S. Anastasio The 1927-1939 Italian Expedition -- S. Anastasio Investigations in Amman After the Italian Expedition -- S. Anastasio The Excavations and the Surveys carried out by the Italian Expedition -- S. Anasasio and L. Botarelli The Lower Terrace -- S. Anastasio The Fortifications -- S. Anastasio The Roman Temple -- L. Botarelli The Water Cisterns -- L. Botarelli The Byzantine Church -- L. Botarelli The Audience Hall -- S. Anastasio The Umayyad Palace -- S. Anastasio Architectural Elements -- S. Anastasio The Theatre -- L. Botarelli The Odeon -- L. Botarelli The Nymphaeum -- L. Botarelli The Surveys outside Amman -- S. Anastasio The Pottery held at the Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza -- L. Botarelli Conclusions -- S. Anastasio and L. Botarelli Appendixes -- L. Botarelli. This volume presents extensive photo-archives from the Italian excavations and surveys carried out in Transjordan between 1927 and 1938.