24 April 1929

[by George Horsfield and possibly Agnes Conway]
G. H.
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Completed Cave No. 2. which shows only intrusive burials.  The back recess is divided in two, the left being larger and slightly deeper – this had one burial, accompanied by a number of small bells which look as though they belonged to camel trappings cylindrical in shape.  The shallower niche had a variety of bones including four jaw bones.  One burial seemed more complete and between the knees was found a Byzantine bottle with a long neck.  A shaft grave was found on right side against wall and was covered by two slabs of scaly sandstone at the upper end – the lower being open.  The neck and part of the body of a large Byzantine pot was found under the slab, and the remains of bones in the sand which filled the hole completely.  70 cents down is a groove on both sides extending all the length – which indicates that it was made for more than one occupant.  What is under is awaiting excavation.  Tomb No. 1 (in front of Triple Dushara) was worked on and yielded more Byzantine pottery.  It contains 13 skulls and a mass of bones which are all mixed up together – suggesting that these people had taken refuge in this tomb and eventually died there.  The reason not apparent.  The pottery is Byzantine and seems to have contained food. A bottle with long neck and handle blackened with  [blank] seems an intrusion as it lay on the sand fallen down shafts.  Tomb No 2 is cleared to the floor.  Lamps, small bowls and some fragments of thin painted pottery turned up [original emphasis].  At the floor level are apparently 4 graves covered with stone slabs awaiting investigation.

No 3. shaft has disclosed a chamber – but is full to brim with earth work proceeding – nothing found.  
 
Cleared five simple shafts farther to south – found nothing but a mass of stones and broken bones in one – others empty.  They were of same type as those in Farasa east, with stone slabs some 60 cents. above corpse – and probably filled in with earth to top.
 
A.E.C. photographed in the Edomite High Place; watched the dig at tomb No 2, (1?) and found a Byzantine cistern on El Ma’aisera made out of an early tomb.  She went with Dr. Nielsen in the afternoon to the Kataar el Deir and the Klausenschluct, finding Dalman’s 2 sanctuaries after a great deal of trouble.  These are country houses, with niches, water-basins and grottoes; once more a charming country suburb, probably Roman like the Deir.  The houses are unusually small, but cut out of the best white sand stone, the dressing of which might have been done yesterday and looks like the finest plaster.  On the top of the Hill E. of the road to the Deir from the Klausenschluct, is what may be the remains of a fort with a lot of built stone.  Above it are 3 Greek crosses.  

The Deir and Klausenschluct from the summit of El Biyara. Copyright UCL Institute of Archaeology

Reference: Horsfield, G. [and possibly Conway, A.] 1929 (transcribed by A. Thornton). Petra Exploration Fund Diary. "Business Papers to be Kept", Horsfield Collection Box 8, UCL Institute of Archaeology, 24 April: 53-55. ​