17 April 1929

[By George Horsfield] ​
G. H. 

Photographed from the top of El Biyara, the view towards Sabra. Copyright UCL Institute of Archaeology.

To Sabra starting at 7.0 a.m.; arrived at 8.30 a.m.; via Wadi Tughra to top of watershed.  Road horrible most of the way, especially descent into Wady.  Found theatre, of which only a very small part remains on the right hand side with a water pool high up at the back – higher up still could see, through a crack in the mountain, view of trees and a catchment area.  It is on the left bank of Wady; lower down water was found flowing in bed of Wady  

Examined ruins on right bank; very mutilated and fallen down; saw sections of pillars and bases and piles of stones.  The houses extended some distance up stream - was unable to decide on nature of buildings; part of one which stands at back on rock has base of large stones.  Ali Burass produced a fragment of half smelted copper ore intermingled with charcoal; further search produced a piece of copper ore and many other fragments of black refuse which had been fused by fire.  Hunted for furnaces; found piles of ashes among stones lying at foot of ruin built on rock.  Evidently there is a copper mine somewhere in neighbourhood, but such search as we were able to make at the foot of the mountain was ineffective.  Found also what we thought was iron pyrites (reddle). The place evidently was used for smelting copper found somewhere in the neighbourhood.  The buildings are all “classical” and seem to date from about end of 2nd century A.D.  Found no tombs; they must exist.  I looked on all sides for roads – but could find not the slightest indication of one anywhere. 
 
[? In pencil] The Wadi is all right except at the head.  The “fort” at the head of Wadi Tughra is evidently the remains of a village; has cisterns cut in the rock and the remains of field walls and terraces. The descent into Petra is equally lacking in a road; the going is rough.  Two of the horses cast their shoes.

Reference: Horsfield, G. 1929 (transcribed by A. Thornton). Petra Exploration Fund Diary. "Business Papers to be Kept", Horsfield Collection Box 8, UCL Institute of Archaeology, 17 April: 40-42.