DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45581#0006
THE SOUTHERN HAURAN.
INTRODUCTION.
The limits of the territory, the architecture of which is described in this Part
(Sect. A, Part 2), are fixed on the north by the line of the Roman road which leads
from Dera through Bosra to Salkhad (see map), and an imaginary line drawn due
east from Salkhad; on the east they are bounded by unexplored territory, the northern
part of which is known to be a stony desert, — a continuation of the Harra;
on the south, by the desert country beyond Koser il-Hallabat, which lies in territory
hitherto unexplored and is the point farthest south reached by the Princeton Expedition ;
and on the west by the Hedjaz railway; the whole area being 40 miles east and west,
by 21 miles north and south. The region has been visited occasionally by travellers,
but never thoroughly explored. As early as the year 1857 Graham 1 2 made an excursion
through the country. The following year the Prussian consul, Wetzstein3 travelled
here and made the first general map of the region. Between 1875 and 1878 Doughty,3
Merril4 and Thomson5 6 * passed through the country; in 1883 Huber0 visited six or
seven towns in the district, and, in the early nineties, Frauberger' and Robinson-Lees8
were here. Schumacher9 visited a number of places in the Southern Hauran in
1894, and published descriptions with a few plans of buildings. In 1899, and again
in 1901 Dussaud 10 and Macler together explored the country in search of inscriptions,
visiting many sites and reaching a number of places unknown before their journey.
None of these travellers were here for the study of the architecture; a few notes, a
small collection of illustrations, with a smaller number of measured plans, make up the
whole record hitherto published of the monuments of this great country of ancient cities.
The Country. Like the mountains of the Haurhn, this entire region is one in
which black basalt is the only rock, except at its southernmost extremity, where lime-
1 Cyril C. Graham. J. R. G. S. ’58 XXVIII, 226—63.
2 J. G. Wetzstein, Zeitschrift fur Algemeine Erdkunde^ ’59 (iv) 335; (v) 339—495405—7, ’59 (vii) 109—203,265—319.
’6o (ix) 402—420.
3 C. M. Doughty, Travels in Arabia Deserta. Cambridge, University Press, 1888.
4 Selah Merril, ζλ 5. ’76, 47—55. East of Jordan. New-York, 1883.
5 W. M. Thomson, The Land and the Book. London, 1881—86.
6 Charles Huber, Bulletin de la Societe de Geographic. ’84, 304—363. ,
1 H. Frauberger, Globus^ ’93 (lxiii) ic—13, 167—171.
8 G. Robinson-Lees, Geographical Journalr'<y^ v. No. I. 1—26.
9 G. Schumacher, M.N.D.P.-V. ’95, (1) 33—36; Z.D.P.-V. xx, 65—227.
10 Rene Dussaud, Frederic Macler, V.A.S., Paris, 1901. Paris 1903.
Publications of the Princeton University Archaeological Expedition to Syria, Div. II, Sec. A. Pt. 2.
9
INTRODUCTION.
The limits of the territory, the architecture of which is described in this Part
(Sect. A, Part 2), are fixed on the north by the line of the Roman road which leads
from Dera through Bosra to Salkhad (see map), and an imaginary line drawn due
east from Salkhad; on the east they are bounded by unexplored territory, the northern
part of which is known to be a stony desert, — a continuation of the Harra;
on the south, by the desert country beyond Koser il-Hallabat, which lies in territory
hitherto unexplored and is the point farthest south reached by the Princeton Expedition ;
and on the west by the Hedjaz railway; the whole area being 40 miles east and west,
by 21 miles north and south. The region has been visited occasionally by travellers,
but never thoroughly explored. As early as the year 1857 Graham 1 2 made an excursion
through the country. The following year the Prussian consul, Wetzstein3 travelled
here and made the first general map of the region. Between 1875 and 1878 Doughty,3
Merril4 and Thomson5 6 * passed through the country; in 1883 Huber0 visited six or
seven towns in the district, and, in the early nineties, Frauberger' and Robinson-Lees8
were here. Schumacher9 visited a number of places in the Southern Hauran in
1894, and published descriptions with a few plans of buildings. In 1899, and again
in 1901 Dussaud 10 and Macler together explored the country in search of inscriptions,
visiting many sites and reaching a number of places unknown before their journey.
None of these travellers were here for the study of the architecture; a few notes, a
small collection of illustrations, with a smaller number of measured plans, make up the
whole record hitherto published of the monuments of this great country of ancient cities.
The Country. Like the mountains of the Haurhn, this entire region is one in
which black basalt is the only rock, except at its southernmost extremity, where lime-
1 Cyril C. Graham. J. R. G. S. ’58 XXVIII, 226—63.
2 J. G. Wetzstein, Zeitschrift fur Algemeine Erdkunde^ ’59 (iv) 335; (v) 339—495405—7, ’59 (vii) 109—203,265—319.
’6o (ix) 402—420.
3 C. M. Doughty, Travels in Arabia Deserta. Cambridge, University Press, 1888.
4 Selah Merril, ζλ 5. ’76, 47—55. East of Jordan. New-York, 1883.
5 W. M. Thomson, The Land and the Book. London, 1881—86.
6 Charles Huber, Bulletin de la Societe de Geographic. ’84, 304—363. ,
1 H. Frauberger, Globus^ ’93 (lxiii) ic—13, 167—171.
8 G. Robinson-Lees, Geographical Journalr'<y^ v. No. I. 1—26.
9 G. Schumacher, M.N.D.P.-V. ’95, (1) 33—36; Z.D.P.-V. xx, 65—227.
10 Rene Dussaud, Frederic Macler, V.A.S., Paris, 1901. Paris 1903.
Publications of the Princeton University Archaeological Expedition to Syria, Div. II, Sec. A. Pt. 2.
9