Siqs, Wadis, water & other precious gifts



Tomb at Garden Comlex



Garden Complex

Most of you that know me realize that even though a double-fire sign (Leo) I think about water a lot (“keep it out of my single-malt whisky please, except maybe as ice melt sometimes…”). It may have to do with living most my life in the arid parts of the US, being a wildland firefighter (“put the wet stuff on the red stuff”), or having an “esposa” that works figuratively “in water” for the New Mexico State Engineer (new one TBA).



clay pipe in Siq aqueduct/acequia



Yesterday, as I was strolling down the sig towards the Treasury I saw two pre-adolescent boys that were with an English speaking tour group. They weren’t paying any attention to the tour, and it appears their parents were paying no attention to them: play were playing, climbing and running on the 2,000+ year old aqueduct water features built by the Nabateans, that still has original in-situ cultural material in the form of clay pipe in sections. Now I know that 2,000 years old is almost modern here for water works. After all, Wadi Mousa was founded because of the springs & waters. From the time that Moses allegedly struck his staff against the rock the waters have been forthcoming and people have been harnessing its life sustaining nature. Through thousands of years water capture and conservation technology evolved in this vicinity, with an apex 2,000 years ago. The Nabataens worshipped water, and seeing the youngsters potentially destroying such important (and relatively easy to see) heritage resources, while their parents and tour guide said “nada” (nothing), made Ranger Phil want to come out of an advisory role and go-operational. I remained in keeping with our charter here, as a Ranger I reported it up the supervisory chain-of-command, thinking back home we would have had immediate talk with the kids (they acted as same), parents & guide and used it as an educational experience for the entire group.

terraced fields

On the practical side of Nabataen water capture, transportation, impoundment & use I’ve been asked: “where were their fields (crops)?” The simple answer to that is just about everywhere they could. Evidence indicates that terraced fields would have been found throughout the now dusty-n-dry city. In its’ pre-parched condition little plots would have dotted the landscapes. Near occupation areas, like Little Petra, you can still see remnants of these worked locales. The number of grape presses found here is another indicator of their agricultural abilities when the waters flowed.

Lion Fountain

It is now said that “there are no jobs here” (sound familiar- could it be due to less water flowing here than pre-4^th Century CE earthquakes?) except for with the government or tourism related. Many wait years for a position in the public-sector while scrambling folks around cliffs and mountains to put tea and tahini on the table.

You may recall when I was here in the Spring I was befriended by a shopkeeper (Mahmoud) that started calling me “Uncle Phil” (which resonated quickly and deeply because of being known as same multi-genrationaly by family back home). He is my Amigo, and is now a Tour Guide that can be reached for tours of Petra, Wadi Rum, Aqaba, Dead Sea, mountain-tops, desert, or rock climbing adventures at: Mahmoud Hussien Abdu-asalam  (aka: “Belgeckie”; cell: 079.743.5135)