I was hired by Princeton University to photograph this excavation of a large estate house known as a “qasr.” Built between 800 and 1200AD by the Umayyads (early Islamic rulers), the qasr was not only a home but also a place of business. In addition to the living and meeting spaces, there are rooms that suggest some kind of industry was taking place – most likely the production of olive oil or tanning of leather. The qasr sits at the top of a hill on the old main road leading east and overlooking the ruins of Balis. The city was built on the edge of the Euphrates River Valley and dates back to at least 2500BC. The river valley has since been dammed and flooded for hydroelectric power and to run irrigation in-land, taking most of Balis underwater with it.

Archaeologists and local workmen begin at 5AM and end by about 1PM to avoid the heat. Temperatures reached 120 degrees more than once while I was there.

Here are 2 “finds” from the dig.

As finds are unearthed, they are cataloged (given a locus number) which relates to the location where they were found, at what depth, and how many pieces were found in the same location. A measure is placed into each image to denote scale.

The vessel at left has a perforated, permanent lid which served as a filter to keep debris out.

The shard on the right features a deer about to be attacked by a lion – you can just make out the lion’s legs along the left edge.

A dig sight is often distinguished by an unnaturally shaped hill – known in archeological terms as a “tell.” The hill is formed by buildings falling into ruins, then being built on top of over and over until the site expands out and up – safety being on the high ground. Most modern cities are where earlier cities once stood; it’s all about the location.

On this tell, two temples were found; the main one to Ba’al, and the second one to Ishtarte. The site is being prepared as a destination for tourism. To facilitate that, and protect what is there, some new mud brick restoration has been done so the lay person can see what only archeologists could understand without it.

For a larger view, go here:
http://departurestudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Emar_Temples_5165.jpg

Once there is some idea that ruins exist, the dig begins with a survey, and the site is divided into a north oriented grid. Sections of the grid are excavated into "trenches," but walkways are left in place as a way to enter the site without damaging it and also to remove debris and "finds" from the site.

In the image at left the wheelbarrow, archeologists, and workmen are on the grid walls. The slightly lower wall coming towards camera is part of the ruins, where one of the site's original walls once stood.

The shot to the right features a minaret (the tower associated with a mosque, from which the call to prayer would emanate), but the minaret was not part of the Qasr. It was moved on top of these ruins by a French archaeological team to avoid its destruction as the river valley was flooded. Little did they know that they placed it right on top of other significant ruins.

On the left is a shot of the trenches and floor at another dig sight, where the team has unearthed a Mashhad (similar to a mosque). Getting these camera angles can be pretty tricky and I often get asked how I do it.
It‘s easy! All you have to do is take a special kind of extension ladder and place it in the loose dirt alongside the edge of the trench wall. Then you get your German engineer to mess with it and place some pebbles under the legs until he says something like “that will do.” Next, you climb up and hang over the top rung with your camera while a handful of workmen stand on the legs, drink tea, and tell jokes in arabic… piece o’ cake.

All the Princeton students wanted to take a look, but only this one made it past the point where the ladder starts to wobble and sway in the wind. Buy that girl a drink!

Back at the dig house, an art restorer is working to stabilize the back of a mosaic wall recovered from the qasr.

In these shots, I’m working with archaeologist Andreas Gruener from Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich. He’s excavating roman tombs, carved into the hilltops above the ancient city of Babalissos, Syria. Since the Euphrates river valley is now underwater, this hilltop has become an island, and is only accessible via boat – or a rather brisk swim.

A team of archaeologists discuss the meaning of a recently discovered grave in the floor of a Masshad near Balis, Syria.