Karak Resources Project

In 1995 while the KRP team was in Jordan, the team visited the Amman Citadel excavations and museum. Walking over the area known as the lower citadel east of the Roman temple remains, this writer noticed a fragment of a volute capital in secondary use on top of a wall line. We made inquiry concerning the fragment with the Department of Tourism and Antiquities and learned that the fragment had been uncovered in 1993 in excavations at the Amman Citadel sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and directed by Dr. Mohammed Najjar of the Ministry.

The capital fragment was discovered on the southern wall of the lower citadel terrace approximately 300 meters east of the Roman temple at a location overlooking the Roman Theater below. According to Dr. Najjar, the wall belongs to the Ummayid period. The capital fragment preserves most of the left volute. It is ca. 60 cm long, 50 cm. tall, and 40cm thick. The style of the fragment is not absolutely certain since less than half the capital is preserved. Nevertheless, the portion preserved seems to share features of the Mudaybi’ and `Ain Sara capitals. The outside of the volutes has three nearly equally wide spirals. The middle spiral widens as it approaches the center. However, no abacus is present in the portion that remains. It appears to have an upper leaf above the volutes. This capital fragment is unique among the Jordanian volute capitals in that it is double-faced. Three capitals from Megiddo and one each from Hazor and Ramat Rahel have a double face. The usual interpretation of double-faced capitals is that they lay on top of free-standing piers.

In the Summer of 2001, another partial volute capital was put on display in the parking lot at the Amman Citadel Museum. This capital fragment was reported to have been discovered in excavations at the site. The portion preserved was the right half of the volute capital. This capital has been completed with the addition of a replica left half. This capital is significantly different from the other Jordanian examples of volute capitals. The central triangle is much narrower and has only one outline. Also this capital lacks the oculi. Further, in this capital, the middle spiral of the volute is much wider than the other two. There is no evidence of a base on the remaining portion of the capital. Although the replica does not show an abacus, a close look at the right portion of volute A-2 does show a possible abacus. This new capital has more features similar to Shiloh's Type A.