Jordanian Officials Face Decision on Saving Ancient Baths in Amman
2021-01-04
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1A government committee in Jordan is facing a difficult question.
2How can it save the country's ancient past while planning for its future?
3The committee, set up two weeks ago, is considering the issue after the discovery of ancient Roman baths.
4The ruins were found during a dig for a building project, an underground canal that will help control flood water that comes into Amman, Jordan's capital.
5The ruins have the remains of furnaces, a sign of a complex heating system.
6Experts believe that the discovery is the first of its kind among the remains of the ancient city of Philadelphia on which Amman now stands.
7Yazid Elayan is head of Jordan's Department of Antiquities.
8"We will balance the needs of the city - to protect it from flooding - to preserving antiquities under the streets," he said.
9"Amman was one of the biggest Roman cities and it has one of the largest baths...Wherever one excavates in Amman, antiquities can be found," he told Reuters.
10Excavate is a term that means to dig out and remove soil.
11The work on the canal system has been suspended while the government committee makes its decision.
12Amman is an old city where ancient Roman structures can still be seen.
13It has an Amphitheatre that seated around 6,000 people.
14It has the Nymphaeum fountains and the Temple of Hercules, too.
15Building problems and irregular urban design have been important issues in the large city of four million people.
16It is built on many levels of history, from the Ammonites, Moabites, Romans and Greeks to the Islamic period.
17City officials have already expressed concern that delaying the canal project could raise water levels in central Amman.
18They say it could flood again during the winter.
19The formerly quiet city now has one of the Middle East's largest city centers.
20I'm John Russell.
1A government committee in Jordan is facing a difficult question. How can it save the country's ancient past while planning for its future? 2The committee, set up two weeks ago, is considering the issue after the discovery of ancient Roman baths. The ruins were found during a dig for a building project, an underground canal that will help control flood water that comes into Amman, Jordan's capital. 3The ruins have the remains of furnaces, a sign of a complex heating system. Experts believe that the discovery is the first of its kind among the remains of the ancient city of Philadelphia on which Amman now stands. 4Yazid Elayan is head of Jordan's Department of Antiquities. "We will balance the needs of the city - to protect it from flooding - to preserving antiquities under the streets," he said. 5"Amman was one of the biggest Roman cities and it has one of the largest baths...Wherever one excavates in Amman, antiquities can be found," he told Reuters. 6Excavate is a term that means to dig out and remove soil. 7The work on the canal system has been suspended while the government committee makes its decision. 8Amman is an old city where ancient Roman structures can still be seen. It has an Amphitheatre that seated around 6,000 people. It has the Nymphaeum fountains and the Temple of Hercules, too. 9Building problems and irregular urban design have been important issues in the large city of four million people. 10It is built on many levels of history, from the Ammonites, Moabites, Romans and Greeks to the Islamic period. 11City officials have already expressed concern that delaying the canal project could raise water levels in central Amman. They say it could flood again during the winter. 12The formerly quiet city now has one of the Middle East's largest city centers. 13I'm John Russell. 14Suleiman Al-Khalidi reported on this story for Reuters. John Russell adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. 15____________________________________________________________ 16Words in This Story 17canal - n. a waterway for draining or irrigating land 18furnace - n. an enclosed container in which heat is produced 19preserve - v. to keep (something) in its original state or in good condition 20antiquities - n. plural objects from ancient times 21fountain - n. a structure or device that provides water which, in some cases, sends a stream of water into the air