‘Belly of the Beast’

Abstract

This chapter examines the complex site of Batn al-Ghoul Station, in all probability spanning the prehistoric to modern periods due to its strategic location half-way between the high plateau and low-lying sandy wadis. This position was liminal for pre-modern societies, which have been shown in the discussion of the myths and superstitions it attracted for Muslim pilgrims on the Hajj, who regarded it as the Belly of the Beast. Its choice for the railway descent around 1900 was pragmatic, offering the only feasible place where tracks could be laid, albeit in a wide curving arc and with huge preparatory efforts in re-shaping the local geography. Batn al-Ghoul’s three campsites belong to the construction era, though some re-use during the Arab Revolt is probable, and Bedouin re-use throughout the twentieth century is certain. The archaeological evidence indicates that Bedouin favour the more substantial tent-rings for their brief re-occupations. Despite its vulnerable location during the construction era and the Arab Revolt, the only clearly defensive feature was the Batn al-Ghoul Loop Trench. Despite this, the loop trench is an example in miniature of Turkish efforts to protect the Hejaz Railway from guerrilla attack.