At first glance, this limestone capital fragment appears to be a simple architectural element, but closer inspection reveals the striking visage of an elephant—a rare and powerful symbol in Nabataean art. This fragment, located in wall room 110, in the north/right alcove of Rhode Island Hall, was once part of a grand column in the Lower Temenos and Propylaeum of Petra’s Great Temple Complex, dating to the end of the 1st century B.C.E. to the 1st century C.E. Remarkably, 142 elephant capitals were discovered at the site.
Elephants were not native to Petra, making their depiction in Nabataean architecture particularly significant. In the Hellenistic and Roman world, elephants symbolized military strength, royal authority, and connections to distant lands—particularly through trade networks linking the Mediterranean with India and Africa. Given Petra’s role as a major caravan city, these capitals may have served as a statement of Nabataean wealth and cosmopolitan influence.
Archaeological evidence suggests that the original capitals were much larger than this fragment and may have been embellished with ivory eyes or stucco trunks, adding to their lifelike appearance. The choice of elephants could also reflect cultural exchange with the Seleucid or Ptolemaic kingdoms, where elephants were used in warfare and royal imagery.
This capital is a loan from the Jordanian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, part of the Brown University Petra Excavations collection. While the original capitals stood in the heart of ancient Petra, a modern interpretation,carved by Dakhilallah Qublan in 2005, now greets visitors outside Rhode Island Hall—a bridge between past and present.