Liesegang banding on tomb wall
Avatar

Liesegang banding on tomb wall

by Christoph Mayr

Petra is known for its Nabatean ruins and tombs carved into the rock of the Jordanian desert. Many of the edifices were carved into the Cambrian Umm Ishrin sandstones. This sandstone formation frequently shows beautiful banding due to alternating precipitation of iron oxides, so-called Liesegang banding. Here, the wall of a tomb carved into these sandstones is eroded and allows a view into the adjacent chamber.