,,
-------.._ l932_F1:e~~
7IRST GENERAL REPORT ON THE EXCAVATIONS AT ANTIOCH ON THE ORONTES
MARCH***JUNE 19 32
G. W. ELDERKIN
1
The first campaign of excavation at Antioch
was nec~ssarily ono of organization and orientation.
Sinco there had boon no systomatic oxplorntion of the
city and its vicinity, the expedition lacked the ad
vantage of previous soundings of the sito. Tho
selection of tho first area for excavation ~as made
by Mr. Fisher of the .A.mericnn School at Jerusalem
who uas field-director during tho first season. Ho
had nrrivod in Antioch well in advance of the rest
of tho stnff, which reached the city on March 16th,
and before that date had not only loasod tho land to
be excavated but had also rontod a house as head
quarters in tho center of tho town. This house was
largo onough to accommodate all except one of the
members of tho staff besides affording space for
an office and a drafting room.
pletcly equipped by Mr. Fisher.
Tho latter was com
The office served
also as n library in which were placed the archaeo
logical books loaned by Princoton University and
members of the staff, and a fe~ ~orks purchased with
the funds of the expodition. All members of the staff
took their meals at headquarters for which as well as
2.
for their lodgings thoy paid out of thoir own funds.
Mr. Schirmer who ~as photographer of the expedition
provided his own transportation to and from the
United States besides supplying two cameras, the films
therefor and paying for tho development of the films .
THE MODERN TOWN OF ANTIOCH
Modern Antioch, a city of 35,000 inhabitants,
is beautifully situated at the foot of Mt. Silpius
(Fig. 1). The city suffers from congestion, its streets
being very narrow (Fig.2). An nir-plane view of the
city pieced together from government photographs by
Yr. Agle givos a good idea of the closely packed houses
(Fig. 3). It also shons that the anctent city has
bequeathed to the modern to~n its straightest streets
(Fig.4). In spite of cramped conditions in the town,
cembors of tho staff lived at headquarters without
danger to health. For visitors,, tho Hotel de Tourisme,
~ subsidized by the Sanjak, is very comfortable. Good
A
new roads cake Aleppo and Alexandretta readily access-
ible by cotor. The distanco to Beirut will be reduced
to 225 miles when tho new road by way of Latakia is
completed. This road is now open but b~tween ~ntioch
and Latakia it is not in good condition.
3
Antioch has as yet no archaeological ouseuo but
an old school building across the river - ~111 be re
codelled this succer to serve as such.
~NCIENT MONUMENTS ABOVE GROUND BEFORE THE EXCAVATIONS
.Few-ancient oonuoents of large size were above
ground when the expedition began its work. Parts of
the walls of the ancient city , for the cost part on
Mt. Silpius, and dating froc tho tice of Justinian,
were the cost conspicuous of the ruins. Fragcents of
older walls crown the steep slopes of the countain to
the north of the town. These are polygonal but cannot
be earlier than the Hellenistic age (Fig.5). The ~ab
al Hadid (Fig.6) with its periods .of different con
struction, is an icprossive ruin for those who clicb
the trail through the gorge of the Onopnictes. The
aqueducts finely hewn in the living rock which brought
water froc above tho Bab al Hadid to various parts of
the city are in part very well preserved (Fig.7).
Carved on the face of the countain near the course of
one of these aqueducts is the colossal Charonion (Fig.8)
which was the scene of one of the oinor excavations
of our expedition. There is literary authority for
dating this apotropaic cask in the tioe of Antiochus
4
Epiphanes. Farther to the north are the ruins of the
great circus (Fig.9). The sloping masses of masonry
~hich once supported .the ramps along the eastern side
have remained above ground throughout the centuries.
Somewhat to the east of the circus lies a temple ruin
of Roman date. Its walls of concrete rubble have been
stripped of their facing slabs.
THE PROTECTION OF ANCIENT RUINS AT ANTIOCH
Most of the ancient monuments nhich have survived
owe their existence to the fact that Roman concrete
offers a most stubborn resistance to the quarryman. For
centuries at Antioch the ancient ruins have boon
quarries for the natives. Today the peasant sinks deep
pits on his land and drags up the blocks which are often
nicely trimmed for his purpose. M. Claude Prost of
the Archaeological Service has haled offenders into
court and had them fined but the practice will continue
so long as the native believes he has a chance of es
caping detection. Only this spring a gate in the
southern wall of Justinian's time ~as stripped of its
facing blocks. A ph~tograph (Fig.10) shows the trench
which was dug to get out the fine large blocks. Even
the few appearing in this picture have since been removed.
Another cause of destruction is the simple habit
of breaking something in tho excavations just for the
fun of it. To safeguard the mosaic found in a Roman
5 I
e house two night guards had to be eoployed. The icono-
elastic idiosyncrasy is still operative. Tho cayor of
the. city reported that during tho war a peasant in one
savage onslaught knocked off tho head of the oarble
statue of the Orator which had been transferred to the
court of the Serai for safe keeping (Fig.11).
This native disposition to quarry and shatter will
cake short work of any excavated conWJents which are
left upprotected over a long period of tioe and raises
the question uhether all icportant foundntions and walls
at Antioch should be covered up again .
THE LANDOWNERS
The landowners with uhon we have had to deal up to
the present are for the oost part Turkish and not at all
prone to underostiuate the value of their property so
soon as they realize that archaeologists would like to
investigate it. As an illustration of the extreoe
deuands of these proprietors the case of one Bereket:
cay be cited. This can wanted 500 Syrian pounds (~400)
a oonth for the privilege of sinking trial trenc~es in
his fields. Another Turk ca.oe to us several tioes with
a n invitation to dig on his property uhere arc the ruins
of a Rooan teoplo. The invitation was finally accepted
but with the request that the Turk cooe ni th us to the
site so that he oight know exactly where the excavations
6
were to be. This ho did and after the proposed excava
tion had boon set forth in detail he gave his consent.
Soon nftor the work had stnrted he raised objections
~hich finally culoinated in a flat refusal to alloff the
~ork to proceed until he had boen paid or a contract
involving payuent had boon signed. Efforts to effect
n cooprooise were unavailing and the cxcnvation ~as
ab~ndoned . Nothing further was board froo this Turk
who oight have beon oxpected to deonnd the iooediate
rehabilitation of his field. About a oonth later the
trenches were filled in on pur own initiative. There
was one Turkish gentleoan who appreciating the scien
tific purposes of our oission with great kindness allowed
us to dig in his land upon tho single condition that
tho trenches be filled in so soon as the investigations
~ere concluded . This was Nafi Bey, tho owner of the
forcer barracks of tho 28th Esquadrille. The only
effective weapon against exorbitant deoand is expropria
tion. Proceedings to expropriate a field belonging to
the Turk Baroket have already been begun and it is hoped
that they will bo coopletod before the second season of
excavations opens in March 1933. During the cacpaign
just ended I thought it advisable to purchase a soall
parcel of land as the quickest oeans to our end. The
7 '
purchase was no.do through an agent in order to conceal
the i don ti ty of tho purchaeor.
LARGER FINaNCIAL ITEMS
There woro thirtoen weoks of excavation in the
lcas~d land ~here advanco work ended on June 4th. ~fter
that date a soall force of 30 oen was rotnined for gen
eral cleaning up. In addition n gang of 30 oen was oc
ployed until June 9th in a oinor oxcavation near the
city. The total nUDber of workcon ranged froc 68 to
437. These wore aloost entirely Arabs who norked froo
sunrise till sunset for a wage rnnging froo 25 to 32
piastres (20 to 25 cents) a day. The total aoount paid
to lo.bor was ·.4904.86 Syrian pounds (Syrian pound equals
80 cents). Of this a.count 4063.09 was paid to coODon
labor, and 841.77 to the foreoon. The latter were three
Egyptians who received o. oonthly ~age of 7, 8 and 17
Egyptian pounds and, in addition, their travelling ex
penses froo their hooe in Kift noar Luxor, and a half
oonth's pay as bakhehish. One received his travelling
expenses back to his hoae while the othor two were trans
ported at the Coooittee 1 s expense to Jerusalec where they
were engaged for other excavations. The total payoent
oade to these oen acounted to about one sixth of the en
tire SUD expended for labor. These Egyptians bad long
been in the eoploy of Mr. Fisher and control l a rge gangs
of work:Den easily and effectively.
8
The second largest iteo of expense was 2200 Syrian
pounds paid for a le~ee for two yenrs on the land ~here
the principal excnv~tions were conducted. The parcel
of lnnd which I purchased cost 4?5 Syrinn pounds. The
abgregnte expenditure for lnbor nnd land aaounted to
7579.86 Syrian pounds out of a total expended at Jeru
saleo (froo January 1932) and nt Antioch of 8555.38.
There were two autooobiles in service, one truck pur
chased for 114 Palestinian pounds and the other a pass
enger car rented in Jorusaloo for six oonths for 331.50
Syrian pounds. No light railway was used but would be
very useful in future operations.
9
LAND LEASED AND TERMS OF THE LEASE
The land leased by Dr. Fisher for the principal
excavations of the first cacpaign is about one oile
in an air line froo tho oodern town. It lies along
the Orontes and cooprises about 384,000 square oetres,
its oaxiouo longth being 880 oetres and its oaxioUIJ
width 620. The surface was covered with fragoents
of ancient pottery and occasional bits of glass and
onrble. In several places oasses of Rooan uasonry
projected above ground.
The lease of the land was drawn in Turkish and
French. The French version is here given:
Entre las soussigne~:
d•une part Docteur Fishor Chef de la oission des
Fouilles.
d'autre part Doctour Ahned Midhat Kousseiri par ,,
suite de la procuration qui lui a ote donnee par les
proprietairos le 16 Fevrier 1932.
Il a (t: convenu et arr'C)'te'co qui suit:
' I. Les terrains appartcnant a KHODJA Z~E SAFOUAT, ' ' ' ~ , a sea freres et a ses soeurs designes sur la carte du
/ Cadastre sous lea nuoeros 5?, 58, 60, 61, 62, 64 eont loue~ ~ Monsieur Fisher pour une pEf'riode de deux ans ~ coopter du 1 Mars 1932 au prix do ••••••••••••••••••••
, , , II. A 1 1 echeance de cette periode lee deux parties
contractantes pourront renouveler d'un cocuun accord la location des u~oes terrains dans les u$oes conditions et p;ur une dure'e ~ de'terciner laquelle ne pourrait ~re inferieure ~ deux ans.
, III. ~Les terrains loues par la Maison Princeton sont
destines a'~tre fouilles pour y d~couvrir des oonuuents antiques. Toutes antiquit(s uobilieres ou icoobili~res
10
decouvertes seront assujettis au regleoent sur les antiquitefs.
' IV. Apres les fouilles, le de reoettre en etat les terra~ns , ~
fouilleur est tenu ~
fouilles suivant ies regleoents sur lee antiquites~
v. Apr~s entente avec lea fouilleurs, le repre~ . ~
sentant du GouvernJoent et lee proprietaires du terrain, los pierres taillees ou non taillees que lee parties oentionn~es pl~s haut jugeront inutiles pour 1 1ensecble des fouilles pourront Stre nbandonnees au propri(taires du terrain.
du il
~
VI. Le fouilleur pourra peroettre au proprietatre terrain de cultiver sur telle partie du terrain ou no sera pas fait des fouilles iDDediates.
VII. Le,fouilleur aura la libre disposition de la caison situeo~a 1 1 0uest du ch~cp des fouilles pendant touto la duree du present contract.
11
THE EXCAV~TIONS
The excavations began on March 4th but there was
considerable interruption due to rain which accoopanied
by low teoperatures oade the first two weeks of our stay
very uncoofortable. It seeos wise to cake April 1st
the approxicate date for the resuoption of field work.
The cajor excavations in the leased area were under the
direction d Ur. Fisher with "r. Cacpbell as assistmt
director. The latter conducted the excavation of the ~
great Rocan hippodrooe and ~the Rooan villa. M. L~ssus,
I the representative of the Uusees Nationaux upon the staff
directed several cinor excavations outside the oain area
of operations. Mr. Agle the architect not onl7 drew all
the plans of the buildings discovered but served as ex-
pert photographer of the villa cosaic of which he also
oade water-color reproductions. Mr. Downey cade a cata-
logue in duplicate of all the objects discovered and
also conducted the excavation of the church at Daplme.
Mr. Schircer was photographer taking practically all the
pictures which illustrate this report and cooperating
with Mr. Agle in the difficult task of photographing
the Rooan cosaic in situ. After the departure of Mr.
Schiroer, a local photo g raphe r took the pictures neces-
sary to cooplete our pho t ographic record.
12
Tho first ioportant wall to cone to light belonged
to a structure of the shape of a stadiuo but which in
the reports is referred to as a palaestra or hippodrooe
"B". The wall was followed for oost of its extent but
the open (?) end lies buried under an orchard so that
the cooplete plan could not be ascertained (Fig.12). No
evidence of peroanent seats was discovered. The wal 1
of stone and brick was buttressed at intervals of 3. 600.
and on these short buttresses rested arches which in soce
cases are partly preserved (Fig.13).
..
13
In the oasonry at the eastorn entrance was found
a Latin inscription (Fig!l4) of which only a few letters
are lacking or outilatod o.t tho bel:;inning and end at the
lines. It is carved on a block of licestone which oay
have boen part of the architrave of soce building in the
vicinity. Ur. Seyrig was the first to recognize in the
inscription the ne.oe of L. Maecius Postucus. The restora-
tion of cissing letters is fairly certain save in the
reading TRIB PLEB of the last line. The text with the
restorations is as follows:
L MAECIO L FILIO POSTVMO X VIRO STL IUDIC TRI.B LEG XIII GEMINAE QUA.EST DIVI VESPASIAN! ET DIVI TITI
TRIB PLEB (?) PRAET FR~TRI .A.RVALI
This inscription we.a tho only icportant one found m d gives
us the cursus honoruc of L. Uaecius Postucus vho is cen-
tioned cany tines in the epigraphical records of the
Arval brothers (C.I.L. VI, 2051-2075). He was procagister
of the CQllege in 69 and 72 . In 69 he was the only Arval
brother for a period of several oonths (Pauly-Wissowa a.
v. Arvales Fratres). If the restoration TITI is corroct
the date of the inscription oust be S1Ubsequent to 81. In
another inscription oentioning an Arval brother (O.I.L.
IX 5533) the naces of Vespasian and T~tus are linked to-
gather as here proposed: fratri Arvali, allecto ab divo
Vespasiano et divo Tito inter tribunicios. The restoration
of TRIB PLEB is not certain but is suggested by the sequeDCt
quaestor, trib pl, praet in other in scr i pt ions of the saoe
sort. A glance at the photograph of the inscription shows
14
..
that the fivo lines ~ere approxiaately of equal length and
that the soaller size of the l etters in the throe lower
lines poroitted uoro words to the lino. The transcription
above does not show the approxioate equality in the length
of line.
Adjoinin~ tho "stadiuo" on the north is a large
Ronan bath "C" (Fig.15) tho largest and the cost elaborate
of the three which were discovered (Fig.16). It was built
of rubble doncrete with brick facing but has been exten
sively plundered for building onterinls. The reoains of
two lioo-kilns sot up on the floor of the bath account for
the disappearance of uost of the uarble revetuent ond
sculpture ~hich once adornod this suoptuous bath. The uost
interesting features of tho building aro the octagons, t~o
apses and the extonsi ve provi s1 on for heating by the hyp>
cnustic uethod (Fi g . 17). In the northern of the t~o oc
tagons which ~oro on axis was an open pool. This pool
~hich served probably as the frigidariuo was surroun~ed
by a oarble pavouent and this in turn by a cosaic of
geocetric pattorns breatly diversified. Besides the geo
cetric designs there nre sooe vases the largest of which
in yellow has a round body and spiral handles. ~bove it
is a double axe. These wosaics were discovered and ta.ken
up in the closinp, days of the cnupaiFn• too late to be
photographed . The catalo~ue nu.uber of this cosaic is 2055.
The bath and the 11 stn.diuu" are of tho late Rooan period,
the bath beint; the later of the t~o. Beneath the bath lies
15
another building the nature of which remains to be ascer-
tained. Under the southwest section of the bath was un-
covered a broad pavement of the first century A.D. com-
posed of heavy blocks about .ssm. thick, one of which
measured 1.14 x .som. It is in an excellent state of
preservation. The breadth of this pavement (4.30) sug-
gests that it is part of a Roman road but there are no
traces of wheel ruts upon it (Fig.18). In the next
campaign this pavement should be followed until its
function is clearly defined. It lies close to water level
where both in bath "C" and elsewhere abundant fragments
of Arretine ware have been found.
A mass of rubble masonry near the Orontes proved
upon excavation to be another Roman bath {A) of about
the same period but of secondary importance (Fi g .i9).
Hore just beneath tho surface was found a badly damaged
mosaic parts of which wore taken up (Figs.20-22). Another
Roman bath in this area of exercise and ablution• bath "B"
revealed considerable remains of a hypocaust (Figs.23-24).
Beyond the jypocaust is a small cemented pool to which
steps descend (Fig.25). In this pool was found a bronze
tripod (Fig.26). Several well preserved vases were found
in the ruins of this bath of which some are here illustrat~el..
(Figs. 27-29). It yielded also some mosaic (Figs.30-31).
16
Lying partly beneath bath "B" and very closo to water
lovcl at the time of exonvation was a Roman house of the
first century A.D. (Fig.32). In tho peristyle portions
of the columns still remain in placo. This house yielded
the finest troasu~e discovered during the season, a mo-
snic which decorated the floor of the triclinium (Fig.33)
Tho mosaic which measures 5 x 7 m. is in a good state
of preservation save vhere a lntor nall cut quit~ through
it destroying the upper portions of two figures, and wh~rc
a wide well covered by the mosaic caused a small part of
' it to sink. An excellent idea of the mosaic as a whole
is given by the composite photograph reproduced in figure
34. For this, the mosaic nas photographed section by ~
section by Mr. Agle with tho collaboration of ~r. Schirmer
and the many photographs then carefully fitted together
by Mr. Agle. The composite photograph is one fifth the
size of tho mosnic.
The three larger and two smaller panels which consti-
tute the figure decoration of tho mosaic arc symmetrically
arranged on the major axis of the floor forming as a whole
a T shaped group inverted for one entering the triclinium
from the door on the southern side. Tho three pnncls
which form the horizont~l bcr of tho T face the entrance,
while the other t~o ~ere to be soon from the opposite
17
or north side of tho room. Tho remaining p~rt of tho
rectangle is fillod in with a goomctric pattern which
was loss conspicuous whon the couchos of the triclinium
wcro in plnco. Tho group of throe panels facing the
entrance may bo called a Bacchic trilogy, tho centrally
placed symposium being flanked by single figures, one
a Satyr and the other a Bacchnnto (Figs.35-36). In the
symposium tho reclining figure holding a cup and thyrsus
is almos t ccrt~inly Bacchus. The light tone of his flesh
which is usual in the representation of female forms
moans thnt nn effeminate Dionysus is intended. Pompeian
paintings depicting tho discovery of Achilles among tho
dnughters of Lycomedes give Achilles a light flesh tone
to indicate thnt he was disguised ns n girl. In the
trilogy thoro is an nltcr~tion of male nnd female forms
which is probably intontional. At the extreme left is
a Satyr. Tho next £iguro, the first in tho symposium,
is a female flute-player. Then follow Heracles, the
effeminate Bacchus, a reclining Silonus and in tho panel
on tho right n Bacchnnto. Both the S~tyr and tho Bncchanto
look toward tho scene of tho symposium and thereby become
part of it like tho lateral panels of a triptych. Tho
unity of tho symposium is enhanced by the child th~t ob
viously invites the attention of the drinking Heracles
to th0 r eclining Bacchus thus uniting the principal figures
of tho group. Yet in this nicely balanced and united group
primitive isocephalism still surv ivOs (Fig. 3?) .
18
The backgrou~of the Symposium v~rics in tone be
coming vary dark on. the right in which direction the
shadows arc cnst. The purpose may have been to throw
the more important figures into higher relief. Thus the
d~rk form of Heracles is set against the lighter ground
while the light form of Bacchus is on a dark ground. The
uprai sc~ arm of Bn.cchus has behind it" both light and dark
tones and is consequently modelled chinstically ~ith light
and dark tesserne. A detail of this panel, part of the
figure of Heracles , is given in figure 38 .
The panel next to the symposium and to~ard the center
of the floor is the finest of all (Fig.39). In this
Judgment of Paris the three goddesses appear at the right
with Hera seated in the center . Athena with spear, helmet
and shield is easily identified. Hera intently regards
Paris who turns for a moment to speak to Hermes at his
side, thus bringing the latter into n well unified group.
The landscape setting of the scene is that of Hellenistic
relief and painting. Here as there tho column appears
near rock and tree. In the background are seen t~o diminu
tive figures; one, Psyche at the left upon the rock; the
other, Cupid standing upon n column. Both gaze at the un
usual scene be')::.ore them. In this panel ther~ is a striking
violation of scale. The bird in the tree in the upper left
19
corner, nlthough in the background, is as long ~s the
goat in the lo\1er right foreground. The cow beside Paris
is much too smo.11 like tho.t in tho nearly contemporary
Tellus relief of the Ara Po.cis. The head of Psyche is too
large. These defects do not however detract much from
tho charm of the work which reveals a pleasing harmony
of colors and good Hollonistic composition. The three
goddesses, o.nd Paris ~nd Hermes are shown in detail
photographs (Figs. 40-41). It was a happy idea of tho
mosaicist to surround this landscape with n border of vino
sprays ~hich carry no.ture into tho frame of the pic~~ro~ ~. ,- .
Perched upon the tendrils a.re v:irious living formsii_J;J>irds, ..... ";:
j
gr~sshoppors, chameleons (Figs . 42-43). A fine mnsk ~£
Bo.cchus (Fig. 44) centrally plo.ced in the upper border
of the scene is pleasingly ent.wined by tendrils of the
rinceau. Although this mask is in the border of the scene
of the Judgment of Paris it is set upside down with refer-
ence to tho.t picture and wo.s intended to ~e seen by those
who on entering the triclinium looked beyond the po.ncl
of the symposium towo.rd the adjacent scene . The mask of
Bacchus is thus the central acroterion of the symposium and
very approprio.tely chosen to be it, since Bacchus is the
most important figure in the drinking scene . The mo.sk is
20
nlso n transition~l figure obviating an abrupt break
bct~ccn two adj~cent panels which face in opposite direc
tions . The artist who designed these mos~ics was cer
tainly a Greek who continued good Hellenistic traditions .
The artistic kinship of his work ~ith Augustan rolief
and Pompeian fresco places him in the first century after
Christ, a date confirmed by the many fragments of Arre-
tine ~are found at the level of the mosaic and just below
it in tha villa. The fifth panel at the north ond of
the triclinium is only half preserved ( Fig . 45) . A later
~nll cut through and completely destroyed the upper por
tions of the t~o seated figures one of which was n draped
female and the othor a nude mnle. Tho group hnd a beautiful
border of which a detail is given here (Fig.46). Beyond
it lies the wide geometric pattern which contributes much
to the effectiveness of tho mosaic as n whol e (Fig.47 ) .
After the mosaic had been carefully photographed
in situ from a "bridgen designed by Mr . Agle (Fig.48) it
was taken up in sections, set in plaster of pnris and
boxed. The ten boxes were removed to n storage room in
the basement of the local bank. An interesting fnct was
observed when the panel representing the Judgment of
Paris was turned over and cleaned down to the mortar cours~
21
upon nhich the tessernc were lnid. The central panel
had a distinct odgc which sloped invnrd 3nd downvnrd. The
panel had been let into its rinceau frnmo. A difference
in tho texture was also observed indic3ting as Mr. Fisher
pointed out that the panel and its border had been
scpar3tely made in the atelier of the mosnicist and then
brought to the house and laid. The cost of raising n
mosn~c is considcrablo, in this instance amounting to 125
Syrian pounds ($100). The details of this bill are given
in Appendix A.
In the villa which yielded the mosnic just discussed
uero found fragments of terracotta lamps some of which
were pieced together by Mr. Fisher. They hnve hnndles
in tho form of busts of Serapis alone or Sernpis and Isis
together (Fig.49). Tho red paint of the lamp proper hns
been extended to tho small busts . Somo cult image served
as tho prototYPo of these tiny figures which attest tho
popularity of the Ptolemaic worship at Antioch where it
rrns already established in Seleucid times. Some religious
motive may hnve dictated the placing of the busts of tho
deity upon the lamp.
THE ROM.\N HIPPODROME
A further site of excavation in tho main nren was the
hippodrome most of which hovcver lies outside the lc3sed
land. Mr. Campbell vas in ch~rge of this excav~tion and
submits the following report upon it.
22
THE HIPPODROME AT ANTIOCH
W. A. C~mpboll
One of the fen landmarks of ancient Antioch is the
ruin of the Hippodrome which is situated to the north~ost
of the modorn village. Of this monum~ntnl structure there
are loft only a number of the blocks of rubble concrete
rrhich supported the stairs leading up into the tiors of
scats. Tho rubbla concrete coros of the stairways exist
only on the long east side of the Hippodrome and on the
semicircular north side. Not a trace remains above
ground of the great arches, galleries and tiers of seats,
and even the rubble concrete of the stairrrays hns been
removed from the long west side and south sido . This
almost total removal of the masonry of such a tremendous
structure is a good indication of tho thoroughness ~ith
which ancient Antioch has been stripped of its monuments.
Even the significance of what is left of tho Hippodrome
has boon lost and the natives refer to tho remaining stair
ways ns the "big blue stones« .
rn tho nirplnne photograph (Fig.SO) made of tho site
by the French Government the clements of tho Hippodrome
are more clearly defined than thoy are by ~ surve1 of tho
site made on tho ground. The st~ir~ays ~re , of course ,
plainly visible, but in addition to those it is also poss
ible to soc the posit ion of tho foundations of the ~~lls
23
\7hi ch suppo rtod the groat .:irche s under the tic rs of seo. ts.
Tho foundations appear on the airplane photograph o.s
squo.res and oblongs. The spinn is ~lso fairly well marked,
o.nd what is very important, the nrcnn becomes lnrgor o.t
the beg.inning of the spino., so th~t the long sides arc ,.,;
not constructed along o. stright lino, but bow . slightly "
in the middlo. At the south ond uhere the stalls (co.rcorcs)
were locnted arc tno fragments of columns rrhich may be
romn~nts of the moto. socundo..
Thero are no well preserved hippodromes in existence,
and so it seemed ndvis~ble to cxco.vo.te the parts of the
Hippodrome at Antioch which nould m~ko a reconstruction of
the plan and superstructure possiblo. Because of difficul-
tics with landowners ~nd limited time ue hnve not been
able to carry this project through to compl~tion this
yeo.r, but we hope that next yonr enough of the Hippodrome
cnn be excavated to carry out our original intention. A
section along the en.st side between tuo of the best pre-
served sto.irno.ys uas dug to get the relation both in
plnn nnd elevation betuocn the stairs nnd foundntions ualls,
A largo area at the southeast corner (Fig.51) wns cxcnvnted
in order to reconstruct the join between n long side nnd
the cnrceres. Tho side of the co.rceres facing tho ~reno.
(Fig.52) wo.s lnid bnre; and n ·.trench w~s sunk on the long
24
west side (Fig.53) to check nith the d~tn guthcrcd from
the excavation of the enst side und to gut measurements
of the nidth.
All of these arens selected for oxcnvntion gave
vnlunble information nbout the Hippodrome {Fig.54). So
far we have been able to ascertain that its plnn was
similar to that of the Circus Mnximus in Romo. As was
visible on the airplane photograph (Fig.50) there arc
tuo long sides which nro not parallel but bou out in the
center . No generally accepted reason hns been given for
this peculiarity. It wns probably to enable the chnriots
to sprend out after they had rounded the corners nnd
also to force them into n more restricted area uhile they
ucrc turning the corners .at the ends of the spinn. Of the
t~o short ends the ono to the north was the semicircular
one and the south end whore the stalls ~ere situated (Fig.
52) wns only sl i ght ly curved . In the southeast corner of
the long cast side (Fig .. 51) is n large set-off in the
foundation wnll which probably m~rks the position of an
entrance. Tho foundation walls from which the plan uns
reconstructed nre of an exceedingly h~rd rubble concrete,
levelled off and bonded together with courses of bricks .
Under tho foundation unlls nre other u~lls uhich d~te in
the first century A.D. but these hnve no connection with
tho Hippodrome.
25
The uidth of the ~ron~ i s 73.72m; the total width of
the strueturo is 126.14m. Until further excavations are
mode tho exact length cannot be measured , but ~n opproxi
mato l eng th of the arena is 500.82m, and of the uholc
Hippodrome, 560~. In order to complete tho plan it will
bo necessary to excnv~te the north end uith its porta
triumphalis through ~hich entered tho triumphnl procession
(pompn circensis), and tho south ond uhero we oxpcct to
find tho positions of the stalls and a l~rge, monumental
cntrtmce flanked by tuo touers. The spina should also
be cxcava ted.
In elevation the Hippodrome looked somewhat like
one of our great, modern football stadia. There uoro
tiers of scats set off from the arena by a podium and
divided horizontally into throe main divisions. Tho
first two . divisions were banks of seats separated . by a
nide aisle to facilitate tho circul~tion of crowds; the
third division tt as ~ gallery around the top supported
by red gran~to columns from Sina i. Tho seating capacity
was about 80,000. This tremendous superstructure was
supported by n system of 1rches; the tiers of seats were
supported by ~rches transverse to the main axis of the
arena, nnd the galle ry by longitudinal arches. Stair
ways placed at frequent intervals gave access to the
2 6
Hippodrome and led up to the wide aisle uhich divided the
tiers of seats horizontally. As mentioned nbovo some
of the massive cores of rubble concrete of these stairs
still exist. All of them have boon cracked nnd shifted
from thoir foundations by enrthqunkcs. Tho outer wall
of the Hippodrome was brokon up into tno stories of ar
cndos surmounted by tho gallery nith its columns of rod
granite. The construction throughout seoms to have been
of a hard rubble concrete fncod nith large blocks of
limestone.
Trial trenches vore sunk beyond the e~st and west
walls of the Hippodrome to get some clue as to nhnt was
immediately beyond it. From the information these
trenches gnvo us it is safe to infer that a street ran
parallel to tho long east side, and that adjoining the
wost side (Fig.53) ~as a residential district of small,
inferior houses.
This year's excavation has nlso mudo it possible to
work out the chronology of the area. Bene~th the founda
tions of the Hippodrome are nalls which dnto in the first
century A.D. It is impossible to go beyond the depth of
this first century A.D. level because water seeps into the
trenches. A power pump ~ill have to be used to reach
the levels of earlier periods. Above the first century
stratum is the Hippodrome which seems to d~te in the early
fo~rth century A.D. The Hippodrome ~as destroyed and
27
abandoned in the great earthquake of 526. After this
date small houses were built i~ and around it making use
of its large blocks of stone. These houses were burned
in the early seventh century, probably in the invasion of
the Arabs. The district was still used as a residential
section in the early Arabic period. A number of Cufic
inscriptions, coins, and house walls were found at this
level. Above the Cu~ic stratum are late Byzantine house
walls and above them late Arabic dwellings.. After this
long history the Hippodrome area has become a marshy
pasture land with poor, stony grain fields around it.
28
THE MONUMENTS DISCOVERED
It is a singular and lamentable fact that thirteen
weeks of excavation at Antioch brought to light very
little sculpture and very few inscriptions. That in
ancient times there was such deficiency is unbelievable.
The later authors cite many works of sculpture. The
disappearance of plastic and epigraphical monuments is
to be explained in part by the limekiln which did its work
so thoroughly in the excavated area that pieces of marble
of large size rnrcly turne~ up . The limekilns in bath
"C" have al ready been menti bned and others were uncovered.
So far at Antioch no statue or relief in marble has beon
found completely preserved or half preserved in our
excavations. Even the fragments that survive can be
counted for each category on the fingers of one hand.
Inscriptions at Antioch are as rnre apparently below
ground as they aro above. One Latin inscription nearly
complete was found. Of the four fragmentary inscriptions
turnod up by the spado two certnihly and possibly three are
sepulchral, nnd this fact indicated t he presence of a
cemetery n ear by which had been raided for building mater
i ul s . So~cwhat to the north of the circus graves have
been discov e red and thes e may have be e n the source of
our meagre epigraphical f rngmc nts. ~i fo~r ~r =~k inscrip-
29
tions one was handed i n , another was purchased fo r
tw en ty cents and the other t~o consist of only a few
letters. ~11 are of la t e date. Cne seems to contain
~ ~ roper name beginning with K~lli- and is of the third
century after Ca rist. The second small fragment dis-
covered comes from the site of house "L". It is part
of a g rav e stele bearing the name Juli( a) Domna. The
letter forms offer sovoral variations not listed in
Kaufmann' s Handbuch . Only three Latin inscription were
found two of which consisted of seven and eight letters .
The ·toxt of one of these bas already been g iven (p.13) .
The second roads: ssus ~ V.illf.XX(?)
This is a grave inscription (Fig.55).
Tho t~i rd reo.ds: RSIF OllI
I n this epigraphical statistic there have not
been included the Cufic inscriptions, of whi ch twelve
fragments were found, tho stamped Rhodian amphora handles ,
o.nd Arrotine fragments with names impressed upon them.
Ten of the Cufic inscriptions were discovered near the
circus, of which one is here shown (Fig.5 6) . It begin s
with the familiar wo rds of the Xoran: "In tho name of
Allah".
30
The report on the sculptures found is the same as that
for inscriptions: few, fragmentary and late. ~badly
mutilated marble female head was found hear the c ircus
(Figs.57,58). It is of the second century after Christ
and attests the survival at Antioch of the Scopaic tra-
dition. An unusual fragment of Roman sculpture came to
light in bath 11 0" (Fig.59). It consists of a circular
base on which two crocodiles are curved nlong tho edge.
Between their heads is a shell. On e~ch crocodile rests
a small human hand broken at tho wrist. The st~tue
represented a youth, probably of Egyptian type, poisod ~
on his hands above tho _c.opeed:ilcs, like the Egyptian
reproduced in Roinach , R;purtoiro de la Stctuairc Grccque
ct Romaine 1-535, fig.7. This Egyptian motive in sculp-
ture rocalls the Scrapie lamps in terracotta. ~t Antioch
ns at Pompeii there was an interest in tho E~ptinn theme.
A third fragment of sculpture (Fig.60) is a relief 20cm.
in length. It r epresents a goat charging a man qho holds
a shield. It belonged to a frieze of figures and may
be a pln7ful allusion to co~tests in the amphitheBtrc in
which . anima ls were tho victims. There remain to be no-
ticed two marble fragments, parts of an arm and a leg
(Fig.61). An illustration may be given ~t this place
of tho sepulchral reliefs which have been found in or
ne~r Antioch ~nd which from time to time are off cred
31
for sale there (Fig. 62). To judge from tho mortar ad
hering to the back of these slabs they appear to have
been sot in othur blocks rather than to have been freo
standing monuments. The e xample illustrated is 3 l cm.
high . The date is the third century after Christ as is
shown by the forms of the Greek l ette rs nnd tho a r chitec-
. t ural framework . The horizontal nrchitrnvo bas horo
given wny to the arch as in sarcophagi of the third cen
tury.
Tho most important bronze vases found are n basin,
and n jug which came to light in Rouse "A~. The bas i n
is in ve ry delicate condition nnd will need ca r eful
treatment nt the hands of museum experts. The jug which
is 16 cm. high is in n much better stnte of preservation
(Fig.63). Its heavily corroded handle was nicely cleaned
and found to end in a human bend. One is reminded of the
many bronze ~nsos in the m~seum at Nnples wbicb have
handles terminn.ting below in heads or masks, and which
are of the first century. Tho handle of the Jug from
.Antioch was found detached and in the illustration i s
seen temporarily restored to its place by means of n c ord.
The only gold jewelry discovered (Fig . 64) is a pnir of
earrings of very simple pattern. They come f rom t he
grave across the Orontes (Fig.69) ~hich ~ill be discussed
32
below.
Many vases of terracotta were found of Roman and lat
e r date, somo in e xc ell ent state of pro servati on (Fi gs.
27-29). Terracotta. lamps woro numerous (Fig.65) but
examples with representations of human figuros upon them
are rnre. On one appears a Victory bearing a shield.
The finest Roman pottery discovered is the Arretine abun
dant fragments of ~hich came to light in widely separated
areas, and regula·rly clo :;e to wa. ter level. Not only in
the principal field of oxcavations but in a. trial pit
sunk at the center of the modern c ity and in nnother
outside on the road to Aleppo this pottery occurred.
The vogue of it was clearly very groat . It is interest
ing to note the popularity of this red varo at a time
when red was so popular in mural decoration at Pompeii.
Many b.:iskets of Arre tine a. ~e in the f"ield house at
A.ntioch. Some one must be found to g ive all his time
to the p i ecing together of those fragments. Fe~ glass
va.ses were found well preserved although fragments were
abund~nt. Two t iny glass vases are intact; two lnrger
examples nre s omewhat injured.
Hundreds of co ins ~e re discovered as was to be expected
from tho fact tha t many of them nre picked up in the fields
today. During the last weeks of the campaign the accumul~
tion of coins had become s o great that n man was employed
33
to clean them. They are bronze n ith seven exc ep tions.
Of these four are silver a nd three billon. The earliest
piece (cat. no. 145?) bears the name and portrait of
n·emetrius Soter, the monogram of Antioch and the Seleucid
date 161 (B.C. 151) . The next in date is n silver donnrius
of Vespasian (cat. no. 1?18) s~ruck in the year ?O-?l. The
third is n coin of Gordian, 238- 244 (cat. no . 304). The
fourth silver coin (cat.no. 1353) is a "L8nentalar" which
W.'.lS struck in tho 7eaT' 1659' in the aetliorl~nde. On
the obverse is the inscription MO ·ARG•PRO.CONFQE.BELL·
GEL, Moneta Argentca Provinciae Confocderati Belgii Gclriac.
The obverse type is a helmeted man looking back~~rd . The
lo~er part of his body is concealed behind a large shield
on ffhich is a rampant lion. The marginal inscription on
the reverse is CONFIDENS DNO NON MOVETUR. This motto
surrounds a rampant lion. Oo!ns of this nnd similar
issues in the United Provinces came to be usea in Lcvantine
trade and were called by the Arabs Abukolb• Hthe father
of the dog~ because the Arab mistook the lion for a dog.
Of the billon pieces two were struck by the Crusaders,
one (co.t. no. 550) bearing the nnme Boamundus (Bohemund III,
1162-1201). It i& illustrated in Schlumberger, Kumism~tique
de l'Orient Latin, pl. III, 7. The second Crusader coin
(cat. no. 142) bas no inscription. The third billon . piece
is Arabic and is still to b e identified (cat. no. ~20).
Mr. A. G. Cotton is at work on the coins nnd will
continue this work during the fall. Toward the end of the
year , significant statistic s on the bronze coins should
be availo.ble.
34
In appendix 2 will be found a list of the various
impo~tant oi jects sto red in the basement of th e B~nquc
de Syrio. I ~ cntcd the storage room for ~n nnnu~l
rental of 1200 francs ($48). Although our headquarters
aro r cntod by the yaar I did not deom it ~ise to store
cvorything thero. Only heavy pieces or objects of
slight value wore loft at the field house and hondquarters .
Tho keys to the storago rooms at headquarters and the
bank ncre left in the care of M. Prost of tho Archaeo
logical Sorvico so that in any dmcrgency he could havo
accoss to both tho objects discov~rod end tho othor
property of the e~podition .
35
MINOR EXCAVATIONS IN .• urn ?lEAR THE EODERN T')i'TN
In addition to th~ major opurations upon th ~ property
lensed for th~ society there ~ere minor excnv~tions Qt
· different sites in ~nd near the city. These were for
the most part trial trenches or pits from which uc hoped
to nsccrtnin the charact~r of the Romnn nnd Hellenistic
strata and tho dopth at ~hich they were buried. It seem
ed desirable to get such information as a guide to future
operations even if it should be decided to continue the
excav~tions in the main field after the expiration of
our lease there. The number of these minor excnvations
t7.'.ls seven .
I - THE CHA.RONION
The Chnronion is the name given by Mnlalas to the
colossal rockcut bust not far from the shr ine of St. Peter
to the north of the modern to~n. According to Malnlas
it uas carved in the reign of A.ntiochus Epiphanes on
the advice of a diviner Laius in order to put nn end to
the p lague then afflicting the city. It served this
purpose after Laius hnd written something ~t the Charonion.
What he wrote and just where he wrote are still n mystery.
This npotropaic mask (Fig.66) has nln~ys been for the
most part visible and has been badly battered by some
iconoclast who destroyed eyes, nose und mouth. The re
had beon some excav~tion near th~ rock but much remained
36
to be done . Theyqu~rr1od nre~ beforu tho bust ~ns
cleared to the living rock. The site ~as never n snnct-
uary at ~hich votivo offerings woro made as the nam~ might
load ona to expec t. The excav~tion revealed that the
colossal bust rras nev e r finished . The right side ~as
carved first; the l eft shoulder and side uore very
roughly blocked out. ~ dacp cleft had been chisollcd in
the rock on this side prcp~rntory to b reaking off ~.
l arge mass of it, but this mass remains in plnco (Fig.67).
The neck too shous flnt surfaces ~hich nev ~ r received fin
al treatment. On the right shoulder stands ~ ful l leng t h
figure draped nnd we~ring ~hat seems to have been a cala
t hus but this figure is now b~dly ueathered . Its relntio~
to the principal figure is uncerta in. The ~idth of the
bust at the shoulders, the left one of which is vaguely
defined is 6.90m. The f~ce is 2m . high.
The Charonion is ~ t n ofold commentnry on its age. It
nicely illustrates the Hallenistic love of the grandiose
in art which mny h~ve been f o s terod to some extent by
Egyptian procedent . The unfinished stnta of the work
attests an obligation fo r gotten so soon as the plague
had ended . Once rel\eved of that affli ction there ~as
no pressing need to complete the figure of salvation.
37
II - THE ARE.A. BEHIND THE FREliCH MILITARY B.ARR .lCKS
The excavation of nn area outside t he ua.11 of Justini3n
was an unqualified disappointm~nt . I decided upon thi s
as a field of opera tion s bcc~us e n plain Romn n sarcophagus
was discovered by the French in grading the g round im-
mc~iately behind the ir barracks , o.nd becaus e literary
tradition placed th~ early Christian cometory out s ide
the Dnphnetic ga t e ~hich ~as one of tuo gates no t far
a.~ay . I uns so convinced of the desirability of the si te
thnt I purchased it for $380 so as to bo fr ee to cxcnvnte
it at once uithout restriction. For n ueek 40 n orkmon
thoroughly testod the are a uitb trenchos nnd pits but
a.lw~ys uith the same negative result . Although near
the city. the site h a d boon used nei ther for burial nor
building p u rposes. The solitary obJect found apart from
co in• was a. tiny bronze dove uith a. twig in its beak. A
modest hGnrd of bronze coins which lay l.20m. benonth the
surface cont~ined a coin of Honorius nnd n five nummin
-piece of Justinian. The Roman sarcophagus ~hich lured '
me into such nn unprofitable venture was npparently tho
most remote in n cemetery which l a y to the west nnd n ear-
er the modern rond to Daphne, and therefore within the
French barracks. Several neeks before the end of the
38
campaign I ~pplied for permission to dig in definite ~reas
~ithin the bnrracks but up to the timo of my departure had
not received writ ten permission but uas informed indire ctl;
that it ~ould be gr3nted.
III. THE EXCAVATION NEAR THE MOS~UE OF H~\.BI:B EL NADJAR
The president of the municipality very kindly gave
tho expedition tho privilege of digging on city-ovned
property near the mosque of Habib el Nadjnr vhich is in
the centor of the modern to~n . Mr. Lassus uas in charge
of the excnvation. At a depth of 5.75m. he uncovered
a Roman pavement b ordered by two curved stops (Fig . 68)
~hich may mark tho intersection of two streets . It
~as impossible to extend the excav~tion to verify this
probability. A number of the heavy blocks of this pave
ment verc removed and the excavation continued until unt
er was reached at n depth of em. At this level a
fragmcn t of s tnmped .A.rrc tine ware rra.s found r;hich at once
dnted the strQtum to the fi r st ce~tury A.D. The gre~t
depth of the Roman city at this point wns n surprise and
it ~us very interesting t o learn th.o.t the Roman level
here as in the principnl field of excavation extends
do~n to water. ~ significnnt result of this excavation
39
is th~t the Helleni s tic levels are belon wa ter in nt least
a portion of the mode rn toun. Calcul~tions by Mr. ~gle
shorred that the w~ter reached in this excavation is about
4m. above the Orontes. The depth of the virgin soil
belorr the modern town still remains to be nsc~rtnincd.
IV. ROMAN TOMBS ACROSS THE OROHTES
The area necr the bridge over the Orantes and a long
the road to Aloxandrctta was a Roman cemetery in the
third and fourth centuries. Excavations here revealed
three types of burials: stone sarcophagi of plain, thick
limestone slabs, tiled graves nnd rectangular tombs
built of rubble concrete. Three examples of the plain
sarcophagus which ~ere discovered by uo rkmen digging
trenches for n hous e .yiolded only the plainest type of
pottery. M. Prost of the Archaeological Service informed
me that these sarcophagi nt .Antioch are regularly devoid
of valuable content. Farther along the road nnd very
c lo se to the ne~ school ~ere found sovernl exwnples of
the tiled grave one of nhich nas very unusual (Fig.69).
This lay close to the ~nll of a large tomb of which mention
~ill b~ made p resentl y. Terracott~ slabs measuring . 60
x .58 formed the receptacle in ~hich t•o bodies lay in
remarkable position (Fig . 70). They are the b odies of a
man and his nife. The hoad of th e ~ife lie s upon the
shoulder of her husband ~ith their faces close together .
40
She has gone to sleep in her husband ' s arms . Such an inti-
mate grouping in burial is, 1 believe, without parallel;
approximations to it but much less drastic may be cited
from the sculptured groups upon sarcophagi of earlier
date. It is a dramatic record of marital devo~ion con
tinued in the grave . A very careful sea rching of the
earth of this tomb by Messrs. Schirmer and Lassus was
re~arded with the discovery of a pair of gold earrings
of simple yet delicate design (Fig.64).
The tomb against which this tiled grave wns set
is the most imposing of all . It is a rectangle measuring
6.98 x 5.94m. The rubble masonr7 is facad ~1th small
limestone blocks arranged in a modified form of opus
reticulatum (Fig.71). This rev etmen t is l.76m. in hoight
but was laid in t~o sections, each being levelled off on
top. There is no opening through the exterior wall so
the entrance must have been through the vaulted roof
which however is not sufficiently preserved to show such
an opening. The western half of the tomb which was
vaulted apparently served as a chapel . In the west wall
is a niche. On the east side of the chapel are two graves
built in the solid masonry. One of these wa s exposed
to view before the excavation be gan . Nothing was found
in either grave . This tomb has been declared a national
41
monument.
V. EXCAVATION IN T!:lE roRMER Bli..RRACKS OF THE 28TH ESQ.U.ADRILLE.
This site nhich lies at the north~est corner of
the modern town near the river is the property of Nafi
Bey nho very kindly permitted us to dig there upon the
condition that ue fill in the trenches at the ~onclusion
of our investigations . A trench 30 x 4m. was dug . No
walls nor significant strata were found and at a depth
of 3m . water prevented further excnv~tion.
VI. EXCAVATION lrEAR THE RO.AD TO ALEPPO NORTH OF THE TOWN
North of the modern toun there nre extensive olive
groves but one open field invited investiga t ion uhich was
made nt a very slight cost . A well in the vicinity in-
dicated tha t wnter nas ll.50m. below the surface of the
ground. A pit 10 x lOm. was dug. At a depth of 5m.
two capitals, one Corinthian and the other with a cross
carved upon. it trere found. .\t ?m. a thick stratum of
black ash was reached in and near which were fragments
of large Arretine vases . The great number of these is
but a further proof of the popularity of this ware in
ancient Antioch. At a depth of a.asm. a stratum of
cement camo to light below which no objects of any sort
42
oero found . Virgin soi l uns reached at 9 . 03m . but
excavation was continued to a dep th of 9 . 80 m. Ap
parentlY. nt thi s place there mis no Hellenistic stro. tum.
~broad foundation in the eastern p~rt of the pit ~hich
uas renchod at a depth o f fiv e meters consisted of seve ral
courses tho lowes t of ~hich rested on the hard pan.
This should be completely cleared another year for it
may belong to nn important building of the anc ient c ity.
~Y a rrangement uith the o~ners of the land the pit has
been loft open till n oxt se~son~.
VII. THE CHURCH AT DAPHNE
The si te of this church on the rocky s lopes above
Daphne seemed very promising. Several monolithic col
umns projected from tho ground. It ~as natural to be
lieve that underneath thq c hurch thero might lie buried
a Roman temple or even a Greek one. Sixteen days of
excavation laid bare the site uhich had been occupied by
o. Christian Church of mod~st size o.nd con·struction (Fig.72).
The plan is given in . fi gure 7 3 . On the slope a se ries
of ualls ~ore uncovered which supported n terrnce (?) be
fore the church. Tho lo~c s t ~ppears in figure 74. The
~pses oere built nith ~n economy of e ff ort uhich l e ft
masses of living rock p r ojecting into them ( Fig.75). Ex-
43
cavation uithin the j~Vc rcv~~lcd different pavorac nt
levels • . Sev ~ ral capit~ls were found in the ruins. 'i'hc
better OX:l.oplcs nrc shov:n in figures ?6- 79 . No inscrip
tions ucro found. The exc~v~tion uns in charge of Ur.
Douney.
--
•
44
SUMMARY
The results of the first sc~son's uork ~ t Antioch
arc for tho most pn.rt topographical. a Roman villa
of the first centur~, three Rom~n bnths, a hippodrome,
a st~diUm. (7) 3nd n modost church at Daphne . all of l~te
date, have been uncovered. The principal field of ex
cavations has so far proved to be the recreation ground
of Roman Antioch. If it nns also such in the Seleucid
p e riod t he evidence lies under v~ter nnd beyond the
reach 0£ tho spade . Tho bed of tho Orontes seems to bave
risen since the Hellenistic age. As for tho minor ex
cavations in and about the city they neither identified
any ~ncient monument nor brought to light any important
objects of art , vith the signal exception of the figured
mosaic, uhich is one of the most important archaeological
finds of 1932. They did howev~r make it clenr that
even the Roman city is deeply buried in tho region to
the north of the modern town along tho rond to Aleppo.
It is along this road, which lie s above its c ncient pro
dccessor, that many buildings of diversified chnractcr
must lie. Nearor Mt. Silpius there is n c h ance tha t
~e shall find n Hellenistic stratum nbove ~atcr. Outside
the Bab Boulos lay the ancient cemetery ~hil c uitbin tho
45
l~rge enclosure of the French bnrr~cks is tho cnrly
Christi~n. Both of these ~rc~s must be thoroughly
searched if our program of excav~tion i s to be o bro3d
ono . My onn belief is th.:>.t the ereas n.djacent to the
Aleppo road offer the best possibilities of diversified
r esults rnnging from tho early He l lenistic to tho late
Christian period.
The contract rri th the or:ners of the le:isod lnnd
prescribes the refilling of nll excavated nrens. Somo
refilling ha s already been done but great mounds of earth
remain to be moved. Excavations in tno of the b~ths,
one of l'lhich is the great b~th "C" must be continued if
the oarlier structures bolo~ nre to bo completely investi
gated. There remain oxtensivo areas in the lensed l~nd
~hich have not been sounded. As noted above. the land
lensed by Mr . Fisher for t~o yonrs contains 384, 000
square oeters of vhich only 16,500, -- and this is a
go;) no rous cal cul a ti on -- have been dug. · It is obviously
impossible to exc~vato the rccninder in one campnignJ
refilling tho neu cxcav~tions as well ~s the old .
APPENDIX I
Cost of r a ising the mos~ic from the Roman villa •
DATE
~pril 20
May 9
May 28
Mr,iy 29
If
n
May 30
fl
ila.y 31
June l
ti
June 2
" June 4
June 5
n
fl
June 6
If
II
Juno 7
June 8
June 10
SUPPLIES
~ridge for photography
4 kilos plaster
5 metros cloth
10 kilqs glue
20 dra.i s cloth
100 sheets paper
1 pair slippers
1 tin petroleum
5 kilo s glue
15 drn.is cloth
5 kilos glue
l primus
Wood, n~ils, ~ages for ca.rpen ter
15 dro.i s cloth
100 sheets paper
10 kilos glue
15 dra1s· c~oth.
42 ~ooden bo~rds
N~ils and porte rage
Wnges for carpenter
1 tin petroleuI:l
500 kilos plaster of pnris
.iMOUNT
18.15
.62
.45
2. 74
1.45
.so
• 30
.70
1.38
1.35
l.;38
2.00
23.05
1.35
.50
2. 76
' l.35
26.40
1.02
3.50
.70
16.85
~oo d . gluc , nails,paper , nnd labor 16.79 Toto.l LS 125.30
..\.PPEllDI X I I
1. Objocts stored in~ rooo nt the 130.nque de Syric • .An tioch
Boxos 1,2 , 3 cont~ining objects in tcrrncott~. metal, g lass and stone .
Tho mosaic of Villa "A" in 10 crates. Set in plaster o f paris.
Eleven sections of mos~ic set in concrete, from bath 0 A11 and "B".
Three sections of nosaic froo tho : octngon of bath "C", laid on boo.rds.
Circular mosaic from Villa "A" site. Battered head of oarble from Hippodrome "A" .
Crocodile base from bath "C" Bronze Roman tripod from bath "B" Bronze basin from bath "B"
2. Objects stored in the field house.
Ten marble and limestone capit~ls of lnte date . Two marble bases. One large storage jar. Tua sections of the mosaic from the octagon in bath ncq. Uine Cufic inscriptions .
3. Objects stored in room 2 o.t headquarters.
Five Greek inscriptions. ..\11 smo.11 fragments, mostly late.
Ttro Latin inscriptions. Both small fragments . Three Cufic inscriptions . Three late capitals. Terracotta vases and jars.
Rote : The coins have been to.ken to Princeton for study in nccordnnce with the contract under nhich the Committee exco.v~tes and ~ith the knonledge nnd consent of the Archo.eological Service of S;rrio..
Figure 1. Antioch from the west. Figure 2. A narrow street in Antioch.
Figure 3. Antioch from the air. Figure 4. Street in Antioch
Figure 5. A polygonal wall. Figure 6. Bab el Hadid, from the east
Figure 7. An aqueduct. Figure 8. Charonion.
Figure 9. Ruins of the Circus. Figure 10. Remnants of a Justinian Gate.
Figure 11. The Orator. Figure 12. Plan of the Palaestra.
Figure 13. Buttresses of the Palaestra. Figure 14. Latin inscription.
Figure 15. Bath C. Figure 16. Plan of Bath C.
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Figure 17. Bath C, hypocaust. Figure 18. Single course of heavy blocks under Bath C.
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Figure 19. Roman Bath A. Figure 20. Mosaic in Bath A.
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Figure 21. Mosaic in Bath A. Figure 22. Mosaic in Bath A.
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Figure 23. Plan of Bath B. Figure 24. Roman Bath B, hypocaust and (beyond) small pool.
Figure 25. Roman Bath B, small pool. Figure 26. Roman tripod from Bath B.
I
Figure 27. A Roman Vase from Bath B. Figure 28. A Roman vase from Bath B.
Figure 29. A Roman amphora from Bath B. Figure 30. Mosaic from Bath B.
--Figure 31. Mosaic from Bath B. Figure 32. Plan of the Roman Villa.
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Figure 33. Mosaic floor in Roman Villa. Figure 35. Detail of mosaic: Satyr.
Figure 34. The Villa Mosaic.
'105AIC_[BOM R0'1AN VILL .. \ AT A~T IOCH
Figure 36. Detail of mosaic: Bacchan te. Figure 37. Detail of mosaic: Symposium.
Figure 38. Detail of mosaic: Heracles.
Figure 39. Detail of mosaic: Judgement of Paris.
Figure 40. The three Goddesses. Figure 41. Paris and Hermes.
Figure 42. Border of the Judgement of Paris. Figure 43. Border of the Judgement of Paris.
Figure 44. Mask of Bacchus. Figure 45. Detail of mosaic: Seated Deities.
Figure 46. Border of the fifth panel. Figure 47. Geometric border of the villa mosaic.
Figure 48. Agle's "bridge" over the mosaic. Figure 49. Terracotta lamps.
Figure 50. Photo missing. Figure 51. Photo missing.
Figure 52. Photo missing. Figure 53. Photo missing.
Figure S4. Photo missing. Figure SS. Latin inscription.
,_
Figure 56. A Cufic inscription. Figure 57. Roman marble head.
Figure 58. Roman marble head, profile. Figure 59. Sculpture fragment from Bath C.
Figure 60. A Roman relief. Figure 61. Sculptural fragments.
Figure 62. A sepulchral relief. Figure 63. Bronze jug from House A.
Figure 64. Gold earrings. Figure 65. Terracotta lamps.
Figure 66. The Charonion. Figure 67. The Charonion, detail.
Figure 68. A Roman pavement. Figure 69. Roman tile grave.
Figure 70. "Quam breve conjugium." Figure 71. Tomb wall facing of limestone.
Figure 72. View of the Church at Daphne from the east. Figure 74. Lower retaining wall of the Church at Daphne.
Figure 73. Plan of the Church at Daphne.
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Figure 75. Apse of the Church at Daphne. Figure 76. Capitals found in the Church at Daphne.