DOI issue:
Syria
DOI article:Gawlikowski, Michał: Hawarti: preliminary report
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.41273#0202
HAWARTI
SYRIA
probably through the original entrance, as
yet unexcavated.
At the end of two weeks of work,
a major part of the northern wall of the
mithraeum had been cleared, in addition
to the eastern wall previously exposed. The
floor of the cave was found some 3.50 m
below the mosaic level of the earlier
church, whose narthex wall stood on a solid
foundation of eight large courses of stone
set directly on the rock floor and against
the western wall of the grotto (Fig. 2:5).
This foundation was built in a trench
after the rock ceiling of the mithraeum had
collapsed on some 1.50 m of rubble and
earth heaped directly on the ancient sur-
face. A large part of the ceiling fell in one
piece (Fig. 2:7). It was covered with an
earth fill on which the mosaic of the early
church had been laid, but soon caved in as
a result of subsiding.
The dimensions of the cave are 7.40 m
from east to west, and estimated at 6 m
from north to south. The entrance was
most probably in the middle of the south-
ern wall, from the hill slope. On the oppo-
site, northern wall there is a rounded
niche, 1.38 m wide and raised above the
floor level. It is built of sandstone blocks
inserted into the live rock, and was rather
plain, except for two pilasters supporting a
flat arch in front. Such a niche is a constant
feature of all mithraea, being intended to
house a relief slab representing the tau-
robolium, or sacrifice of a bull by Mithra.
This piece of sculpture has yet to be found,
but there is a good chance that it is still
somewhere in the rubble.
At some point, the original frame of the
niche was plastered all over, and soon after-
wards the walls of the cave received painted
decoration. In different places, two to five or
even six layers of painting could be
observed. At one point, a podium was added
in front of the niche, apparently carrying
a light structure fixed into the grooves in
the original pilasters and forming a new set-
ting for the Mithra relief. Later on, a small
Fig. 2. Cross-section through the mithraeum
(Drawing G. Majcherek)
200
SYRIA
probably through the original entrance, as
yet unexcavated.
At the end of two weeks of work,
a major part of the northern wall of the
mithraeum had been cleared, in addition
to the eastern wall previously exposed. The
floor of the cave was found some 3.50 m
below the mosaic level of the earlier
church, whose narthex wall stood on a solid
foundation of eight large courses of stone
set directly on the rock floor and against
the western wall of the grotto (Fig. 2:5).
This foundation was built in a trench
after the rock ceiling of the mithraeum had
collapsed on some 1.50 m of rubble and
earth heaped directly on the ancient sur-
face. A large part of the ceiling fell in one
piece (Fig. 2:7). It was covered with an
earth fill on which the mosaic of the early
church had been laid, but soon caved in as
a result of subsiding.
The dimensions of the cave are 7.40 m
from east to west, and estimated at 6 m
from north to south. The entrance was
most probably in the middle of the south-
ern wall, from the hill slope. On the oppo-
site, northern wall there is a rounded
niche, 1.38 m wide and raised above the
floor level. It is built of sandstone blocks
inserted into the live rock, and was rather
plain, except for two pilasters supporting a
flat arch in front. Such a niche is a constant
feature of all mithraea, being intended to
house a relief slab representing the tau-
robolium, or sacrifice of a bull by Mithra.
This piece of sculpture has yet to be found,
but there is a good chance that it is still
somewhere in the rubble.
At some point, the original frame of the
niche was plastered all over, and soon after-
wards the walls of the cave received painted
decoration. In different places, two to five or
even six layers of painting could be
observed. At one point, a podium was added
in front of the niche, apparently carrying
a light structure fixed into the grooves in
the original pilasters and forming a new set-
ting for the Mithra relief. Later on, a small
Fig. 2. Cross-section through the mithraeum
(Drawing G. Majcherek)
200