Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (15.2003(2004))

HAWARTE

SYRIA

mithraeum had been abandoned and partly
destroyed well before the decision to build
the church. While there is no doubt
that the cave must have been desecrated by
zealot Christians as evidenced by several
crosses carved on the paintings, it is also
obvious that the construction of the church
of Photios on top of the pagan temple
was not the immediate reason for its
destruction.
As before, the fill in this area consisted
of stone rubble, occasional large blocks of
masonry and several assorted fragments of
architectural decoration. Some ceramic

fragments found in the fill apparently post-
date the Mithraeum function and belong
to the 5th century horizon. Contrary to
other areas of the cave, very few fragments
of painted plastering were retrieved from
the fill, dashing hopes for further murals.
And indeed, a fragment of painting was
found preserved only on a small section of
the north wall. The painting is divided by
a broad red stripe into two registers
(Fig. 3). In the upper one, a lion's back with
a long and twisted tail is visible. To the left,
there is a fragmentary representation of
a person (preserved from the waist down)


Fig. 3. Fragment of mural painting uncovered in chamber B
(Photo C. Calaforra-Rzepka)

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