Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (19.2007(2010))

PALMYRA

SYRIA

PALMYRA
PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE FORTY-FIFTH
SEASON OF EXCAVATIONS

Michai Gawlikowski

A return to the Diocletian Camp, where the Allat sanctuary is situated, was
necessitated by work on the final publication of the temple and the need to check
certain points raised in the meantime. The aim of the short season1 was to complete
and extend soundings started there in 2005 and 2006, but it also brought
completely new discoveries. A rectangular stone foundation unearthed in the
northwestern corner of the temple temenos attests to the existence of a building,
probably another chapel, during the archaic phase of the Allat sanctuary.
The mission also worked in the sector of the cathedral, where the northern
church, or Basilica IV, was probed in order to prepare the program of excavations for
the next season of work.
In the meantime, the missions restorers finished the treatment of a collection of
Sasanian coins, four new sculptures and a lintel with the inscription of Odainat, all
of which enriched the exhibition halls in the Palmyra Museum.

1 The season lasted from 16 October until 16 November 2007. Beside the present author, the mission included Krystyna
Gawlikowska, art historian; Dr. Grzegorz Majcherek (Deputy Director), Dr. Marta Zuchowska, Dr. Dagmara Wielgosz,
Karol Juchniewicz and Marcin Wagner, archaeologists; Wojciech Terlikowski, architect; Aleksandra Trochimowicz and
Bartosz Markowski, restorers, as well as students of archaeology from the University of Warsaw: Aleksandra Kubiak and
Michai Rybak. As usual, we were assisted by our longtime friends and collaborators, Dr. Michel al-Maqdissi in Damascus
and Waleed Ascad and Khalil al-Hariri in Palmyra. Rania al-Rafidi from the Palmyra Museum, who was delegated to work
with the mission, did so with a dedication that was highly appreciated.

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Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean 19, Reports 2007