DOI issue:
Syria
DOI article:Byliński, Janusz: Arab castle
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26390#0149
PALMYRA
ARAB CASTLE 1995
by Janusz Bylinski
The 1995 season of work in the castle was made possible
thanks to the generous support of Fondation Max van Berchem
which provided full funding. As usual, the castle expedition was
attached to the Polish archaeological mission in Palmyra headed by
Prof. Michal Gawlikowski. The completing of our survey this year
had become a necessity as our research coincided with the growing
interest of the Syrian Directorate of Antiquities and Museums in
the opening of the site to the public after a restoration campaign
which is planned for the next year. As two years ago, the work was
conducted by architects and excavators in conjunction.^
The architectural survey has been completed. Plans of all the
floors and cross-sections were drafted and will soon be ready for
publication. Excavations continued on the lower terrace of the
castle where trial pits made two years ago unexpectedly revealed
traces of buildings. It was the excavators' intention to explore this
area more extensively to discover the layout of the defences in the
final stage of the fortress's construction, and with the hope of
uncovering remains of food processing installations like ovens etc.,
which had not been found inside the building.
Bread ovens (?nf7777M?w) came to light immediately upon
beginning work. They were installed on the highest level of the
court, on top of earlier floors. One of them, built near the
battlemented wall belonging to the last construction, was
* The team of architects included Mr. C. Socratidis, professor of
architecture at the University of Geneva, assisted by two students:
Miss Isabeile Bovey and Miss Valerie Steinmesse. The excavations were
conducted by the author and Miss Anna Witecka from the University of
Warsaw.
147
ARAB CASTLE 1995
by Janusz Bylinski
The 1995 season of work in the castle was made possible
thanks to the generous support of Fondation Max van Berchem
which provided full funding. As usual, the castle expedition was
attached to the Polish archaeological mission in Palmyra headed by
Prof. Michal Gawlikowski. The completing of our survey this year
had become a necessity as our research coincided with the growing
interest of the Syrian Directorate of Antiquities and Museums in
the opening of the site to the public after a restoration campaign
which is planned for the next year. As two years ago, the work was
conducted by architects and excavators in conjunction.^
The architectural survey has been completed. Plans of all the
floors and cross-sections were drafted and will soon be ready for
publication. Excavations continued on the lower terrace of the
castle where trial pits made two years ago unexpectedly revealed
traces of buildings. It was the excavators' intention to explore this
area more extensively to discover the layout of the defences in the
final stage of the fortress's construction, and with the hope of
uncovering remains of food processing installations like ovens etc.,
which had not been found inside the building.
Bread ovens (?nf7777M?w) came to light immediately upon
beginning work. They were installed on the highest level of the
court, on top of earlier floors. One of them, built near the
battlemented wall belonging to the last construction, was
* The team of architects included Mr. C. Socratidis, professor of
architecture at the University of Geneva, assisted by two students:
Miss Isabeile Bovey and Miss Valerie Steinmesse. The excavations were
conducted by the author and Miss Anna Witecka from the University of
Warsaw.
147