DOI Artikel:
Henning, Agnes: The tower tombs of Palmyra: chronology, architecture and decoration
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26423#0162
Agnes Henning
the four known necropolises with their recognizable monuments in just two weeks (Watzinger,
Wulzinger 1932:44-76). Their maps remained valid for a long time and served as a basis for further
research on the tombs.
The first chronology of Palmyrene tower tombs was prepared by Ernest Will (1949). Michał
Gawlikowski precised the dating criteria in his publication of the tombs of Palmyra (Gawlikowski
1970a). It was to his credit that he included in his analysis all the funerary monuments and in~
scriptions known at the time. Gawlikowski also conducted archaeological research on the tower
tomb of Atenatan and the tower tomb of Kitot in the 1980s and 1990s (Gawlikowski 1990: 44; 1993:
111-115). The publication of the finds from the tower of Atenatan by Anna Witecka was the first
ever to present a fuli archaeological inventory of a tower tomb (Witecka 1994).
Fifteen of the tower tombs are firmly dated by foundation inscriptions, most of them in the
better preserved Western Necropolis.31 was able to specify additional dating criteria for the tower
tombs, allowing almost all the monuments to be classified chronologically (Henning 2001; 2013).
The emphasis was on the basie architectural pattern and the architectural decoration. Existing dec-
orative elements were documented and with this a comprehensive view of the furnishings was
acquired. The presented paper is mainly on this aspect.
The documentation of all tower tomb structures has shown that about 180 such tombs in dif-
ferent States of preservation can still be distinguished today (Henning 2001; 2013). In chronological
terms, they rangę from the lst century BC through the middle of the 2nd century AD. Taking into
account all types of funerary monuments, including the underground tombs and the tempie
tombs, there is a total number of about 300 structures (see also the new map of Palmyra in
Schnadelbach 2010).
The investigation of the tower tombs led to the conclusion that they were built according to
a strictly integrative pattern of design at least from the middle of the lst century AD [Fig. 1], The
architecture followed a uniform scheme. The tower shaft rosę from a stepped base on a sąuare
ground plan. Inside, there were several chambers situated one above the other, accessed by a wind-
ing flight of stairs. Burial shafts with loculi branched off the sides of the long chambers. The towers
are presumed to have had fiat roofs. In only two cases the upper part of the tower shaft has been
preserved: tower 71 and tower B. They show that the tops of the tower tombs were stepped back a
number of times above a profiled strip [Fig. 13]. An inscription plaąue and a relief niche appear to
have been a canonical decorative element on the outside of these tower tombs [Fig. 1],
II. Chronological development of the tower tombs
Michał Gawlikowski was the first to recognize that certain features of the oldest tower tombs from
the lst century BC differed from this scheme (Gawlikowski 1970a: 57-60). In contrast to towers
built later on the arterial roads in the valley, these earliest towers stood on the hillslopes outside
the city, in places with good exposition (Henning 2003:103, Fig. 2). The loculi of these tombs were
situated in the base and they opened to the outside of the building. The tower shaft contained
nothing but the staircase and could be reached by a door above the base [Fig. 10],
The change in tower tomb design came around the end of the lst century BC. Although there
is no variation in the standard construction scheme of the base and shaft for the whole construction
period of the towers, the important modification was a relocation of the loculi from outside the
structure to inside the chambers in the tower shaft, arranged one above the other. The staircase,
which formerly had the purpose of reaching the fiat roof of the tower, now connected the individ~
ual tomb chambers. A permanent scheme evolved gradualły, composed of elongated chambers
and loculi shafts opening off the longitudinal sides [F/g. !].
3 The first compilation of firmly dated tombs was given in Gawlikowski 1970a: 45-46. As far as the tower tombs are
concerned, this should be extended to include structure No. 83a (Gawlikowski 1975) and tower No. 206 (al-As'ad
2013). See also helpful additions on the foundation and concession inscriptions in Yon 2002: 223. For some of the in-
scriptions, see al-As'ad, Yon 2001.
160
Studia Palmyreńskie XII
the four known necropolises with their recognizable monuments in just two weeks (Watzinger,
Wulzinger 1932:44-76). Their maps remained valid for a long time and served as a basis for further
research on the tombs.
The first chronology of Palmyrene tower tombs was prepared by Ernest Will (1949). Michał
Gawlikowski precised the dating criteria in his publication of the tombs of Palmyra (Gawlikowski
1970a). It was to his credit that he included in his analysis all the funerary monuments and in~
scriptions known at the time. Gawlikowski also conducted archaeological research on the tower
tomb of Atenatan and the tower tomb of Kitot in the 1980s and 1990s (Gawlikowski 1990: 44; 1993:
111-115). The publication of the finds from the tower of Atenatan by Anna Witecka was the first
ever to present a fuli archaeological inventory of a tower tomb (Witecka 1994).
Fifteen of the tower tombs are firmly dated by foundation inscriptions, most of them in the
better preserved Western Necropolis.31 was able to specify additional dating criteria for the tower
tombs, allowing almost all the monuments to be classified chronologically (Henning 2001; 2013).
The emphasis was on the basie architectural pattern and the architectural decoration. Existing dec-
orative elements were documented and with this a comprehensive view of the furnishings was
acquired. The presented paper is mainly on this aspect.
The documentation of all tower tomb structures has shown that about 180 such tombs in dif-
ferent States of preservation can still be distinguished today (Henning 2001; 2013). In chronological
terms, they rangę from the lst century BC through the middle of the 2nd century AD. Taking into
account all types of funerary monuments, including the underground tombs and the tempie
tombs, there is a total number of about 300 structures (see also the new map of Palmyra in
Schnadelbach 2010).
The investigation of the tower tombs led to the conclusion that they were built according to
a strictly integrative pattern of design at least from the middle of the lst century AD [Fig. 1], The
architecture followed a uniform scheme. The tower shaft rosę from a stepped base on a sąuare
ground plan. Inside, there were several chambers situated one above the other, accessed by a wind-
ing flight of stairs. Burial shafts with loculi branched off the sides of the long chambers. The towers
are presumed to have had fiat roofs. In only two cases the upper part of the tower shaft has been
preserved: tower 71 and tower B. They show that the tops of the tower tombs were stepped back a
number of times above a profiled strip [Fig. 13]. An inscription plaąue and a relief niche appear to
have been a canonical decorative element on the outside of these tower tombs [Fig. 1],
II. Chronological development of the tower tombs
Michał Gawlikowski was the first to recognize that certain features of the oldest tower tombs from
the lst century BC differed from this scheme (Gawlikowski 1970a: 57-60). In contrast to towers
built later on the arterial roads in the valley, these earliest towers stood on the hillslopes outside
the city, in places with good exposition (Henning 2003:103, Fig. 2). The loculi of these tombs were
situated in the base and they opened to the outside of the building. The tower shaft contained
nothing but the staircase and could be reached by a door above the base [Fig. 10],
The change in tower tomb design came around the end of the lst century BC. Although there
is no variation in the standard construction scheme of the base and shaft for the whole construction
period of the towers, the important modification was a relocation of the loculi from outside the
structure to inside the chambers in the tower shaft, arranged one above the other. The staircase,
which formerly had the purpose of reaching the fiat roof of the tower, now connected the individ~
ual tomb chambers. A permanent scheme evolved gradualły, composed of elongated chambers
and loculi shafts opening off the longitudinal sides [F/g. !].
3 The first compilation of firmly dated tombs was given in Gawlikowski 1970a: 45-46. As far as the tower tombs are
concerned, this should be extended to include structure No. 83a (Gawlikowski 1975) and tower No. 206 (al-As'ad
2013). See also helpful additions on the foundation and concession inscriptions in Yon 2002: 223. For some of the in-
scriptions, see al-As'ad, Yon 2001.
160
Studia Palmyreńskie XII