DOI article:
Henning, Agnes: The tower tombs of Palmyra: chronology, architecture and decoration
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26423#0164
Agnes Henning
as smali yellow leaves were painted in the background. Therefore, the heads should be interpreted
as Dionysian masks. Some of the circular ornaments, painted in different colors, show a few smali
flowers and leaves. They can be interpreted in connection with the masks as wreaths. The regular
arrangement of the masks and wreaths is interrupted at the approximate apex of the vault by
a cassette panel with a four-leaf rosette [Fig, 8], which however does not form the real central point
of the ceiling. The rangę of colors of this decor includes dark red, orange, yellow, turąuoise, white,
brown, black, green, pink and grey.
The iconographic repertoire represented by the mural painhngs from the tower tombs is known
from the preserved stone monuments in Palmyra and hence comes as no surprise. Garlands, vine,
Dionysiac motifs and figures of Nike are often found in funerary contexts in Palmyra. Dionysiac motifs
represented a rich and light-hearted world of ideas and bełiefs, while Nike honored individual people.
Mural paintings in the tower tombs of the first half of the lst century AD may have been in-
troduced when the buildings were constructed or they could have been added afterwards to up-
grade the tower tombs visually. Thereby, individual tombs would have been marked with painted
garlands around the loculi and chambers would have been decorated as a whole, e.g., the arch
and the cassette ceiling.
II.2 Tower tombs of the middle of the Ist century
The basie pattern of the tower tombs became established around the middle of the lst century
AD. A elear example for this is the tower tomb of Kitot from AD 40, located in the Western Necro-
polis [Fig. 12]. The blocks used in the masonry were much larger than before, but still irregular.
Stone for the tower was ąuarried directly from the slope above the tomb, saving thus on transport
distance. Here there is the first preserved example of a relief niche. It is located in the eastern side,
facing the path coming from the city. The entrances on the other hand are in the north and south
sides (Will 1951: 74; Colledge 1976:119) [Fig. 12, plan],
Spanning the niche was a round arch decorated with a vine tendril [Fig. 9]. The founder of the
tomb was shown reclining on a kline together with his wife and two sons. Historie (IFPO Damas
negative No. 5149) and new photographs madę it possible to document the preserved painting of
this relief niche. The figures were painted against a background of vine leaves. Traces of painting
in red and turąuoise can be discerned on the relief. The founding inscription was located on the
door lintel and between the legs of the kline in the relief niche. The ground plan shows that in this
case also the ground (first) floor and the second floor were accessed separately [Fig. 12, plan], The
three lower floors had a regular ground plan, whereas those above them followed a deviating
chamber plan. A special feature here are the smali chambers instead of narrow loculi shafts; burials
were walled up in these chambers as in sarcophagi. Obviously, less economical burial chambers
existed side by side with the space-saving burials in loculi.
The well preserved tower 71 from the Western Necropolis is missing the foundation inscription,
but it can be classified as belonging to the middle of the lst century AD on architectural grounds
[Fig. 13]. The masonry consisted of larger, nearly regular building blocks, which were ąuarried from
the rock slope directly behind the tomb. The faęade is pierced with a niche crowned with a rounded
arch; it may have contained a relief. The upper part of the tower shaft is surrounded by a dentil
molding and stepped back. The top of this building, which is 26 m high, has not been preserved.
The ground plan shows a regular arrangement of the chambers according to one scheme [Fig. 13,
plan]. This was madę possible by a staircase located in a corner of the tower, instead of leading
round on four sides. This regularity is due to a morę detailed planning of the building project.
II.3 Tower tombs of the second half of the Ist
AND FIRST HALF OF THE 2ND CENTURY AD
Tower tombs underwent a distinct change after the middle of the lst century AD. The basie pattern
of the ground plan and the exterior of the building had already been established by then. A sub-
162
Studia Palmyreńskib XII
as smali yellow leaves were painted in the background. Therefore, the heads should be interpreted
as Dionysian masks. Some of the circular ornaments, painted in different colors, show a few smali
flowers and leaves. They can be interpreted in connection with the masks as wreaths. The regular
arrangement of the masks and wreaths is interrupted at the approximate apex of the vault by
a cassette panel with a four-leaf rosette [Fig, 8], which however does not form the real central point
of the ceiling. The rangę of colors of this decor includes dark red, orange, yellow, turąuoise, white,
brown, black, green, pink and grey.
The iconographic repertoire represented by the mural painhngs from the tower tombs is known
from the preserved stone monuments in Palmyra and hence comes as no surprise. Garlands, vine,
Dionysiac motifs and figures of Nike are often found in funerary contexts in Palmyra. Dionysiac motifs
represented a rich and light-hearted world of ideas and bełiefs, while Nike honored individual people.
Mural paintings in the tower tombs of the first half of the lst century AD may have been in-
troduced when the buildings were constructed or they could have been added afterwards to up-
grade the tower tombs visually. Thereby, individual tombs would have been marked with painted
garlands around the loculi and chambers would have been decorated as a whole, e.g., the arch
and the cassette ceiling.
II.2 Tower tombs of the middle of the Ist century
The basie pattern of the tower tombs became established around the middle of the lst century
AD. A elear example for this is the tower tomb of Kitot from AD 40, located in the Western Necro-
polis [Fig. 12]. The blocks used in the masonry were much larger than before, but still irregular.
Stone for the tower was ąuarried directly from the slope above the tomb, saving thus on transport
distance. Here there is the first preserved example of a relief niche. It is located in the eastern side,
facing the path coming from the city. The entrances on the other hand are in the north and south
sides (Will 1951: 74; Colledge 1976:119) [Fig. 12, plan],
Spanning the niche was a round arch decorated with a vine tendril [Fig. 9]. The founder of the
tomb was shown reclining on a kline together with his wife and two sons. Historie (IFPO Damas
negative No. 5149) and new photographs madę it possible to document the preserved painting of
this relief niche. The figures were painted against a background of vine leaves. Traces of painting
in red and turąuoise can be discerned on the relief. The founding inscription was located on the
door lintel and between the legs of the kline in the relief niche. The ground plan shows that in this
case also the ground (first) floor and the second floor were accessed separately [Fig. 12, plan], The
three lower floors had a regular ground plan, whereas those above them followed a deviating
chamber plan. A special feature here are the smali chambers instead of narrow loculi shafts; burials
were walled up in these chambers as in sarcophagi. Obviously, less economical burial chambers
existed side by side with the space-saving burials in loculi.
The well preserved tower 71 from the Western Necropolis is missing the foundation inscription,
but it can be classified as belonging to the middle of the lst century AD on architectural grounds
[Fig. 13]. The masonry consisted of larger, nearly regular building blocks, which were ąuarried from
the rock slope directly behind the tomb. The faęade is pierced with a niche crowned with a rounded
arch; it may have contained a relief. The upper part of the tower shaft is surrounded by a dentil
molding and stepped back. The top of this building, which is 26 m high, has not been preserved.
The ground plan shows a regular arrangement of the chambers according to one scheme [Fig. 13,
plan]. This was madę possible by a staircase located in a corner of the tower, instead of leading
round on four sides. This regularity is due to a morę detailed planning of the building project.
II.3 Tower tombs of the second half of the Ist
AND FIRST HALF OF THE 2ND CENTURY AD
Tower tombs underwent a distinct change after the middle of the lst century AD. The basie pattern
of the ground plan and the exterior of the building had already been established by then. A sub-
162
Studia Palmyreńskib XII