il-Ghariyeh
135
of the suspended extension of the voussoir, acting as if by a lever, is apparently the
only force that holds the arch in place. The mouldings of the pier-caps are unusually
well turned for Christian work in the Hauran, and the stone-work throughout is exe-
cuted with excellent technique; I do not hesitate to place the building in the early
part of the fourth century.
Domestic Architecture. Among the ruins of the domestic architecture of Sammeh
there are several examples of large houses, four of which have towers. Two of these
towers are well preserved, the others are in ruins. The most northerly of the towers
that are preserved, which is situated near the church, is connected with a house the
plan of which conforms to that of the better class of houses in this region. Adjoining
the tower, on the north, is a large arched compartment, facing the east, with a low-
ceiled stable below it, like a single division of the block of houses at Medjdel (Ill. 96).
In front of the house is a court, on the north side of which is a long narrow building
of two stories with two rooms in each. The tower was built with many mortised joints,
and the piers and arches of the interior are highly finished. The house was inhabited
when I visited the place, and, for this reason, I was unable to take measurements of it.
The south tower (Ill. 113) situated on the wall of the town, belongs to a large house
which is in ruins. Westward from the tower, along the town wall, extends a long
narrow building in two stories of two rooms each. From the west end of this, a two-
story building, with two large arched rooms in each floor, runs northward, enclosing
two sides of a square court the other sides of which are occupied by long low buildings
that were presumably stables. There are a few ornamental lintels in the houses of
Sammeh, but there are no dated inscriptions in situ.
54. IL-KMEREH.
Like ir-Rushedeh, this ruin is another example of an ancient town that has been
preyed upon by neighbouring villages for building materials until scarcely a fragment
of dressed stone is to be found here. The place was originally of medium size with
many houses crowded together. The buildings, to all appearances, were chiefly of
roughly quadrated masonry, and if there were any houses, or parts of houses, of dressed
stone they have totally disappeared under the Druse stone hammer. In the northeast
part of the ruin lies a draped torso, 64 cm. high from shoulders to knees. It was
somewhat crudely fashioned; but not without merit in the treatment of a purely oriental
drapery.
55. IL-GHARIYEH.
An ancient site now occupied by a flourishing Druse village. Most of the houses
look quite new, though several of them have made use of ancient walls on one or
more sides, and more than one ancient arch now spans the meddfeh of a prosperous
native ·, while inscriptions and fragments of Christian architecture abound in new walls.
Near the centre of the town, in a section of ancient wall of finished masonry, is a
doorway flanked by thin pilasters with good, Classic, moulded caps and bases. The
lintel is now quite plain, though it shows traces of carving that has been carefully
worked off. In the middle of the lintel is a Christian acrostic of the word but
Publications of the Princeton University Archaeological Expedition to Syria, Div. II, Sec. A, Pt. 2. 18
135
of the suspended extension of the voussoir, acting as if by a lever, is apparently the
only force that holds the arch in place. The mouldings of the pier-caps are unusually
well turned for Christian work in the Hauran, and the stone-work throughout is exe-
cuted with excellent technique; I do not hesitate to place the building in the early
part of the fourth century.
Domestic Architecture. Among the ruins of the domestic architecture of Sammeh
there are several examples of large houses, four of which have towers. Two of these
towers are well preserved, the others are in ruins. The most northerly of the towers
that are preserved, which is situated near the church, is connected with a house the
plan of which conforms to that of the better class of houses in this region. Adjoining
the tower, on the north, is a large arched compartment, facing the east, with a low-
ceiled stable below it, like a single division of the block of houses at Medjdel (Ill. 96).
In front of the house is a court, on the north side of which is a long narrow building
of two stories with two rooms in each. The tower was built with many mortised joints,
and the piers and arches of the interior are highly finished. The house was inhabited
when I visited the place, and, for this reason, I was unable to take measurements of it.
The south tower (Ill. 113) situated on the wall of the town, belongs to a large house
which is in ruins. Westward from the tower, along the town wall, extends a long
narrow building in two stories of two rooms each. From the west end of this, a two-
story building, with two large arched rooms in each floor, runs northward, enclosing
two sides of a square court the other sides of which are occupied by long low buildings
that were presumably stables. There are a few ornamental lintels in the houses of
Sammeh, but there are no dated inscriptions in situ.
54. IL-KMEREH.
Like ir-Rushedeh, this ruin is another example of an ancient town that has been
preyed upon by neighbouring villages for building materials until scarcely a fragment
of dressed stone is to be found here. The place was originally of medium size with
many houses crowded together. The buildings, to all appearances, were chiefly of
roughly quadrated masonry, and if there were any houses, or parts of houses, of dressed
stone they have totally disappeared under the Druse stone hammer. In the northeast
part of the ruin lies a draped torso, 64 cm. high from shoulders to knees. It was
somewhat crudely fashioned; but not without merit in the treatment of a purely oriental
drapery.
55. IL-GHARIYEH.
An ancient site now occupied by a flourishing Druse village. Most of the houses
look quite new, though several of them have made use of ancient walls on one or
more sides, and more than one ancient arch now spans the meddfeh of a prosperous
native ·, while inscriptions and fragments of Christian architecture abound in new walls.
Near the centre of the town, in a section of ancient wall of finished masonry, is a
doorway flanked by thin pilasters with good, Classic, moulded caps and bases. The
lintel is now quite plain, though it shows traces of carving that has been carefully
worked off. In the middle of the lintel is a Christian acrostic of the word but
Publications of the Princeton University Archaeological Expedition to Syria, Div. II, Sec. A, Pt. 2. 18