DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45604#0032
234
Division II Section B Part 5
examples at Refadeh to be discussed later in this Part,1 are to be taken as latrinae;
other forms of the same feature are to be found within the houses, and on the ground
floor, in many houses at Umm idj-Djimal3 in Southern Syria, and in houses at Tafha,
also in the Hauran, where a structure on the second floor of a house, essentially like
those of Northern Syria, overhangs the town wall. But there are other examples,
similar in form to those cited above, which, owing to their dimensions and to their
positions, and for other reasons, cannot be regarded as latrinae. The projecting
structures corbelled out from all four walls of the top storey of the tower of the
barracks at Umm idj-Djimal3 is bottomless, and never had a bottom, and it is im-
possible to determine the use of it. This feature, as it appears in the two-storey
tower published by M. de Vogue,4 is placed above the entrance to a tower, and is
by all means too small to have been a latrina, and other examples of very small,
semi-circular overhanging structures of this kind might be quoted which, from their
position over doorways, and from their small dimensions, might be considered as a
means of defence by dropping missiles, or as in some way connected with the opening
of the door. It is rather difficult, however, to understand the reasons for placing such
a means of defense above the entrance to small and insignificant buildings such as
most of these towers are, while no such provision was made for the protection of the
entrances of any of the great villas, or the public buildings, which probably contained
objects of value, likely to inspire piratical greed, and well worthy of defense.
But as yet no very definite reason has suggested itself for the existence of such
a group of small towers as this one in Kefr Hauwar. In the basalt region to the
south, east of the Djebel Riha, we found small towers, only two storeys high, one in
each town; which I assumed to be military in character, or in some way connected
with the government administration in these ancient villages.5 Most of them have
inscriptions which add to their dignity and importance. The numerous towers that
existed in the Southern Hauran,6 often four or five in a single town, were situated in
a comparatively flat country, and were high enough to have served as practicable
lookouts for the watching of the fields and flocks. Other towers in this border region,
isolated structures erected between the frontier fortresses, were unquestionably signal
towers, and purely military in purpose.7 Similar purposes are hardly to be assigned
for the existence of the small towers in Northern Syria, especially in cases like this
at Kefr Hauwar where there is a group of them. These were certainly not houses
to be lived in, as some of the larger towers undoubtedly were. Their construction is
not for defense, like the towers of Kerratin 8, il-Burdj 9, and many of the other towns
further east, some of which have inscriptions 10 of military character. They are too
low, and situated in too mountainous a country to have been watch towers; for they
are not so high as many of the private residences. They were not signal towers for
they are not in a region of fortresses and barracks, like the great eastern frontier
country that stretches along the edge of the desert from a little south of Aleppo to
far south of Bosra. Indeed there is no self evident purpose for which they seem to
have been designed. It has been suggested that they may have had a religious origin,
1 Ills. 269, 275. 2 II. A. 3. pp. 194-205.
4 S.C. Pl. 58. 5 II. B. I, pp. 12, 18, 21. 2. pp. 65, 75, 103.
7 II. A. 2. p. I43. 8 II. B. 2, p. 75.
10 III. B. insc. 1057, III. A. insc. 177.
3 II. A., 3. p. 170.
6 II. A. 2. pp. 115, 127, 129, 137.
9 II. B. 2., p. 103.
Division II Section B Part 5
examples at Refadeh to be discussed later in this Part,1 are to be taken as latrinae;
other forms of the same feature are to be found within the houses, and on the ground
floor, in many houses at Umm idj-Djimal3 in Southern Syria, and in houses at Tafha,
also in the Hauran, where a structure on the second floor of a house, essentially like
those of Northern Syria, overhangs the town wall. But there are other examples,
similar in form to those cited above, which, owing to their dimensions and to their
positions, and for other reasons, cannot be regarded as latrinae. The projecting
structures corbelled out from all four walls of the top storey of the tower of the
barracks at Umm idj-Djimal3 is bottomless, and never had a bottom, and it is im-
possible to determine the use of it. This feature, as it appears in the two-storey
tower published by M. de Vogue,4 is placed above the entrance to a tower, and is
by all means too small to have been a latrina, and other examples of very small,
semi-circular overhanging structures of this kind might be quoted which, from their
position over doorways, and from their small dimensions, might be considered as a
means of defence by dropping missiles, or as in some way connected with the opening
of the door. It is rather difficult, however, to understand the reasons for placing such
a means of defense above the entrance to small and insignificant buildings such as
most of these towers are, while no such provision was made for the protection of the
entrances of any of the great villas, or the public buildings, which probably contained
objects of value, likely to inspire piratical greed, and well worthy of defense.
But as yet no very definite reason has suggested itself for the existence of such
a group of small towers as this one in Kefr Hauwar. In the basalt region to the
south, east of the Djebel Riha, we found small towers, only two storeys high, one in
each town; which I assumed to be military in character, or in some way connected
with the government administration in these ancient villages.5 Most of them have
inscriptions which add to their dignity and importance. The numerous towers that
existed in the Southern Hauran,6 often four or five in a single town, were situated in
a comparatively flat country, and were high enough to have served as practicable
lookouts for the watching of the fields and flocks. Other towers in this border region,
isolated structures erected between the frontier fortresses, were unquestionably signal
towers, and purely military in purpose.7 Similar purposes are hardly to be assigned
for the existence of the small towers in Northern Syria, especially in cases like this
at Kefr Hauwar where there is a group of them. These were certainly not houses
to be lived in, as some of the larger towers undoubtedly were. Their construction is
not for defense, like the towers of Kerratin 8, il-Burdj 9, and many of the other towns
further east, some of which have inscriptions 10 of military character. They are too
low, and situated in too mountainous a country to have been watch towers; for they
are not so high as many of the private residences. They were not signal towers for
they are not in a region of fortresses and barracks, like the great eastern frontier
country that stretches along the edge of the desert from a little south of Aleppo to
far south of Bosra. Indeed there is no self evident purpose for which they seem to
have been designed. It has been suggested that they may have had a religious origin,
1 Ills. 269, 275. 2 II. A. 3. pp. 194-205.
4 S.C. Pl. 58. 5 II. B. I, pp. 12, 18, 21. 2. pp. 65, 75, 103.
7 II. A. 2. p. I43. 8 II. B. 2, p. 75.
10 III. B. insc. 1057, III. A. insc. 177.
3 II. A., 3. p. 170.
6 II. A. 2. pp. 115, 127, 129, 137.
9 II. B. 2., p. 103.