Syrian - Swiss Archaeologists: Pictures of Humans Unearthed in Palmyra

Syrian - Swiss Archaeologists: Pictures of Humans Unearthed in Palmyra

By H. Zain
Monday, 18 January 2010 12:07

Qasr_al-_Heir_al-Sharki_syria
The Syrian-Swiss archaeologists of Joint Excavation Expedition made four probings in Qasr al- Heir al-Sharki (The Eastern Walled-Palace) through which, walls made of adobe, stones and mud were unearthed.

Two gypsum pictures were discovered in the probings. The first picture portrays a horseman, riding his horse, wearing an oriental dress and holding in his left hand his horse's bridle and in his right hand a dove.

Botanical decorations appear behind the horseman. The second picture shows a lady and human images.

The expedition also discovered fractions of potteries, and glass and bones during the exploration works.

Striking for its barren desert location, its orange walls rising seemingly from nothing, this castle was built in around 700 A.D. by the Umayyads, Islam's first dynasty.

The fortress served both as a stop on caravan routes from Mesopotamia to Syria, and as an outpost to maintain control in a region once menaced by tribal wars.

The site is fascinating for its bizarre amalgamation of Byzantine, Mesopotamian, Persian, and local architectural styles, and for its minaret, the third oldest in Islam, to which curiously no mosque has been attached. Well worth the short detour from Palmyra.(SANA)

Global Arab Network

http://www.english.globalarabnetwork.com/201001184410/Culture/syrian-swiss-archaeologists-pictures-of-humans-unearthed-in-palmyra.html