House of Priests: Difference between revisions
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The house is 440.5 m2 and has a total of 15 rooms with one entrance at H2-D6. There is a room that is labeled as a bakery on account of the discovery of an oven and kneading trough in room H2-D10. Among the other evidence that is referenced when calling this the House of Priests is the character of the building. It is large, including two stories and a courtyard, and contains a fresco that was believed to depict a funerary scene. Also, there was formerly a door connecting the house to the temple of [[Atargatis]] and walls that are hypothesized to have supported a passage on an upper floor<ref name=":1" />. |
The house is 440.5 m2 and has a total of 15 rooms with one entrance at H2-D6. There is a room that is labeled as a bakery on account of the discovery of an oven and kneading trough in room H2-D10. Among the other evidence that is referenced when calling this the House of Priests is the character of the building. It is large, including two stories and a courtyard, and contains a fresco that was believed to depict a funerary scene. Also, there was formerly a door connecting the house to the temple of [[Atargatis]] and walls that are hypothesized to have supported a passage on an upper floor<ref name=":1" />. |
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At the time of discovery, the House has only one door, which signifies that the residents had been wealthy or of a higher status<ref>{{Cite book |last=Baird |first=Jennifer A. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/873746891 |title=The inner lives of ancient houses : an archaeology of Dura-Europos |date=2014 |isbn=978-0-19-968765-7 |edition=First edition |location=Oxford, United Kingdom |pages=275 |oclc=873746891}}</ref>. |
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=== Findings === |
=== Findings === |
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Thirty nine lamps were found room O of the house as well as a stele measuring 0.55 m. x 0.40m. |
Thirty nine lamps were found room O of the house as well as a stele measuring 0.55 m. x 0.40m. |
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Evidence of local production was found in the House. A steatite mould with a similar lead ''patera'' were discovered, implying that mould was used in production<ref>{{Cite book |last=Baird |first=Jennifer A. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/873746891 |title=The inner lives of ancient houses : an archaeology of Dura-Europos |date=2014 |isbn=978-0-19-968765-7 |edition=First edition |location=Oxford, United Kingdom |pages=185-6 |oclc=873746891}}</ref>. |
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=== References === |
=== References === |
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Revision as of 22:23, 28 November 2022
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Lead
The building that is referred to as the Priests' House at Dura-Europos is one of three buildings that was excavated in block H2. It is hypothesized to be the home of priests from the Temple of Atargatis based on its proximity to the two neighboring temples and graffito found in the third Excavation season[1].
Article body
The building that is referred to as the House of Priests was excavated between 1929 and 1930 under Maurice Pillet during the third Expedition to Dura-Europos. The house is located on the Southeastern corner of block H2, which it shares with the Temple of Atargatis and the Temple of Artemis. This proximity to the two temples lead to its classification as a place of residence for the priests in the temple of Atargatis. Additionally, there is a door between the Temple of Atargatis and the house as well as remainders of walls believed to have supported an upper floor that connected the two buildings.
The house is ornate, and similar in size to those of wealthy families, yet no precious art was found in it, further alluding to its function as a dwelling of notable, but not aristocratic, people. Also, there was an oven and a kneading trough discovered, implying the existence of a bakery room which furthers the notability of the home's inhabitants[1].
The house is 440.5 m2 and has a total of 15 rooms with one entrance at H2-D6. There is a room that is labeled as a bakery on account of the discovery of an oven and kneading trough in room H2-D10. Among the other evidence that is referenced when calling this the House of Priests is the character of the building. It is large, including two stories and a courtyard, and contains a fresco that was believed to depict a funerary scene. Also, there was formerly a door connecting the house to the temple of Atargatis and walls that are hypothesized to have supported a passage on an upper floor[1].
At the time of discovery, the House has only one door, which signifies that the residents had been wealthy or of a higher status[2].
Findings
Among the finds at the House of Priests was one of four editions of a painted plaster relief depicting the Greek goddess Aphrodite in a niche. The relief, dated from 113 B.C.–A.D. 256 and measuring 11 7/8 × 12 × 3 1/4 in, depicts the a goddess standing nude under an arch and is split horizontally into two halves[3]. She holds a mirror in her left hand and fixes her hair with her right, similar in form to Praxiteles' Aphrodite of Arles[4]. One of the other editions of this relief was found in block G5-C2 in a building that was believed to be a brothel[5]. The significance of this relief is contested, as Greek religion was not thought to be surviving at Dura-Europos, evidenced by a lack of architecturally Greek temples[6]. However, Aphrodite and Hercules were the two most depicted Greco-Roman deities and Aphrodite is hypothesized to have been worshipped domestically[7]
Thirty nine lamps were found room O of the house as well as a stele measuring 0.55 m. x 0.40m.
Evidence of local production was found in the House. A steatite mould with a similar lead patera were discovered, implying that mould was used in production[8].
References
- ^ a b c Baur, P. V. C. (1932). The Excavations at Dura-Europos (Preliminary Report of Third Season of Work November 1929-March 1930 ed.). Yale University Press. pp. 25–39.
- ^ Baird, Jennifer A. (2014). The inner lives of ancient houses : an archaeology of Dura-Europos (First edition ed.). Oxford, United Kingdom. p. 275. ISBN 978-0-19-968765-7. OCLC 873746891.
{{cite book}}:|edition=has extra text (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ "Relief of Aphrodite in a niche". artgallery.yale.edu. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
- ^ Downey, Susan B. (1977). The stone and plaster sculpture. Los Angeles: Institute of Archaeology, University of California. p. 166. ISBN 0-917956-04-4. OCLC 4389924.
- ^ Baird, Jennifer A. (2014). The inner lives of ancient houses : an archaeology of Dura-Europos (1st ed.). Oxford, United Kingdom. p. 193. ISBN 978-0-19-968765-7. OCLC 873746891.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Rostovtzeff, Michael (1938). Dura-Europos and its Art. Oxford University. p. 61.
- ^ Downey, Susan B. (1977). The stone and plaster sculpture. Los Angeles: Institute of Archaeology, University of California. p. 164. ISBN 0-917956-04-4. OCLC 4389924.
- ^ Baird, Jennifer A. (2014). The inner lives of ancient houses : an archaeology of Dura-Europos (First edition ed.). Oxford, United Kingdom. pp. 185–6. ISBN 978-0-19-968765-7. OCLC 873746891.
{{cite book}}:|edition=has extra text (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)