Remarks on Water Supply in Palmyra. Results of a Survey in 2010 Author(S)

Title: Remarks on water supply in Palmyra. Results of a survey in 2010

Author(s): Karol Juchniewicz, Marta Żuchowska

Journal: Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean 22 (Research 2010)

Year: 2013

Pages: 341–350

ISSN 1234–5415 (Print), ISSN 2083–537X (Online)

Publisher: Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw (PCMA UW), Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego (WUW) www.pcma.uw.edu.pl – www.wuw.pl

Abstract: The article provides an overview of the results of a limited field survey of water supply installations in Palmyra and its environs, conducted in 2010. The catalogue of known structures was updated, the main objective being to verify the dating of Palmyra’s water system. The known wells were mapped and the remains of the Northern Aqueduct were documented. The examination of the system of water distribution within the city led to some new observations that resulted in a reinterpretation of certain structures related to water management, such as the sabil niche which was earlier considered to be a water tower.

Keywords: Palmyra, survey, water supply, water management, well, aqueduct, sabil

Remarks on water supply in Palmyra. Results of a survey in 2010 syria remarks on Water Supply in Palmyra Results of a Survey in 2010

Karol Juchniewicz,1 Marta Żuchowska2 1 PCMA affiliate,2 Institute of Archaeology, University of Warsaw

Keywords: Palmyra, survey, water supply, water management, well, aqueduct, sabil

A brief survey by the authors, conducted The Polish mission working in the Camp in October 2010 under the supervision of Diocletian had researched the nature of Prof. Michał Gawlikowski and within and chronology of the Western Aqueduct the framework of PCMA excavations in and established a typology of water pipes Palmyra, was aimed at documenting any (Meyza 1985; Barański 1997). In 2002, evidence of the water supply system within a test trench in the Great Colonnade con- the territory of the ancient city of Palmyra. tributed new data about the chronology of The main objective was to verify the avail- the water conduits under the main street of able data concerning water management in Palmyra (Żuchowska 2003). the oasis town. The catalogue of structures The present survey covered all of the observable on the ground was updated and city as well as the northern aqueduct. the mutual relationship and chronology of Based on available accounts (Tourtechot the installations was determined as much [1735] in Chabot 1897; Carle 1923) and as was possible without additional clearing newly recorded structures (Juchniewicz or archaeological testing. et alii 2010), the team examined a possible The only previous publication dealing branch of the northern aqueduct and its with relevant data from the city was an connection with the city. The collected data article by D. Crouch (1975), whereas the allowed for a new chronological approach, hydrology of the region was described covering the period from Hellenistic to by the French geologist G. Carle (1923). Early Islamic times.

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Wells and cisterns All well structures identified within the of the wells that were documented confines of the city walls were catalogued most were obviously intended for private [Fig. 1]. The results reflect the limitations use or as a source of water for buildings like resulting from a substantial part of the city temples or churches. A few wells, however remains being still unexcavated. While the — located in public spaces, e.g., close to the presence of wells in these areas is unques- portico of the Great Colonnade [Fig. 2, tionable, it is impossible to estimate how bottom] or in the vicinity of the gate to many actually existed. The number of docu- the Camp of Diocletian [Fig. 2, top] — mented structures and their distribution evidently served a public function. They shows, however, that wells were an appear to have constituted a water reserve important water supply source throughout for the populace and were an alternative the city’s existence, from the Hellenistic age to the aqueduct supply. The localization of until early Islamic times. the wells and certain data obtained during

Fig. 1. Ancient wells documented in the territory of Palmyra (Drawing M. Żuchowska)

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PAM 22, Research 2010 Remarks on water supply in Palmyra. Results of a survey in 2010 syria earlier excavations suggest that some wells permitted many wells to be dug in antiquity had been abandoned at a relatively early when the Efqa was abundant. A well on the date and were replaced by others, while southeastern slope of Gebel Muntar also some remained in use for a longer time. The tapped the Efqa source, indicating that reason for such practices must have lain in sulphurous water was used not only for architectural or urbanistic needs rather than cultic and ablution purposes, but also for hydrological problems. The use of some of daily activities. the wells in the early Islamic period suggests that the water table was high enough to supply them until at least that time. it is quite possible that well water was sulphuric and derived from the same source that supplied the Efqa Spring. In terms of geological structure, the top layers in Palmyra comprise porous calcareous rock, which enables free flow of underground water beneath the city. This may have

Fig. 2. Wells in public spaces: in Diocletian’s Camp (top) and in the western section of the southern portico of the Great Colonnade, western section (All photos by the authors)

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Western Aqueduct The survey of the course of the Western aboveground to the area of Diocletian’s Aqueduct bringing water from a source Camp. According to Barański, water in this located about 7 km west confirmed most of section of the aqueduct had been carried in the findings described by Marek Barański ceramic pipes, but the survey could not find (1997). Additional observations were made any confirmation of this idea. The change at the site of Abu Fawares, a small settle- in the aqueduct’s construction could have ment, possibly a farm, abandoned in the been connected with the presence of some past century, located approximately 3 km additional water installations. Traces of west of Palmyra, on the line of the aqueduct. a big water tank, associated with the last In this area the construction of the water phase of occupation, can still be seen in conduit changed, probably due to a change this locality, to the south of the aqueduct in ground level. Starting from Abu Fawares, [Fig. 3]. Local tradition speaks of this water the aqueduct emerged from underground channel still being used in the first half of and became a stone-lined conduit that ran the 20th century.

Fig. 3. Traces of a water tank in Abu Fawares

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Northern Aqueduct The line of the Northern Aqueduct is not which lies near tower Ts13, on the outside of visible on the ground except at Umm el- the city wall and attached to it (Juchniewicz Biyara. Traditionally, this is the point where et alii 2010: 56) [Fig. 4]. It was exposed the caput aquae was located. According to during Syrian consolidation works. The David Crouch, there is a vaulted under- castellum was rectangular in plan, approxi- ground channel with Palmyrene graffiti mately 8.80 m long and 5.40 m wide. The (Crouch 1975: 166), but a Syrian military recorded structure consists of two main installation on the spot precluded examina- parts: a big chamber, most probably barrel- tion at this time. It could have been part of vaulted, where the water from the channel a Roman aqueduct, although not necessar- was collected and a set of five small cham- ily its beginning. Traces of a qanat, probably bers. The inlet of the aqueduct was on the the one reported by G. Carle (1923: 156), northern side, close to the northeastern were identified on the presumed course of corner of the castellum. The entire structure the aqueduct, but there is no evidence to of the castellum was made of reused ele- associate it with the ancient water channel. ments, originally from tombs. The system The use of the northern aqueduct was probably served the purposes of filtering confirmed by the discovery of its castellum, water and controlling water pressure.

Fig. 4. Castellum of the Northern Aqueduct, top view from the south and view from the north

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The only known parallels come from by Vitruvius. We must, however, remem- Pompeii and Nimes (Hauk, Novak 1988; ber that the Pompeian installation was not Hodge 1992: 281–282). Vitruvius (De archi- typical of the entire Roman world. A com- tectura 8.6.1–2) described a castellum similar parison of the castella from Pompeii, Nimes to the one at Pompeii and explained how and Palmyra shows regional variations of the chamber system functioned (Callebat. design. However, without excavation, our It is thus tempting to see the Palmyrene cas- notion of the nature of the Palmyrene struc- tellum as an example of a design described ture will have to remain vague. Water distribution system in the Great Colonnade

Water distribution installations in the for a reconstruction of the most character- Great Colonnade constitute the only istic features of the Palmyrene water supply excavated part of the supply system system. The system was quite sophisticated inside the city. Archaeological research using “secondary castella” to lift water under conducted over recent decades indicates pressure probably to small reservoirs placed that the Western Aqueduct was the main atop small water towers, thus facilitating source of water for the city from the delivery to distant areas of the city [Fig. 5]. 1st century AD up to the Abbasid period, Similar structures are attested in Pompeii, while the Northern Aqueduct was used which also had to deal with problems mainly during Byzantine times (Barański with its water supply (Hodge 1996: 271). 1997; Żuchowska 2000; 2003). In Palmyra, the system had two phases. The The visible structures connected with first was Roman, while the second seems to these systems in the western and central sec- have been contemporaneous with Islamic tions of the Great Colonnade provided data water conduits.

Sabil

The survey reinterpreted the function of to a secondary castellum, but not connected some structures unearthed during Syrian with it. If there was an inlet, it was located restoration works undertaken in the 1950s. at a higher level and is no longer extant. The One of these lay in the southern portico middle of the west wall preserved a small of the Great Colonnade, near the north- hole with the remnants of a clay pipe inside, eastern corner of the Theater Fig.[ 6]. This probably part of a tap [Fig. 6, bottom right]. rectangular structure, measuring about This structure, which has not been 3.70 m x 4.70 m and 1.50 m high, was published, is commonly believed to be made of reused blocks, originally the archi- a water tower, which was used to create traves of the Colonnade. The floor was pressure in the pipelines. However, the made of bricks set in waterproof mortar lack of any connection with the nearest [Fig. 6, bottom left]. This structure was secondary castellum seems to contradict evidently a water tank. It was located close this interpretation. The use of archi-

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Fig. 5. Stone bases of water towers in the northern portico of the Great Colonnade, central section (top) and near the Theatre

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PAM 22, Research 2010 Karol Juchniewicz, Marta Żuchowska syria traves of the Great Colonnade suggests have been filled by hand.I n the opinion of a later date of construction, most prob- the authors, it is very likely that this feature ably after the final collapse of the pipeline was a sabil, that is, a water-house provid- water system, which explains the lack of ing free drinking water to the public. Its a connection with it. The structure, which location in the centre of the city, close to was definitely used for water storage, must the main mosque (Genequand 2008) also

Fig. 6. Water tank near the Theatre , probable sabil: top, view of the structure from the southeast; bottom left, remains of the floor inside the tank against the east wall; right, clay pipe running through the west wall (seen from outside), probably part of a tap

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PAM 22, Research 2010 Remarks on water supply in Palmyra. Results of a survey in 2010 syria supports this idea. However, the appear- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ance of such a feature in Islamic cities We would like to thank the authorities of does not seem to be earlier than the 12th the Palmyra Museum, Mr. Waleed al-As’ad century (Bosworth 1995). The chronol- and Mr. Khalil al-Hariri, without whose ogy of the Palmyrene sabil remains unclear help and goodwill this limited survey could and awaits further study. not have been undertaken.

Dr. Karol Juchniewicz [email protected] Dr. Marta Żuchowska Institute of Archaeology, University of Warsaw 00-927 Warsaw, Poland, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28 [email protected]

REFERENCES Sources Vitruvius, De Architectura Vitruve, De l’architecture VIII, transl. and ed. L. Callebat, Paris: Les Belles Lettres, 1973

Barański, M. 1997 The Western Aqueduct in Palmyra, Studia Palmyreńskie 10, 7–17 Bosworth, C.E. 1995 sv. Sabil [in:] C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, W.P. Heinrichs, G. Lecomte (eds), The Encyclopedia of Islam VIII, new ed., Leiden: Brill Carle, G. 1923 de l’alimentation en eau de Palmyre dans les temps actuels et anciens, La Géographie 40/2, 153–160 Chabot, J.-B. 1897 les ruines de Palmyre en 1735 [in:] J.-B. Chabot, Notes d’épigraphie et d’archéologie orientale, Journal asiatique 1897, 335–355 Crouch, D. 1975 The water system of Palmyra, Studia Palmyreńskie 7, 151–186 Genequand, D. 2008 an Early Islamic mosque in Palmyra, Levant 40/1, 3–15 Hauk, G.F.W., Novak, R.A. 1988 Water flow in the Castellum at Nîmes, AJA 92, 393–407 Hodge, A.T. 1992 Roman Aqueducts and Water Supply, London: Duckworth Archaeology 1996 in Vitruvium Pompeianum. Urban water distribution reappraised, AJA 100, 261–276 Juchniewicz, K., As‘ad, Kh., al Hariri, Kh. 2010 The defense wall in Palmyra after recent Syrian excavations, Studia Palmyreńskie 11, 55–73 Meyza, H. 1985 remarks on the Western Aqueduct at Palmyra, Studia Palmyreńskie 8, 27–33

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Żuchowska, M. 2000 Quelques remarques sur la Grande Colonnade à Palmyre, Bulletin d’études orientales 52, 187–193 2003 palmyra. Test trench in the street of the Great Colonnade. PAM 14 (Reports 2002), 291–294

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polish archaeology in the mediterranean XXII research 2010 contents

contents

Acknowledgments ...... 10 Obituaries Michał Neska ...... 11 Piotr Parandowski...... 13 Adam Stefanowicz ...... 15 Zygmunt Wysocki ...... 17 Abbreviations and standard references...... 19 Pam RePORTS Pcma field missions and projects in 2010 (with map)...... 23 Egypt Alexandria Excavations and preservation work on Kom el-Dikka. Preliminary report 2009/2010 Grzegorz Majcherek ...... 33 Marea Eleventh season of excavations at Marea (2010) Krzysztof Babraj, Hanna Szymańska , Anna Drzymuchowska, Nina Willburger.... 55 Appendix: The harbor jetties of Marea Krzysztof Babraj...... 67 Tell El-Retaba Tell el-Retaba, season 2010 Sławomir Rzepka, Jozef Hudec, Łukasz Jarmużek...... 79 Appendix: Tell el-Retaba 2010. Preliminary report on archaeobotanical investigations Claire Malleson ...... 90 Tell el-Retaba, season 2010: Pottery report Anna Wodzińska ...... 96

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TELL EL-MURRA Tell el-Murra (Northeastern Nile Delta Survey). Season 2010 Mariusz A. Jucha, Katarzyna Błaszczyk, Artur Buszek, Grzegorz Pryc ...... 105 Tell el-Ghaba Geophysical survey at Tell el-Ghaba, 2010 Tomasz Herbich...... 121 Deir El-Bahari Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari. Seasons 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 Zbigniew E. Szafrański ...... 131 New stone sculptures of Hatshepsut from Deir el-Bahari Aliaksei Shukanau ...... 152 Valley of the Kings Polish Epigraphical Mission in the Tomb of Ramesses VI (KV 9) in the Valley of the Kings in 2010 Adam Łukaszewicz...... 161 Appendix: Three-dimensional spatial information system for the graffiti inside the Tomb of Ramesses VI (KV 9) in the Valley of the Kings Wiesław Małkowski, Miron Bogacki...... 165 Sheikh abd el-gurna The hermitage in Sheikh Abd el-Gurna (West Thebes): excavations, studies and conservation in 2009 and 2010/2011 Tomasz Górecki ...... 171 Preliminary Remarks on the Architecture of Theban Tomb 1152 at Sheikh Abd el-Gurna Patryk Chudzik ...... 193 The Gurna Manuscripts (hermitage in MMA 1152), conservation report, 2010 Anna Thommée...... 199 berenike The late Roman harbor temple of Berenike. Results of the 2010 season of excavations Joanna Rądkowska, Steven E. Sidebotham, Iwona Zych...... 209

Sudan DONGOLA Archaeozoological research on animal remains from excavations in Dongola (Sudan) in 2010 Marta Osypińska ...... 229

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The Mosque Building in Old Dongola. Conservation and revitalization project Artur Obłuski, Włodzimierz Godlewski, Wojciech Kołątaj, Stanisław Medeksza , Cristobal Calaforra-Rzepka...... 248 banganarti Banganarti and Selib. Season 2010 Bogdan Żurawski, Tomasz Stępnik, Mariusz Drzewiecki, Tadeusz Badowski, Aneta Cedro, Katarzyna Molga, Katarzyna Solarska, Tomasz Włodarski ...... 273 Appendix: Archaeological research report from Selib 2 (2010 season) Roksana Hajduga ...... 287 The enclosure walls of Banganarti and Selib after the 2010 season Mariusz Drzewiecki ...... 295 FOURTH CATARACT Hagar el-Beida 1. Excavations of the “royal” tumulus (No. 10) in 2010 Marek Chłodnicki, Tomasz Stępnik ...... 309

Lebanon JIYEH Preliminary report on the 2010 excavation season at Jiyeh (Porphyreon) Tomasz Waliszewski, Mariusz Gwiazda...... 321 Fishing gear from Jiyeh (Porphyreon). Preliminary report Agnieszka Szulc-Kajak ...... 334

Syria palmyra Remarks on water supply in Palmyra. Results of a survey in 2010 Karol Juchniewicz, Marta Żuchowska...... 341 TELL ARBID Preliminary results of the fifteenth field season of joint Polish–Syrian explorations on Tell Arbid (2010) Piotr Bieliński ...... 351 Ninevite 5 kitchen from Tell Arbid (Sector W) Andrzej Reiche, Anna Smogorzewska ...... 371 Set of second millennium BC unbaked clay objects from Tell Arbid Agnieszka Szymczak ...... 387 Decorative motifs on Early Incised/Excised Ninevite 5 pottery from Tell Arbid Cezary Baka, Jacek Hamburg...... 421

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Animal bone remains from Tell Arbid (season 2009) — Archaeozoological analysis Joanna Piątkowska-Małecka, Anna Smogorzewska...... 439 Tell Arbid. Adam Mickiewicz University excavations in Sector P (spring season of 2010) Rafał Koliński ...... 451 kuwait AS-SABBIYA Archaeological survey in the eastern As-Sabbiya (north coast of Kuwait Bay), seasons 2009–2010 Łukasz Rutkowski ...... 479 Tumuli graves and desert wells in the As-Sabbiya. Preliminary excavation report on the spring season in 2010 Łukasz Rutkowski ...... 493 Tumulus grave SMQ 49 (As-Sabbiya, Kuwait). Preliminary report on the investigations in 2009–2010 Maciej Makowski...... 518 Tumulus grave SMQ 30 in As-Sabbiya – Mugheira (northern Kuwait). A report on the 2007–2008 investigations Andrzej Reiche...... 528

IraN Khone-ye Div Khone-ye Div. Preliminary report on the second and third seasons of Irano–Polish excavations (2009 and 2010) Barbara Kaim, Mohammad Bakhtiari, Hassan Hashemi ...... 543 Pam Studies

Pottery from Bahra 1 (Kuwait). New evidence for the presence of Ubaid culture in the Gulf Anna Smogorzewska ...... 555 Ground and pecked stone industry of Bahra 1, an Ubaid-related settlement in Northern Kuwait Marcin Białowarczuk ...... 569 Shell objects from Tell Rad Shaqrah (Syria) Dariusz Szeląg ...... 587

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Anthropomorphic figurines of the second millennium BC from Tell Arbid, preliminary report Maciej Makowski ...... 617 Execration again? Remarks on an Old Kingdom ritual Teodozja I. Rzeuska ...... 627 The Solar Altar in the Hatshepsut temple at Deir el-Bahari Teresa Dziedzic ...... 635 Roman clay lantern from Bijan Island (Iraq) Maria Krogulska, Iwona Zych ...... 651 Archbishop Georgios of Dongola. Socio-political change in the kingdom of Makuria in the second half of the 11th century Włodzimierz Godlewski ...... 663 Medieval transcultural medium: beads and pendants from Makurian and post-Makurian Dongola in Nubia Joanna Then-Obłuska...... 679 Index of sites ...... 721 Guidelines for authors ...... 722 PCMA Publications...... 723

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