Editor: Jérémie Schiettecatte
Ancient name | Unknown |
Country | Yemen |
Geographical area | Dhamār |
Governorate | Dhamār |
Kingdom | Ḥimyar |
Coordinates | Latitude: 14° 26' 23.6" Longitude: 44° 35' 49.52" |
Coordinates accuracy | certain |
Type of site | Hydraulic structure |
Tribe | Yhbs²r |
Deities | ʾs¹ʾy Hyfʿm |
Structures | Large hydraulic structure (ex. dam) Rock inscriptions |
Language | Sabaic |
Location and toponomy | The site of al-Kawla is located halfway between Dhamâr and Radâʿ, on the southern border of the asphalted road, close to Ihla, 5 km north of Hakir. Coordinates of the ancient dam: N14,43971° E44,59714° Coordinates of the village: N 14,4466° E44,5955° The site is alternatively called al-Kawla, Sadd al-Kawla, maʾjil Kubâs al-Kawla, Ḥayd Maḥaqir. |
History of research | Late 1990s: the site was recorded within the Dhamar Survey Project (dir. T. Wilkinson) under n° DSF 28. 2004: visit and localisation of the site by the French Archaeological Mission Qatabân (dir. Ch. Robin) Late 2000s: the site was visited by Kh. Numan who found several South Arabian inscriptions (Numan 2012). |
General description | The site includes a dam located at an altitude of 2269 m. It is formed by a wall 5 m thick that crosses the course of the wâdî for 142 m. Some rock inscriptions have been found by Kh. Numan (2012) close to the village of al-Kawla, in the north piedmont plain of Ḥayd Maḥaqir. Numan mentions 17 rock inscriptions consecrated to the deity ʾs¹ʾy and Hyfʿm incised by some members of the Yhbs²r tribe. |
Chronology | According to the palaeography, the inscriptions are dated from the 1st to the 3rd centuries AD. |
south of Hakir (Hkrm) |