Ṣanʿāʾ MM 3630
By kind permission of GOAM
DEPOSIT INFORMATION
| Deposit | Ṣanʿāʾ, Military Museum, MM 3630 |
SUPPORT INFORMATION
| Support type | Artefact » Altar | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Shape | Squared | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Material | Stone | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Measures | h. 40, w. 80, th. 50 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Decoration |
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| Decoration |
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| Notes on support and decorations | Fragmentary squared altar reproducing a temple model. The four sides depict the facades of a temple and are completely decorated with the motif of false windows and false doors. Multiple rows of rectangular dentils with decreasing dimension: one above the inscription; one below the inscription and one above the false window motif. The top is flat with a frame slightly in relief. On one of the short sides, inside a rectangular field, female figure with frontal body, raised arms and face in profile. Long dress with vertical incisions with wide shawl (see also Arbach and Audouin 2004: fig. 30); for comparison see the dress of the female dancing figures in the "cultic scene n. 6" of the pillar 1 B in Nashshān's temple of ʾrnydʿ (Arbach and Audouin 2004: figs 7-8). Long hairs, profile aquiline, two or three necklaces and a long pendant (or monogram) decorating the dress. U-shaped symbol referred to Nbʿl (boomerang or crescent according to Robin 2002, 195). Note: originally one of the sides (A) was decorated with a protruding frieze of ibexes; just part of the legs is now readable (Robin 2002: 195). For comparison see MM 120. Low relief. |
ORIGIN AND PROVENANCE
| Modern site | Kamna |
| Ancient site | Kmnhw |
| Geographical area | Jawf - Wādī Madhab |
| Country | Yemen |
| Link to site record |
CULTURAL NOTES
This altar is a magnificent example of a South Arabian temple model, decorated with the false window motif. On one of the short sides the entrance of the temple is clearly visible. On the other one, a representation of a woman with a caption of her name interestingly resembles the feminine figures of the dancing Banāt ʾl of the intra-muros temple of as-Sawdāʾ.
EPIGRAPHS
| Title | Ṣanʿāʾ MM 3630 bis |
| Language | Ancient South Arabian » Minaic » Central Minaic |
| Link to epigraph record | |
| Title | Ṣanʿāʾ MM 3630 |
| Language | Ancient South Arabian » Minaic » Central Minaic |
| Link to epigraph record |
BIBLIOGRAPHY
| Arbach and Audouin 2004 | Arbach, Mounir and Audouin, Rémy 2004. Nouvelles découvertes archéologiques dans le Jawf (République du Yémen). Opération de sauvetage franco-yéménite du site d'as-Sawdâʾ (l'antique Nashshân). Temple intra-muros I. Rapport préliminaire. [Ṣanʿāʾ]: Centre français d'archéologie et de sciences sociales de Ṣanʿāʾ. |
| Robin 2002 | Robin, Christian J. 2002. Vers une meilleure connaissance de Kaminahū (Jawf du Yémen). Pages 191-213 in John F. Healey and Venetia Porter (eds). Studies on Arabia in honour of Professor G. Rex Smith. (Journal of Semitic Studies. Supplement, 14). Oxford: Oxford University Press. |