DASI

digital archive for the study of pre-islamic arabian inscriptions


SITE INFORMATION

Ancient nameMrbm
CountryYemen
Geographical areaal-Bayḍāʾ
Governorateal-Bayḍāʾ
KingdomḤimyar
CoordinatesLatitude: 13° 56' 9.5"    Longitude: 45° 29' 18"    
Coordinates accuracycertain
Type of siteModern site with reemployed inscriptions or artefacts
TribeRdmn w-Ḫwln
Deitiesʿm ḏ-Rymtm bʿl ẓr Nwʾn
ʿṯtr S²rqn
ʿṯtr bʿl k wr Ks¹dm
StructuresDwelling (indeterminate)
Dwelling (concentrated)
Terrace cultivation
Rock inscriptions
Light hydraulic structure (ex. canal, well)
Location and toponomyThe toponym Mrbm is mentioned as a city (hgr) in the inscription MAFRAY-ad-Dimn 1, the rock inscription found a few kilometres to the west of the airport of al-Bayḍâʾ’. The ancient toponym has been preserved in the modern dhî-Marib, a village close to the place where the inscription was found.
History of research1980: the French mission in the Yemen Arab Republic discovers the inscription MAFRAY-ad-Dimn 1 that mentions the ancient toponym Mrbm identified as the current dhî-Marib.
No research has been carried out on the site of dhî-Marib.
General descriptionThe inscription MAFRAY-ad-Dimn 1 mentions the agricultural activities carried out in the area, the excavation of a well close by the city of Mrbm as well as the building of a house in this village.
ChronologyThe only ancient inscription that mentions this site, MAFRAY-ad-Dimn 1, is dated to the mid- 2nd century AD after the mention of lord Whbʾl Yḥz of the family Mʿhr w-ḏ-Ḫwln, prince of the tribes of Radmân and Khawlân.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Robin and Brunner 1997Robin, Christian J. and Brunner, Ueli 1997. Map of Ancient Yemen/Carte du Yémen antique. 1:1.000.000. Munich: Staatliches Museum für Völkerkunde.
Robin and Bāfaqīh 1981: 67-73, pl. IRobin, Christian J. and Bāfaqīh, Muḥammad ʿA. 1981. Deux nouvelles inscriptions de Radmān datant du IIe siècle de l'ère chrétienne. Raydān, 4: 67- 87.