Hajar am-Dhaybiyya
Editor: Jérémie Schiettecatte
Tomb 3.
Catalogue 2000: 248
Catalogue 2000: 248
- Tomb 3.
Catalogue 2000: 248 - Archaeological Map of Shabwa Governorate. Districts of Bayhân and Nisâb ©J.-F. Breton
By kind permission of J.-F. Breton
SITE INFORMATION
| Ancient name | Unknown |
| Country | Yemen |
| Geographical area | Wādī Ḍura |
| Governorate | Shabwa |
| Kingdom | Hadramawt |
| Coordinates | Latitude: 14° 25' 9.6" Longitude: 46° 22' 47.4" |
| Coordinates accuracy | certain |
| Type of site | Settlement |
| Tribe | Tribe: Ḍyftn Tribe: Mhrt Tribe: Rṯḥm Tribe: S¹ybn Lineage: Gdnm Lineage: Ḥbm (?) Lineage: Rṭbm (?) Lineage: S²qrn Lineage: Trfm (?) Lineage: Trfm ʾbs²b (?) Lineage: Ydʿ Lineage: Ylġb Lineage: Yṣbr Lineage: Yzʾn |
| Deities | Rḥmnn mrʾ s¹myn S¹yn ḏ-ʾlm (?) Wd (?) |
| Structures | Dwelling (indeterminate) Dwelling (concentrated) Light hydraulic structure (ex. canal, well) Large hydraulic structure (ex. dam) Rampart Small temple Graveyard Rock inscriptions |
| Language | Ḥaḍramitic |
| General description | The site is located N from Hajar adh-Dhaybiyya. The rescue excavations of the site followed a fortuitous finding and they have been concentrated in an area of 5 x 3 m. The necropolis was spread on an area 100 m large. |
| Chronology | Stratigraphy of the tombs suggests that the burials span over several centuries. Palaeographic analysis indicate for Grave 3 a date between 1st to 4th century AD. Artefacts show Roman artistic influences, especially for bronze vessels. Partho-Sassanid and Indian influences are also detectable, while some other object reveal an internal reprocessing of such influences, since the vast majority have been probably produced in the Hadramitic region, as it is confirmed by Hadramitic inscriptions incised in some of the objects. A reliable chronological placing is still under debate (A. Agostini). |
| Archaeological missions | 1984: French-Yemeni joint archaeological team |
MONUMENTS
| The burials that have been excavated are four, of these only Grave 3 was intact. The funerary structures are moreover different from each other since Grave 1 was only delimitated by small stone blocks, while Grave 2 and 3 were simply trenches with traces of a clay lining. Grave 4 was on the contrary a trench covered by a stone slab. Their layout has no comparison with the other tombs or necropolis known so far in South Arabia. Objects found in the Grave 3, together with the skeleton of a man, are impressive for their quality. It has been in fact hypothesized that the man was belonging to upper class, but in any case he was almost certainly a warrior as it is suggested by the presence of weapons. Doubts arise considering the richness of these grave goods, which could also come from a military booty. Other objects are however related to banqueting funerary rituals. |
Tomb 3.
Objects from Tomb 3.
Imported Plate from Tomb 3.
Tomb 2. Silver objects.
MAP
Your browser doesn't support Google Maps or Javascript is turned off.
RELATED MATERIAL
| Epigraphs
in CSAI Objects in CSAI |