26 Issue 69CurrentWorldArChAeology

Antiochia Hippos was a thriving metropolis, founded during the Hellenistic era and which flourished during the Roman and Byzantine periods. In its heyday, the city dominated the surrounding region, and though no longer the power it once was by the time it was razed in AD 749,

the ruins preserved beneath earthquake debris reveal evidence of a wealthy city of the Roman Empire.

Cities of the Decapolis were Hellenised-Roman poleis, united by a shared language, culture, and political purpose distinct from the indigenous Semitic culture of the region that today lies mostly

above Reverse of the Hippos city mint coin, dating to the reign of Marcus Aurelius (AD 161-180). It shows Tyche with corona muralis holding the reins of a horse, symbolising Hippos.

below The view from the southern Golan Heights, looking across the lowlands to Antiochia Hippos, which sits on the hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee.

Antiochia HipposRevealing a lost city of the Roman DecapolisAntiochia Hippos was once a famous city of the Decapolis, a group of Greco-Roman poleis on the eastern border of the Roman Empire. Destroyed in AD 749 by a devastating earthquake, it lay buried and undisturbed until excavation began in 2000. Project director Michael Eisenberg now takes CWA on a tour of this illustrious city, which is emerging from beneath the rubble.

All

IMAG

ES: M

eise

nber

g, u

nles

s oth

erw

ise st

ated

Into the cityThe Hippos-Sussita Excavation Project, a major international enterprise, has completed 15 seasons of investigation, beginning in 2000. Recent work revealed a necropolis, and to date we have uncovered a mausoleum and exposed the first burial tombs with portraiture, giving us a better understanding of the world of the dead at Hippos.

The main necropoleis are set on a hill and wadi just south of Sussita, to the east of the mountain and along the saddle-ridge. This is the only natural ridge that connects the mountain with its surroundings, and it is therefore the route for the major road to the city, which leads to the East Gate main entrance. A field of sarcophagi, strewn with hundreds of carved rectangular graves and a series of elaborate mausolea with ornate upper storeys runs along the ridge. A ditch defence cuts through the middle of the saddle-ridge, marking the city’s urban boundary. Burials in Roman times were only permitted beyond the city limits, and accordingly all the graves or mausolea found at Hippos are outside this boundary.

www.world-archaeology.com 27CurrentWorldArChAeology

israEl

within the borders of Jordan, but also Syria and Israel. Hippos, in its pomp, was one of the major players, and capital of the immediate region. It sits on Sussita Mountain, about 2km east of the shores of the Sea of Galilee in Israel, with spectacular views across the lake to its west, and the mountains of the southern Golan Heights to its east.

The location was an ideal site on which to establish a fortress – which later became a Hellenistic fortified polis: the mountain is all but cut off from the surrounding area by three riverbeds that flow around it, and connected only on the south-east side by a natural saddle that links Sussita with the

slopes of the Golan Heights. The main road was laid along this route, up to the East Gate – the main entrance of the city. On the western inclines, an ancient path snakes gradually downwards from the mountain crest towards the Sea of Galilee and its surrounding valleys.

Finding Hippos-sussitaThe sussita Mountain dominates the surrounding landscape, rising to a height of about 350m above the Sea of Galilee. The long, narrow crest drops away on its east and west sides, extending about 550m along a south-east to north-west axis, and about 150m at its widest point from east to west. The encircling sharp basalt cliffs offer superb natural defences, and it was on these that the city's fortified wall was built.

The polis of antiochia Hippos was established about 50 years after the battle of Panion in 200 bC, when the Seleucids seized control of the land of Israel from the Ptolemies. Hippos rose to become the dominant city in the region. both the Greek word hippos and the aramaic sussita mean ‘horse’, but why this name should have been given to the city remains a mystery. Perhaps it is a reference to the Seleucid horsemen veterans who first settled on the mountain.

The city was occupied for about a millennium before it was abruptly and permanently abandoned following the catastrophic earthquake of aD 749. The level of destruction and the site's isolated position high up on the mountain created a time capsule – and an archaeological opportunity to uncover a lost polis, one of the most famous of the Decapolis.

above Antiochia Hippos on Sussita Mountain.

above Map showing poleis of the Decapolis.

I S R a e l

M e d i t e r r a n e a n S e a

D e a dS e a

S e a of G a l i l e e

Jord

an R

iver

Philadelphia

Gerasa

PellaNysa-

scythopolis

Gadaraabila

Dion

Damascus

Hippos

Canatha

TYRe

aKKo-PToleMaIS

28 Issue 69CurrentWorldArChAeology

typical of that era. One tower is square, but the other – dominant – tower is round, and faces out towards the southern slopes. It is ideally placed to ward off attackers, and served as a military post with catapults or other projectile machines positioned on its upper storeys – though,

sadly, none now survive.The decumanus maximus runs

from the east of the city to the west, cutting along the

crest of the mountain and dividing the site in two. But the city’s long, narrow layout had no need for the usual cardo

One particularly fine example is a rectangular two-storey mausoleum, constructed using partially hewn basalt ashlars, that dates to the Roman period in the 2nd century AD. The lower chamber was the family’s burial vault, while the upper level, highly ornate and visible to all on their way along the main road approaching Hippos, was a proclamation of their wealth and status.

Walk on across the ditch, and further up towards the East Gate you will see the basalt sections that are part of a stone pipe (shown in the photograph opposite) that helped to ensure a regular supply of water to the city. The remains here made up the final section of an extraordinary 24km-long aqueduct, built during a period of major urban expansion in the 1st century AD to bring water from springs in the Golan Heights.

Our climb ends on a plateau at the East Gate, which opens onto the main east–west street (the decumanus maximus). The East Gate, with its two towers of basalt ashlar, was built during the Early Roman period, but its asymmetric style is not

above Yana, one of the team from Haifa University, leans against the Ionic corner capital of a pilaster from the highly ornate 2nd century AD mausoleum placed in a prominent position on the road up towards Hippos.

above Aerial view of Hippos. below Reconstruction of the bastion, showing the large and small catapults in position.

IMAG

E: d

raw

n by

D P

orot

ski, v

Pirs

ky, a

nd M

eise

nber

g

Decumanus maximus

Basilica

Bathhouse

Cathedral

Bastion

South wall

Baptistery

North-east church

www.world-archaeology.com 29CurrentWorldArChAeology

israEl

maximus (the main street that runs in a north–south orientation). Instead, several cardines intersect the decumanus maximus to create an orthogonal city plan divided into insulae.

Exploring the city So far, we have excavated the east segment of the decumanus maximus from the gate to the forum, which lies at the centre of the city. To reach this paved and slightly descending street, we have had to remove debris and topsoil up to 5m deep in places. This had gradually accumulated over the centuries following the earthquake

above Paving from the city's East Gate plaza, with the last sections of stone water-pipe to survive in situ.

of AD 749 and the subsequent abandonment of the city.

The cathedral and large baptistery are located on the left of the street. Both buildings were investigated during the 1950s as part of a rescue excavation. The cathedral is a mono-apsidal Byzantine church, constructed with reused Roman monolithic marble and granite columns robbed from earlier structures. The church was destroyed by the 8th-century earthquake, and today the great columns, which once stood 4.7m high, remain where they fell, dramatic testimony to that fateful day – and much admired by visiting tectonic experts.

The forum was paved with carefully dressed basalt flagstones, and was planned as a broadly square plaza, about 42m × 42m, bordered on three sides by colonnades.Fourteen columns of Egyptian grey granite have been uncovered, scattered across the forum’s pavement where they fell in AD 749. Many architectural fragments were also recovered amid this deposit, including bases, pedestals, and capitals made of local basalt or limestone, and of imported marble or granite.

The most significant find yet uncovered in the forum area is a 1.6m-high marble column that once held a statue at the top. It was badly damaged when the huge

Forum

Northern wallHellenistic sanctuary

Bathhouse

Kalybe

Bastion

Odeon

above A marble column with a Greek inscription that was once the pedestal for a statue.

30 Issue 69CurrentWorldArChAeology

the Roman period. However, during the Byzantine era, the north-west church was built over the remains of the temple, a deliberate symbolic gesture signifying Christianity’s victory over paganism. At least seven churches were built at Hippos during the the Byzantine period, of which five have already been either fully or partially excavated.

From the 4th century AD, we see a rapid rise in Christianity around Galilee and the Golan Heights. Hippos is no exception, and we know that the bishop Petros made his seat at Hippos as early as AD 359. Although Hippos is not mentioned by its name in the New Testament, scholars believe it is the city referred to in the text from the Gospels that reads ‘A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid’ (Matthew 5:14).

Seat of powerThe basilica is the main public building found in every Roman city, typically established next to the open plaza of

ashlars. In the middle of its main façade, facing onto the forum, is a semi-circular apse, originally roofed by a half dome. This structure has been identified as a kalybe, a temple dedicated to the Imperial cult and dated to the 2nd century AD – a reminder that here in the Roman East, it was common for Roman emperors to be regarded as divine entities.

An early sanctuary, a Hellenistic shrine or temenos, was built to the north of the forum. It is a fine piece of architecture, with an impressive wall running along its western and southern sides, of which about 40m have been excavated so far. The basalt ashlars have protruding bosses and roughly dressed margins, placed with care and precision: this was clearly an imposing building in its day.

Hellenistic shrines remained in use alongside later Roman temples, happily coexisting for a long period, and our archaeological evidence suggests this extensive sanctuary continued to fulfil its original religious function well into

monolithic columns of the colonnades came crashing down on it during the earthquake. Though the statue has not been recovered, following conservation, we were able to read a 13-line Greek inscription that refers to an aristocratic couple from Hippos: Aelius Calpurnianus, a high-ranking member of the province’s department of finance, and his wife Domitia Ulpia, who commissioned the inscription and statue in honour of the governor, or procurator, of Provincia Syria-Palaestinae in the year of 302 of the Pompeian calendar. Cities of the Decapolis began their calendar from the date of Pompey’s conquest of the region in 63 BC, so this date corresponds to AD 238/9.

The forum is bordered to the west by a monumental structure built of basalt

above Southern wall of the Hellenistic sanctuary.above RIGHT The southern side of the basilica, whose roof made it a wet-weather alternative to the adjacent forum.boTToM The basilica and the north-east corner of the forum.

below A gold pendant in the shape of a dove, with turquoise and pearls, found with a woman who was killed and trapped beneath the falling roof-tiles of the basilica during the earthquake of AD 363.

www.world-archaeology.com 31CurrentWorldArChAeology

israEl

the forum as its roofed alternative when adverse weather conditions prevailed. But it was more than a shopping and administrative centre: it was also where the tribune – or magistrates – sat.

At Hippos, the basilica lies on a north–south axis. The rectangular ashlar building measures 55m × 30m, with three entrances on the southern wall: the main one leading from the forum and the decumanus maximus to the basilica main nave, and two smaller entrances to the east and west aisles. It was built at the end of the 1st century AD, but destroyed in a great earthquake of AD 363.

The roof is supported by four colonnades that run parallel to the four walls, creating

above The odeon, a small roofed theatre, at Hippos, and (above RIGHT) an artist's reconstruction.

a central hall with four aisles. The interior walls were painted in strong shades of green, red, blue, and orange, and decorated with stucco pilasters, each one facing a colonnade column. Architectural items found among the debris included column drums, Corinthian capitals, friezes, and bases, all displaying a high standard of workmanship. The walls, columns, and capitals are mostly of basalt, though occasionally marble was used.

The basilica was destroyed by the earthquake of AD 363, and during last season’s excavation along its northern side we discovered evidence of a human tragedy that occurred during those terrifying moments – the skeletal remains of two individuals. Both were covered by roofing and tiles, suggesting they were struck and killed by falling masonry during the quake.

One, a woman, was wearing a golden pendant in the shape of a dove when she died; we found it beside her neck.

About 70m to the west of the forum is the odeon. It sits on a north–south axis, about 27m long and 21m wide. Odeon is a Greek word (ode means ‘song’) adopted by the Romans to describe a small, roofed theatre where small, select audiences would enjoy poetry readings and musical events. Such structures benefited from the acoustics attained by being a covered auditorium.

The semicircular tier of seats (cavea) faced eastwards, towards a rectangular stage structure (scaena) with the stage itself (pulpitum) at its centre. We estimate it had 11 rows of seats, with capacity for an audience of about 500 people. At the foot of these seats and in front of the stage was the orchestra, in an area paved with

below The southern bathhouse, looking towards the Sea of Galilee, showing the palaestra (open court for exercise), natatio (pool), and one of the caldaria (hot rooms).lefT A stucco-relief bust of Heracles, found during excavation of the bathhouse.

32 Issue 69CurrentWorldArChAeology

a narrow gap was made between two of the bathhouse walls. In this gap, we found hundreds of ceramic vessels and terracotta lamps dating to the mid 3rd century AD, as well as a unique relief in stucco of a Heracles bust.

During the last season, while clearing the debris of the caldarium vault that had collapsed during the AD 363 earthquake, we found part of another Roman statue. Made of marble, it is an example of superb Roman craftsmanship. Only the right leg of a muscular man leaning on a tree trunk has been recovered, but we hope to find more during the coming seasons. It once stood at least 2m high, but who or what it respresents, whether an athlete or a god, we may never know.

Mountain fortress Hippos’s fortification system is one of the most intriguing and elaborate in the region. Though the mountain is naturally well protected by cliffs and sharp slopes, during the Early Roman period the defenders decided to build a 1,550m-long city wall with towers that encircled the mountain crest. They also constructed an elaborate outwork system comprising

for a Roman city to have an odeon, it was unthinkable not to have a theatre.

Similarly, any decent Roman polis had its bathhouses, and Hippos was no exception. The bathhouse was built over the ruins of an earlier bastion on the southern cliff, enjoying westerly breezes and overlooking the spectacular panorama of the Sea of Galilee and the Jewish city of Tiberias on the west side of the lake. Just the palaestra (open court for exercises), pool (natatio), and some of the hot rooms (caldaria) have been exposed so far, but the bathhouse has nonetheless yielded several surprises. During some major renovations in the 3rd century AD,

rectangular marble slabs. Though the odeon in Hippos is smaller than those found elsewhere in the Roman Empire, it was an appropriate size for the city – and its construction was of the highest quality. It was built during the late 1st century AD, and dismantled during the 4th century. We now know that the earthquake of AD 363 left Hippos in a state of ruin for about 20 years, and some of the main public buildings, such as the basilica, odeon, and southern bathhouse, were never rebuilt.

We have not yet found the theatre in Hippos, which may be located just to the west of the odeon, and the search continues – for while it was not essential

lefT Team-members Anna and Caro are delighted to discover the leg section of a high-quality Roman marble statue.

lefT An aerial view towards the centre of the southern cliff, showing both the fortification wall, and the bastion with its series of chamber vaults.below The western corner of the bastion, over the southern cliff. Note the basalt beam foundations after the mortar has been washed away.

www.world-archaeology.com 33CurrentWorldArChAeology

israEl

Syria were stationed here, suggesting they were responsible for building the bastion. Such an unsual event could have happened during a time of emergency – possibly the Great Revolt in the Galilee in AD 66-67.

Spiral of declineHippos is just 10km west of one of the major battlefields that determined the future of the Levant: the Battle of Yarmuk in AD 636. Within a short time, the victorious Muslim forces took the region of Syria-Palaestina from the Byzantines, and shortly after Tiberias (T

˙abariya)

usurped Hippos as capital of the region. Hippos went to into a spiral of decline: when the final earthquake struck on 18 January 749, it was little more than an industrial centre.

Today, Sussita Mountain is a national park under the supervision of the National Parks Authority of Israel, on the main tourist and pilgrim route along the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee – and it is one of the most important archaeological parks in the north of Israel.

several partial footprints made by Roman soldiers as they walked across the mortar when it was still wet. The imprints show the hobnails of caliga soles – the standard footwear of the Roman Army from the ordinary soldier up to the level of centurion from the 1st century BC to the beginning of the 2nd century AD. The complete imprint, with 29 hobnail impressions, was made by a left foot caliga about 24.5cm long (a European size 38, UK 5, and US 6).

Evidence from the bastion and the caligae imprints reveal that for a short period Roman cohorts or auxiliary units based in nearby

further defence walls, a ditch that ran down the middle of the saddle-ridge, and a series of protective artillery posts. Of these defences, the most impressive is the bastion on the southern wall.

The bastion is unique. It is rectangular, about 47m long by 8m wide, with a tower, and built over a series of five vaulted chambers. It was constructed in such a way as to create a solid and uniform base for its upper fortifications, which have not survived. Though its main purpose was defence, we uncovered an 8m-long fortified section that functioned as an artillery post for a massive catapult (see illustration on p.28). Some of the five vaults were probably the bases for large catapults, capable of launching a basalt ball weighing about 18.5kg, and firing across a distance of 350m. Basalt balls of such a size were found nearby, and we recovered a number of huge stone ballista projectiles suited to a large catapult. We also found smaller basalt balls, suggesting the presence of small machines too.

The bastion was built over – and protruding from the centre of – the southern cliff, and was the main firing position along the southern fortification line of the city. From here, most of the fire power could be aimed towards the area of greatest threat to Hippos: the route of the ancient road that followed the direction of the stream flowing south of the mountain.

To our surprise and delight, at the rear of the bastion we uncovered one whole and

sourCE Dr Michael Eisenberg, Director of Hippos-Sussita Excavations Project, University of Haifa, Israel

FURTHER INFORMATIONHippos-Sussita Excavations Project is an international venture, and welcomes visitors to the site, and participants to join in the dig. For more information, visit: hippos.haifa.ac.il

above Artist's reconstruction of the fortifications around Hippos, including the second (outer) wall on the mountain slopes.

above The complete caliga imprint on the rear wall of Chamber Vault IV of the bastion, and (lefT) a 3D scan of its cast.