Glossary

The agora, in ancient Greek cities, originally served as a meeting place for citizens, and then became the main open space serving as a political, economic and religious centre surrounded by certain public buildings.

Described in inscriptions as a supreme master, his name in Greek is Zeus Hypsistos. Master of the world and "master of the heavens", he governs the Sun (Malakbel) and the Moon (Aglibol). The iconography reveals that they are closely linked to his person. As master of the heavens, he is symbolised by an eagle with outstretched wings reigning over the stars. He is the leader of a divine triad different from that of Bel.

He is, moreover, the god who brings the rain and therefore water for crops. In a region like Palmyra where caravans were the main source of wealth, he protects his followers - essentially livestock breeders and farmers - from drought. He was also worshipped by an agrarian cult, and frequently depicted holding a bouquet of corn and fruit or a grape vine.

A flared fruit basket borne on the head of certain Greek and Roman deities as a symbol of fruitfulness.

Term for the hall in a temple in which stood the statue of the deity. It was a sacred place where only sanctuary officials who had been ritually purified were allowed to enter. This highly restricted group was called erib biti or “ones who enter the temple".

Study of variations in the magnetic or electric fields produced by differences in resistivity in the subsurface.

Electromagnetic prospecting is used in archaeology to identify and map the remains of buried constructions, before or in addition to excavation work.

A clasp, buckle or brooch, often made from metal, used to fasten a draped garment.

In architecture, an underground chamber or vault.

A hypostyle, in architecture, is a building with a ceiling supported by columns.

(Plural: loculi)

Cell in a columbarium.

Portion of a parapet between crenels.

Pillar or other marker placed on roads at intervals of one Roman mile.

Having a quadrangular ground plan surrounded by columns on all four sides.

A covered passage with a vault supported by columns or arcades on at least one side, often attached to a building and giving onto an open space.

A Greek term meaning "space in front of the temple" , referring to the entrance or vestibule of a temple. The opening of the pronaos was often composed of a colonnade.

A facade composed of a row of free-standing columns.

In classical architecture, the substructure on which a building stands.

A process by which two or more religious beliefs or doctrines were fused into one; an attempt to reconcile different beliefs into a new one that synthesizes them.

The Arabic word tell refers to an artificial mound formed by superimposed habitation layers, with each new occupation built on the ruins of the previous one. During excavations, archaeologists know that the lowest levels are the oldest and the upper levels the most recent. 

In Greek Antiquity, the temenos is the precinct or enclosure of a sanctuary, the holy ground often containing the altars and temples.

The thalamos (Latin) or adyton (Greek) is a sacred chapel where the statues of deities were placed. Located in the <>cella, it is elevated, divided into three parts and used for religious purposes.