Exquisite frescoes unearthed in Jordan

A Hellenistic tomb consisting of two funerary chambers has been recently found in Dion, one of the cities belonging to the Decapolis in the first century AD (see: Alexander, founder of Gerasa).  It was discovered by chance next to the theater that was recently unearthed.

Finding a tomb may be just one of many but finding a tomb with near intact wall paintings is an exception. All in all, the murals depict 260 figures representing humans, gods, and animals.

Right at the entrance, both walls and the ceiling depict nautical scenes in which nymphs and cupids are riding sea animals. The central medallion, in turn, is decorated with the signs of the zodiac and the planets set around a quadriga.

Starting with the chamber on the left, one discovers some gods lying on their couches while samples the goodies that are brought in by humans who are depicted to be smaller than themselves. The next wall is filled with peasants working in the fields with their oxen, but also gathering fruit and taking care of the grapevines. The last panel shows lumbermen cutting down a variety of tries with the help of the gods – a rare subject in Graeco-Roman art.

The walls of the chamber on the right are depicting the construction of a rampart in which laborers bring in the material loaded on the backs of their camels and donkeys under the supervision of architects or foremen. Stone-cutters or masons are climbing the walls, and some are involved in accidents. The last fresco probably represents a priest who is sacrificing to the guardian gods of the city.

At present, scholars are still in the process of deciphering the some sixty bits of text written in Aramaic, the local language, while using the Greek alphabet. This by itself is something extremely rare in the ancient Near East. Another oddity is that the inscriptions are presented in a way similar to modern comic books (in bubbles).

The rich iconography seems to indicate the founding of Capitolias, another name for Dion. This would fit the consultation of the gods choosing the site during a banquet, the clearing of the land (as opposed to the peasants), the construction of the wall, and finally the offerings to thank the gods after the building of the city.

A first conclusion leads to believe that this subterranean tomb of 52 m2 was built for the founder of Dion who is represented presiding over the sacrifice as depicted on the last wall in the right chamber. Once all the texts will be deciphered, we may find the name of this important personage although it may also be what is engraved on the lintel of the entrance door.

[Top picture: Two stone-cutters at work [Credit: Julien ALIQUOT/ HiSoMA 2018]