Area A: Acropolis East

In 2010 John Tidmarsh opened three plots to the east of the Acropolis Palace, where wall lines were clearly visible. Most of the construction uncovered seems to have been carried out during the later second or early first century BCE, about the same time as Phase III in the Acropolis south area.

Eastern Sigillata A ceramics and lamps support this dating, though some coins point to the existence of earlier structures not yet uncovered.

Numerous ceramic ‘gaming pieces’, as well as one ceramic dice, suggest that some of these buildings functioned as barracks. The high percentage of equid bones recovered from Area A outside the Acropolis Palace could be consistent with a small cavalry detachment.

Report:

• John Tidmarsh, 'The Eastern Acropolis', in Jebel Khalid on the Euphrates Volume Five: Report on excavations 2000-2010. Mediterranean Archaeology Supplement 10 (Sydney, 2016) 5-7.

Other publications
Trench plans 2010
Field books

The Australian Mission to Jebel Khalid is a joint project of the
Australian National University and the University of Melbourne.