Page 194 - Arabian Studies (I)

178 Arabian Studies I

both with sixteen facets, and examples of this have been found in
SaiTa’3 al-Ghiras and Sirwah of Arhab.
A further development of the monolithic octagonal columns has a
capital decorated with four carved acanthus style leaves. This is the
nearest in style to the Aden capitals, but, although from South
Arabia, the only example is now in the Prince of Wales Museum,
Bombay.4 Four face of the column near the necking have been
inscribed, although the characters appear to be pseudo-early South
Arabian script, which, if contemporary, suggests that the capital was
carved some time after Islam when the script was no longer
understood.
The acanthus leaf has been found stiffly carved in two rows on a
stone pilaster capital from Ma‘rib,5 and C. Rathjens found a
luxuriant example at Shibam Kawkaban.6 This capital had three
rows of eight overlapping acanthus leaves supporting a square abacus
decorated with a rosette. With carved convex mouldings at the
necking and at the base, the column has sixteen concave flutes
separated by flat arrises. Further confirmation of the use of the
acanthus is to be found in the pre-Islamic models of classical Roman
Corinthian capitals with fluted columns, one example in alabaster
and one in bronze.
It seems possible therefore that the acanthus motif is another
instance of the Graeco-Roman influence which also introduced the
naturalistic carved panels in the early centuries of our era in
Southern Arabia.
Whether the Aden capitals are evidence of an early or a much later
adaptation from this influence depends principally in the identifica­
tion of the non-classical moulding as well as their octagonal form.
A similar alternate diamond or lozenge and vertical line moulding
has been observed on the circular columns in the eleventh-century
Dilwarra Temple at Mt. Abu and octagonal columns support the roof
of a Jain shrine there. From this one suspects the Aden capitals owe
something to Jain architecture and may bear the hand of Indian
craftsmanship.
During the laying of a new main drainage scheme for Aden Crater
in early 1963 excavations made to a depth of 13—15 feet revealed
the remains of old buildings, particularly along the Holkat (Huqqat)
Bay Road (from Lake Library to Sira Road) and Haines Garden
Road at the lower end of Aidroos Road. In these areas extensive
levelling and Filling of valleys had been carried out over uneven
ground.
Walls exposed, crossing the trenches, presumably of dwellings,
were of random sizes of stone roughly coursed, generally of good