Page 192 - Arabian Studies (I)

176 Arabian Studies l
ANCIENT CAPITALS FROM ADEN

by BRIAN DOE

Six carved limestone capitals were discovered on the north side of
the Esplanade in Aden Crater, opposite the old minaret, during the
demolition of a timber porticoed 19th century shop and office
building and excavations for concrete foundations. They were
discovered in a row parallel with the road frontage at a depth of
about 10 feet below ground level, sited approximately beneath the
line of limber posts of the former verandah front. When 1 first saw
them they had been brought up to the present surface level so that it
was not possible to carry out measurements.
The discovery was due to the watchfulness of the Antiquities
Department guard, Abu Bakr Yafi‘T, and the capitals were presented
to the Aden Taweela Museum by the contractor Hajj Saif Nuhnan.
They are numbered item A.M. 765 in the collection.1
The capitals arc of interest for their fine carving, and are the first to
be found in Aden. No associated material was found along with them
so that their origin and dating may be difficult to assess. It seems
likely that they formed the pillared front of an early building on the
same or nearly the same site, before the development of Crater in the
1840s, when many buildings were replaced, and the ground levelled
extensively.
All the capitals are octagonal and their average sizes are 38 cms. in
height with a diameter at the top of 36 cms. They are carved in two
designs — four capitals have an acanthus design, while two capitals,
AM. 765 B and C have a series of small fluted pilasters with capitals
(formalised palms?) in the middle of each face supporting the upper
moulding.
This moulding, similar on all the capitals, is composed of a series
of panels, one on each face. These are decorated with an alternating
diamond and vertical line design, style so far unknown in Southern
Arabia. There is an additional moulding to the cappings of AM B and
C of panels with four diagonal shapes formed within the diagonal of
a continuous band. Encircling the capital are curving bands which
appear to pass behind the pilasters. On each arris they support a
formalised leaf reminiscent of Graeco-Roman vine-leaf and grape
carvings.
Monolithic octagonal columns were found at Huqqah by C.
Rathjens and H. von Wissmann2 in 1928 when they excavated the
temple structure, although these columns supported square capitals
with rows of tegulae panels. A development of this geometric style
appears to have been the circular monolithic column and capital,