Hundreds of tombs at Abila have been plundered by tomb robbers. A few robbed tombs
have been salvaged but usually with very poor results. Other tombs, like were drawn
but not excavated.
Tombs robbed between 1980 and 1982 dot the hillslope northeast of Abila.
This is the Area H tomb field where two significant tombs (H-1 and H-2) were
investigated during 1982.
Some of the most evocative artifacts from the tombs are the carved busts that
were made from local limestone. The American archaeologists nicknamed them as
"Caspers" because of they resemble to the popular comicbook character named
Casper the Friendly Ghost.
This example was the bust of
a man found in Tomb H-4 (?) during the 1994 field season.
Do I have a theory about these busts? Yes, I propose that they are servants/slaves
to provide for the needs of the dead in the
afterlife. The closest parallel would be the Egyptian custom of making Ushabti
for burial with the dead. I realize that Ushabti are not common during the
Roman occupation Egypt. Maybe local citizens of Abila, involved with Osiris/Isis cult, had
these limestone busts placed in their tombs to symbolize servants in the afterlife.
That would explain the general low quality of carving.
Casper with damage to the head.
Typical Casper sculpture. The faceless and featureless piece of sculpture is not out of place
when considering Aristoles comments about slaves:
... there can be no
friendship, nor justice towards inanimate things, indeed
not even towards a horse or ox, nor yet towards a slave
as a slave. For master and slave have nothing in com-
mon; a slave is a living tool, just as a tool is an
inanimate slave (Nicomachean Ethics VIII. xi).
Casper sculpture with traces of charcoal defining limited facial features.
Typical Casper sculpture.
Unique Casper sculpture of two joined figures.
Unique Casper sculpture made from a porous limestone.
Bust of a woman from tomb H-6 (?), locus 6008-11, 1986 season.
Bust of a child. Abila tomb.
Neathery Fuller with a "typical" crudely done Casper from tomb K-1, 1987 field season.
Columbiarium L-4 in the L tomb area, 1986.
Columbiarium L-4 in the L tomb area, 1986.
Ribbed cookpot. Might be H-2, need to confirm.
Roman bi-lanceolate style red slipped lamp from Tomb L-2, locus 2010, 1986 field season.
Compound fracture of a leg bone that had healed.
Tibia with distortions caused by Tuberculosis.
Spindle unguentarium from tomb H-32, 1992 field season.
Black slipped spindle unguentarium from tomb H--8, reg. no. 99, 1988 field season.
Roman cooking pot from 1996 season found in Tomb 58 (?), locus 58002, reg. 52.
Roman glass unguentarium from H2010.4
Late Hellenistic lamp fragment, 1984 season, tomb J-21, locus 001.
Small bell from tomb K-4.
Byzantine lamps from tombs L-2 and L-27..
Byzantine lamp from tomb L-2, Locus 2013 (Fuller 1987:figure 92b).
Early Roman cookpot from L tomb field during 1998 field season.
Echinus bowl (Fuller 1987: Figure 76a) from tomb K-1, locus 1042, reg. no. 31.
Echinus bowl (Fuller 1987: Figure 76b) from tomb K-1, locus 1002, reg. no. 43.
Roman fibula from the 1986 field season.
Funnel mouth glass flask (Fuller 1987: Figure 117a) from tomb L-2, 1986 season.
Dylecythos (cosmetic container) (Fuller 1987: Figure 118a) from tomb L-2,
Arcsolium 2, 1986 season.
Circular lamp for disk decoration of flowers in a krater (Fuller 1987:Figure 102a)
from Tomb K-1, locus 1042, 1984 excavation season.
Circular lamps for disk decorations (Fuller 1987:Figure 102b and 103a)
from Tomb K-1, loci 1048 and 1042, 1984 excavation season.
Circular lamp with an erotic decoration (Fuller 1987:Figure 103a)
from Tomb K-1.
Byzantine lamp handle decorated with a human face (Fuller 1987:Figure 91b) from
Tomb L-7, locus 7002, reg. no. 766, 1986 field season.
Byzantine lamp with cross design (Fuller 1987: Figure 94b) from Tomb L-7, locus 7006.
Modern Greek grave in Athens with lights and incense burning.
In situ photograph of unguentarium and human bones.
Bob Smith conducted tomb excavations at Abila starting in 1988. Several important discoveries
were made including one tomb in the H field with Middle Bronze Age artifacts.
MB II bowl from 1988 season. Tomb H-10?
Middle Bronze Age pottery vessel from tomb H-10, 1988 field season.
Middle Bronze Age pottery vessel.
Middle Bronze Age lamp (ca. 2000 BC) from tomb H-10, locus 001, reg. no. 115,
1988 field season.
Middle Bronze Age to Late Bronze Age lamp from locus H-13002, reg. no. 65,
1988 field season.
Roman or Byzantine Period skull from Abila tombs.
Roman Period bronze spatula from the A 86 season, tomb area H.
Roman glass unguentarium from 1990, tomb H20104, reg. no. 23.
Entrance facade of tomb H-3 (Stelai tomb) during 1986. The interior of the tomb consists of
6 loculi around a sump. It is possible that this is one of the tombs investigated
in 1959 by a salvage excavation carried out by the Jordanian Department of
Antiquities. Pottery sherds in the fill included 1 Hellenistic, ` Late Roman, 94
Byzantine and 3 Byzantine/Umayyad. Skeletal remains of 3 individuals were
identified including an infant, 3 to 5 year old child, and an adult.
Michael Fuller makes notes on a painted tomb at Abila. One of the great
disappointments was that the elite tombs were already robbed or were being
robbed at the time that the American Expedition started working at Abila.
Roman era painting of a woman (priestess?).
Painting of two cloaked women above a Corinthian capital.
The damaged painting was the result of tomb robbers
attempting to "blind" the faces.
Page updated 22 January 2006