Direction
Laïla Nehmé (CNRS – UMR 8167 Orient & Méditerranée)
Daifallah Al-Tahli (University of Hail, Saudi Arabia)
François Villeneuve (University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne- UMR 7041 ArScAn)
How Eveha Participates
Archaeological excavations
Location
Saudi Arabia
The 2019 Excavation Campaign at the Urban Sanctuary of Hegra
The participation of Damien Gazagne (Éveha International) in the excavation of the urban sanctuary of Hegra continued during the 2019 field season. The fieldwork successfully identified the three major occupation phases of the sanctuary, spanning from the 1st century to the early 5th century AD.
The first phase (Nabataean) involved the construction of a sacred high place associated with a lower terrace enclosed by a temenos wall. This layout offers points of comparison with South Arabian sanctuaries, such as rooms situated along the periphery of the temenos wall.
The second phase (Roman) is characterized by the transformation, in whole or in part, of the lower terrace into a place of worship for the garrison. New peripheral rooms were established, likely serving as chapels dedicated to deities—such as Jupiter of Damascus—who were the object of worship by the soldiers. The sanctuary featured two distinct entrances: the main entrance, located to the west, provided access to the tetrapylon situated at the summit of the high place. This structure was probably dedicated to the sanctuary’s primary deity.
The secondary entrance, located to the north, opened onto the lower terrace, which was dedicated, at least in part, to other divinities.
