Il tempio di ʿAthtar dhu-Qabḍ. Lo scavo

The contribution explores the main archaeological phases that have been detected over the area occupied by the temple of ʿAthtar dhu-Qabḍ in Barāqish (Temple B), excavated by the MAIRY between 2004 and 2006. This imposing Minaean religious structure is characterized by an ample staircase leaning against the centre of the front terrace, and by a monumental propylaeum, originally composed by six monolithic pillars; the temple’s main body is a large hypostyle hall, which is internally organized with four well-preserved offering tables and a large transept with a unique main cella opening at the centre. Among the unprecedented features of this temple are the presence of a staircase leading to the hall’s floor, at a lower level from the outside, and another internal staircase to the right of the entrance, possibly leading to an upper level. The combination of radiometric data with those coming from the inscriptions suggests with a certain confidence a late 5th c. BCE dating for the building, at the time of Waqihʾil Riyām King of Maʿīn. Two small soundings have also interested the central corridor and the area in front of the main cella, both too superficial to reveal possible previous phases of the sacral building. On the contrary, an ‘Intermediate’ phase has been detected just above the Minaean floor and attests to an ephemeral occupation after the fall of the Minaean kingdom, while some epigraphic material suggests that at this time members of the Amīr have reutilized the building to offer dedications to their god Ḥalfān (around the 1st-2nd c. CE). A long abandonment followed and during this time the temple was probably affected by a series of serious collapses. The area was again intensely occupied only during the Islamic time (from the 11th c. CE ca.). Since then, three main phases can be recognized: Ancient, Middle and Recent Islamic, with some sub-phases occasionally evident in several zones. These dense layers testify to the continuous occupation of the site from medieval to recent times. During these long phases the temple suffered further dilapidation, but some of its structures remained a solid support for some of the more long-lasting Islamic constructions.