The
Propylaeum is the monumental entrance gateway to the temple precinct.
It consists of a flight of steps leading into the hexagonally-paved Lower
Temenos.
Although the Propylaeum
Steps have been surveyed, their dates and construction have not been securely
phased. The Temple Complex underwent dramatic spatial changes during its
life span, and these are also reflected in the Propylaeum Steps. Their
present appearance is not to be confused with the original access to the
precinct, for they post-date the erection of the east-west retaining wall
facing the Colonnaded Street. Subsequently modified after the street was
paved in ca. 76 CE, their present orientation reflects their re-building
at the same time or slightly later than the Street. At that time, they
served as the entrance from the street into Temple Precinct. The location
of the earliest Propylaeum entrance is problematic; specific dates for
the construction of these steps is unclear. Further archaeological investigations
will be designed to locate structural evidence in this area.
The Propylaeum Steps
are in a state of disarray, however, the lower eight steps that face the
Colonnaded Street seem to stand largely as they were in antiquity. The
upper steps are largely eroded.
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The
Propylaeum steps (looking south). |
To the
west of the Propylaea Steps, an arched walkway or corridor, was found
in 1998, which was constructed parallel to the Colonnaded Street, was
excavated by Katrina Haile in Trench 51 to a 3.50 m depth. Between the
upper and lower east-west retaining walls, this corridor was constructed
earlier than the present day steps leading from the Colonnaded Street
into the Temple precinct. The excavators noted that the Propylaea Steps
wall was constructed with a number of voussoirs (arch ashlars), and that
the upper east-west retaining wall was an original terrace wall of the
precinct. The lower retaining wall, however, was probably contemporary
to the building of the steps and the Colonnaded Street. These observations
will have to be confirmed by future excavation.
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The
Propylaeum, the Colonnaded Street at bottom, the Lower Temenos at
top. |
Large amounts of roof
tiles suggest that this area was originally covered. Tesserae were found
as well as decorative plaster and coins. Architectural fragments numbered
75, and of these six elephant sculptural elements were recovered, which
suggests that the elephant capitals associated with the Lower Temenos
colonnades also may have been part of the Propylaeum architectural program.
Recent consolidation
efforts have been made to facilitate visitor-tourist access from the Colonnaded
Street to the Great Temple's Lower Temenos.
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