tour 20 of 26
Agatha Christie and archaeology
Altar frieze
An altar stood at one end of the Eye Temple,
its sides decorated with an elaborate frieze composed of decorative
bands of blue limestone, white marble and green shale and encased
in a moulding of gold foil that had been fastened to a wooden
backing (of which nothing remained when it was excavated) with
gold-headed silver nails. The stone bands were put together with
rectangular strips that had perforations at the back so that thin
copper wire could be threaded through them and attached to the
wooden backing.
It has been
suggested that the altar frieze is a form of architectural
decoration, reminiscent of façades common on temples and public
buildings at the time, where the plain mud brick walls were
relieved by niches and mosaic
decoration.
Another section
of the frieze can be seen at the Aleppo
Museum.