Dura-Europos

by: Baird, J.A.

About Dura-Europos
Dura-Europos is one of Syria's most important archaeological sites. Situated on the edge of the Euphrates river, it was the subject of extensive excavations in the 1920s and 30s by teams from Yale University and the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres.

Controlled variously by Seleucid, Parthian, and Roman powers, the site was one of impressive religious and linguistic diversity: it was home to at least nineteen sanctuaries, amongst them a Synagogue and a Christian building, and many languages, including Greek, Latin, Persian, Palmyrene, and Hebrew which were excavated on inscriptions, parchments, and graffiti.

Based on the author's work excavating at the site with the Mission Franco-Syrienne d'Europos-Doura and extensive archival research, this book provides an overview of the site and its history, and traces the story of its investigation from archaeological discovery to contemporary destruction.

Table of contents
Chapter 1 Dura-Europos on Ancient and Modern Frontiers
Chapter 2 Site
Chapter 3 Archive
Chapter 4 Text
Chapter 5 Building
Chapter 6 Object
Chapter 7 Conclusion
Bibliography

Reviews
“In order to properly estimate the value of Baird's short and agile monograph on Dura Europos, the reader should take into consideration the goals of the series it belongs to: Archaeological Histories … The material remains of the past are not only presented, but also contextualized: they are placed in the society that brought them to light and interpreted them … Baird's excellent book deals admirably with Dura Europos. It is well documented, interesting, and approachable for the non-specialist. It is also an inspiration for the
scholar for deep reflection.
” – Ancient History Bulletin

“Dura-Europos is one of the world's most astonishing archaeological sites, a kind of Pompeii providing a remarkable snapshot of life in the Parthian and Roman Middle East when Christianity was developing, and Islam was yet to appear. Jennifer Baird's excellent new book fulfils a longstanding need, for an up-to-date overview of the remarkable archaeological discoveries made at the site, and their significance for scholarship and world heritage. Further, it places exploration of the site, initially conducted in the 1920s and 1930s, in the context of contemporary colonial politics, doing much to explain how and why Dura's treasures came to be revealed. It is also timely for grimmer reasons, as the site has recently been devastated by looters exploiting the chaos of the Syrian civil war. Understanding and disseminating the still-unfolding story of this once-thriving city on the Euphrates is a pressing need, to preserve its testimony and draw on its historical implications. Baird's highly readable book is a major contribution to this effort.” – Simon James, Professor of Archaeology, University of Leicester, UK

“Ancient Dura-Europos sat at the crossroads of empires and cultures. Baird admirably reevaluates the excavations and scholarship that shaped our view of the city and reveals its people as never before.” – Susan B. Matheson, The Molly and Walter Bareiss Curator of Ancient Art, Yale University Art Gallery, USA

Dura-Europos

by: Baird, J.A.

• ISBN-13: 9781472530875 / 978-1-4725-3087-5
• ISBN-03: 147253087X / 1-4725-3087-X
• Bloomsbury Academic, London, 2018