MuhNas ————— Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies 54 (2014) 87–104 2014 Zeidoun al-Muheisen and Mohammad Nassar Geometric Mosaic Pavements at Ras ed-Deir, Jordan Zeidoun al-Muheisen and Mohammad Nassar T RAS ED-DEIR in northern Jordan, a church dating to 599/600 has been found to contain impressive and well- preserved mosaic pavements. We present here a com- parative study of their geometric motifs. A peculiarity of the mosaic floors is that they are today almost purely geometrical in design as a result of iconoclasm. The Ras ed-Deir church has been selected as a case study because it is one of the most important sites with a geometric mosaic pavement in northern Jordan. Our goal is to examine the specific aspects of geometric designs and to compare them with other pavements of the Roman and Byzantine periods, where influences in design within and between regions can be discerned. Ras ed-Deir in northwestern Jordan is a tell dominating its surroundings, about 900 m. above sea level ( fig. 1). Valleys sur- round it on all sides. It is in the immediate vicinity of another archaeological site, Khirbet al-Bediyeh,1 and about 15 km. south of the town of Ajloun; to the north is the village of Ku- franja. Gerasa is 20 km. to the east. The Faculty of Archaeology and Anthropology excavation team started their work at this site in 2005. The work was directed by Prof. Zeidoun al-Muheisen of the Archaeology Department in the Institute (later the Faculty) of Archaeology and Anthropology. The main results were the discovery of re- 1 For archaeological work in this area and for a map see Mohammad Nassar and Zeidoun al-Muheisen, “Geometric Mosaic Ornament at Khir- bet al-Bediyeh, Jordan,” GRBS 53 (2013) 591–609. A 88 GEOMETRIC MOSAIC PAVEMENTS AT RAS ED-DEIR ————— Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies 54 (2014) 87–104 Figure 1. The Ras ed-Deir tell from the west mains belonging to the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic periods: churches, a chapel, caves, various structures, a mosque, and cemeteries. Of the three Greek inscriptions on the floor of the Ras ed-Deir church, one, in the pavement of the north aisle, dates the dedication to 599/600 ( fig. 2): Figure 2. Principal inscription of the church ZEIDOUN AL-MUHEISEN AND MOHAMMAD NASSAR 89 ————— Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies 54 (2014) 87–104 † ἐπὶ τοῦ ἁγιωτάτου καὶ µακαριωτάτου ἡµῶν ἐπισκ(όπου) Ἰωάννου ἐγένετο τὼ 4 πᾶν ἔργων τῆς ψηφῖδο- ς τοῦ ἁγίου ἀρχαγέλου Μιχαηλ καὶ Γαβριηλ ἐκ σπουδῆς Σεργίου πρεσβευτήρου καὶ ἀρχηµανδρ- 8 ίτου ἐν ἔτει τῷ βξχʹ ἐ<π>ὶ µη(νὸς) Ἀρτηµεσίου πρότῃ χρό(νῳ) δʹ ἰνδ(ικτιῶνος). Under our most holy and blessed bishop John was done the entire work of the pavement for the holy Archangel Michael and Gabriel, through the zeal of the priest and archimandrite Ser- gius in the year 662, the first of Artemisios, indiction 4. Year 662 of the Pompeian era, which at Gerasa began in 63 B.C., places our inscription in 599/600; use of the Macedonian calendar (Artemisios) was normal for the region. The plan of the church ( fig. 3) is a basilica without apse, with a chancel, nave, aisles, and two side aisles (that on the southern side is lost). The entire floor of the church was covered with mosaic pavements. The decoration consists mainly of geo- metric patterns, though containing also a few bird and animal motifs. A plan with four aisles seems to be a rarity in churches of the region. The chancel mosaics The chancel, 3.50 m. east/west and 3.30 north/south, is en- closed by a plain strip motif ( fig. 4). 90 GEOMETRIC MOSAIC PAVEMENTS AT RAS ED-DEIR ————— Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies 54 (2014) 87–104 Figure 3. Plan of the mosaic pavements Figure 4. Plain strip motif ZEIDOUN AL-MUHEISEN AND MOHAMMAD NASSAR 91 ————— Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies 54 (2014) 87–104 The enclosed geometric pattern consists of rows of irregular octagons connected by swastika-meanders ( fig. 5). The colours of the octagons are gray, dark red, and white on a white background. The octagons have in the center a crosslet in white, dark red, and gray, with a white background. The swastika is an equilateral cross with four arms extended to right or left and bent at 90 degrees. The colours of the swastika- meanders are white on a dark red background. Figure 5. Chancel mosaic: octagons and swastika-meander Similar decoration can be found at other Jordanian sites dating from Byzantine period, for example in the nave of the Bishop Marianus chapel at Gerasa, which dates to 570,2 where the octagons and swastika-meanders are dark red on a white background. Other examples of this motif are found in both aisles of the Egumen Church at Khirbat al-Samra (Byzantine period).3 Here the design of the octagons and swastika- 2 M. Gawlikowski and A. Musa, “The Church of Bishop Marianos,” in F. Zayadine (ed.), Jerash Archaeological Project I (Amman 1986) 137–162; M. Pic- cirillo, The Mosaics of Jordan (Amman 1997) 298, figs. 581, 583. 3 J.-B. Humbert, “Khirbet es-Samra du diocèse de Bosra,” in F. Zayadine 92 GEOMETRIC MOSAIC PAVEMENTS AT RAS ED-DEIR ————— Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies 54 (2014) 87–104 meanders pattern resemble those in the Ras ed-Deir church, with colours dark red on a white background. There are two similar examples from Bulgaria: in the apse of the southern basilica at Marcianopolis (early fifth century), where the central octagons included a deferent motif such as pelta wheels; and at Sandanski, room 2 of the basilica of Bishop Ioannes (Justinianic), now in the Archaeological Museum of Sofia, where the central octagons included a fish.4 The colours of the octagons and swastika-meanders are again dark red with white background. Significantly, the motif is considerably older, already in use in the Hellenistic period and common throughout the Roman period—thus e.g. the Domus dell’Ortaglia at Brescia (Museo di Santa Giulia, second century),5 where, the swastika-meanders are in the form of oblique angles of 45 degrees, while at Ras ed-Deir they are at right angles. Also, some of octagons include a deferent shape of crosslets as flowers. The colours are black with dark red background. In the underground mansion at Bulla Regia in north-western Tunisia6 (imperial period) the swastika-meanders resemble those found in the Domus dell’ Ortaglia. The colours are black and white on a dark red back- ground. The swastika-meander pattern is found at other Jordanian sites of the Byzantine period, for example in the southern aisle of the Upper Church at Massuh (Esbus).7 There the borders ___ (ed.), Christian Archaeology in the Holy Land, New Discoveries: Essays in Honour of Virgilio C. Corbo (Jerusalem 1990) 467–474; Piccirillo, Mosaics of Jordan 308, fig. 611. 4 J. Valeva, “Geometric Mosaics from Bulgaria,” in R. J. Ling (ed.), Fifth International Colloquium on Ancient Mosaics (Ann Arbor 1995) 224–264, at 260, fig. 12; 262; 264, fig. 16. 5 C. Balmelle, Le décor géométrique de la mosaïque romaine (Paris 1985) 255, pl. 166b. 6 A. Beschaouch, R. Hanoune, and Y. Thébert, Les ruines de Bulla Regia (Rome 1977) 75, fig. 69; Balmelle, Le décor géométrique 257, pl. 167d. 7 M. Piccirillo, “La chiesa di Massuh e il territorio della diocese di Esbous,” LA 33 (1983) 335–346; Mosaics of Jordan 252, fig. 437. ZEIDOUN AL-MUHEISEN AND MOHAMMAD NASSAR 93 ————— Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies 54 (2014) 87–104 are a continuous swastika meander. Several examples are at Gerasa. In the nave of the church of Saints Cosmas and Damian (533)8 the swastika-meander is on a perspective design. In the southeastern exedra of the Saint John church (531)9 the borders of the city plan are a continuous swastika meander. In the nave of the church of Saint George (529/530)10 the swastika-meanders connect to make octagonal patterns. In the north apse of Procopius church (526)11 the border is a con- tinuous swastika-meander, also in the chapel of Elias, Maria, and Soreg (Byzantine)12 and in the nave of the Bishop Marianus chapel (570).13 At Rihab the motif is used in the north aisle of the church of Saint Mary (582/3).14 The nave mosaics The nave, 9.20 m. long and 2.90 wide, is framed by two col- umn bases on each side. The mosaic in the centre is enclosed by a border extending around all four sides, consisting of two- stranded guilloche of dark red, light red, and white, with a dark grey background ( fig. 6). This border pattern is widespread in mosaics of the Roman period. The enclosed mosaic (7.40 m. long, 2.70 wide) has a com- posite motif ( fig. 7) including squares of various sizes, some filled with geometric patterns such as circles with loops; and an interlaced motif and perspective design. There are remains of bird and animal motifs that were removed by iconoclasts. The 8 Piccirillo, Mosaics of Jordan 278–279, figs. 510, 511. 9 Piccirillo, Mosaics of Jordan 289, fig. 543. 10 Piccirillo, Mosaics of Jordan 287, fig. 535. 11 Piccirillo, Mosaics of Jordan 293, figs. 559, 560. 12 Piccirillo, Mosaics of Jordan 296, fig. 571. 13 Gawlikowski and Musa, in Jerash Archaeological Project 137–162; Picci- rillo, Mosaics of Jordan 298, fig. 581. 14 M. Avi-Yonah, “Greek Christian Inscriptions from Rihab,” QDAP 13 (1947–48) 68–72; M. Piccirillo, “Le antichità di Rihab dei Bene Hasan,” LA 30 (1980) 317–350; Mosaics of Jordan 310, fig. 622. 94 GEOMETRIC MOSAIC PAVEMENTS AT RAS ED-DEIR ————— Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies 54 (2014) 87–104 colours of this mosaic are red, dark red, and blue, while the background colours are dark red and white. Figure 6. Nave mosaic: Two-stranded guilloche border Figure 7. Nave mosaic: composite motif Parallels in the area are for example the north room of the nearby church of Khirbet al-Bediyeh (640),15 which also seems to have had figurative motifs that have been removed by icono- clasts. Again, the northwest panel of the chapel of the Twal Family at Madaba (Byzantine)16 is decorated with a composite pattern including squares of various sizes, filled with interlace motifs and birds. Two similar examples are at Antioch: Room 29, Bath A (300–350); and the eastern aisle of the Kaoussie church (Martyrion of Saint Babylas: 387).17 15 Nassar and al-Muheisen, GRBS 53 (2013) 608, fig. 19. 16 S. Saller and B. Bagatti, The Town of Nebo (Khirbet el-Mekhayyat) (Jeruslem 1949) 236–238; Piccirillo, Mosaics of Jordan 128, fig. 141. 17 S. Campbell, The Mosaics of Antioch (Toronto 1988) 13, pls. 46, 133. ZEIDOUN AL-MUHEISEN AND MOHAMMAD NASSAR 95 ————— Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies 54 (2014) 87–104 Circle with loops motif The design in the southern part of the nave consists of four loops, decorated with a stylised crosslet at the center ( fig. 8). It is surrounded by a dark gray square with white background. The colours of the circle with loops are dark gray, dark red, and light red, with white background. This pattern, it seems, is found in the region only in the Ras ed-Deir church. Figure 8. Nave mosaic: Circle with loops motif Square with four loops motif The motif in the northwest of the nave is composed of a square with four loops; inside the square is a bird ( fig. 9). The colours are red, dark gray, dark red, and light red against a white background. This pattern too is found only here in the region. 96 GEOMETRIC MOSAIC PAVEMENTS AT RAS ED-DEIR ————— Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies 54 (2014) 87–104 Figure 9. Nave mosaic: Square with loops motif Square with eight loops motif The design at the western end of the nave includes a square with eight loops ( fig. 10); the inner parts seem to have been removed by iconoclasts. The colours are dark gray, dark red, and light red, on a white background. This design again seems confined to Ras ed-Deir. Northern intercolumniation mosaics The northern intercolumniation contains three panels; the easternmost is empty, its decoration apparently removed by iconoclasts. The others exhibit diverse motifs. ZEIDOUN AL-MUHEISEN AND MOHAMMAD NASSAR 97 ————— Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies 54 (2014) 87–104 Figure 10. Nave mosaic: Square with eight loops motif Intersecting circles motif The geometric pattern of the eastern panel ( fig. 11) has an outer border around a recessed-plain strip motif. The pattern consists of intersecting circles forming quatrefoils, with stylised crosslets in the centers of the quatrefoils. The colours are dark red on a white background. Figure 11. Northern intercolumniation: Intersecting circles motif 98 GEOMETRIC MOSAIC PAVEMENTS AT RAS ED-DEIR ————— Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies 54 (2014) 87–104 The intersecting circles motif became widespread in Jordan during the Byzantine period. One example is in the southern intercolumniation and the southern aisle of the nearby Khirbet al-Bediyeh church (640).18 A similar example is at Madaba, in the north intercolumnar panel of the church of the Apostles (578).19 Others are in the north aisle of the church of Bishop Leontios at Ya῾amun,20 at Rehab in the apse of the church of Saint Menas (635),21 and at Gerasa in the chancel of the Bishop Marianus chapel (570).22 This motif too is a good deal older, found in the Hellenistic period and common throughout the Roman period. One example is in the Hospitalia of Hadrian’s Villa at Tivoli (118).23 Others are in Turkey: one is in Terrace House 2 at Ephesus (late III/early IV).24 Three are at Aphrodisias: in the Basilica (365–380),25 where the intersecting circles are dark blue and the quatrefoils are white and yellow with white, while the cross- let on the central curvilinear is dark blue; in the North Room of the Temenos Complex (350–375),26 where again the central quatrefoils are decorated with crosslets similar to those at Ras 18 Nassar and al-Muheisen, GRBS 53 (2013) 605, 607, figs. 14, 18. 19 U. Lux, “Die Apostel-kirche in Madaba,” ZDPV 84 (1968) 106–129; Piccirillo, Mosaics of Jordan 106, fig. 91. 20 M. Nassar and N. Turshan, “Geometrical Mosaic Pavements of the Church of Bishop Leontios at Ya῾amun,” PEQ 143 (2011) 41–62, fig. 21. 21 U. Lux, “Der Mosaikfussboden der Menas-Kirche in Rihab,” ZDPV 83 (1967) 34–41; Piccirillo, Mosaics of Jordan 313, figs. 634, 635. 22 Gawlikowski and Musa, in Jerash Archaeological Project 137–162; Picci- rillo, Mosaics of Jordan 298, fig. 581. 23 R. Ling, Ancient Mosaics (London 1998) 47, pl. 31. 24 K. Dunbabin, Mosaics of the Greek and Roman World (Cambridge 1999) 226, pl. 223. 25 K. T. Erim, “Aphrodisias in Caria: The 1972 Campaign Excavations,” TürkArkDerg 21 (1974) 37–52, figs. 28–33; S. Campbell, The Mosaics of Aphro- disias in Caria (Toronto 1991) 29, pl. 105. 26 K. T. Erim, “Aphrodisias in Caria: 1965 Campaign,” TürkArkDerg 15 (1966) 59–67, and “Archaeology in Asia Minor,” AJA 71 (1967) 171–172; Campbell, Mosaics of Aphrodisias 2, pl. 7. ZEIDOUN AL-MUHEISEN AND MOHAMMAD NASSAR 99 ————— Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies 54 (2014) 87–104 ed-Deir; and in Room 5 of the Priest’s House (mid-V),27 where the centers of the quatrefoils have small crosslets. Lozenge motif The geometric pattern of the western panel ( fig. 12) is a row of diagonal grids in lozenge shape, with stylised crosslets in the centers of the lozenges. The colours are dark red on a white background. Figure 12. Northern intercolumniation: lozenge motif The resample lozenge pattern is found at other Jordanian sites of the Byzantine period, for example at Mount Nebo in the north aisle of the upper church of Kaianus at Uyun Musa.28 Another example is at the west door of the Jabal al- Akhdar chapel in Amman.29 There are two examples at Gerasa, one in the Hall of the Blues (578)30 and one in the apse of the Bishop Marianus chapel (570).31 Also in Jordan is the 27 Campbell, Mosaics of Aphrodisias 25, pl. 92. 28 M. Piccirillo, “Una chiesa nell’ wadi Ayoun Mousa ai piedi del monte Nebo,” LA 34 (1984) 307–318; M. Piccirillo and E. Alliata, “La chiesa del monastero di Kaianos alle ῾Ayoun Mousa sul Monte Nebo,” in Quaeritur inventus colitur: miscellanea in onore di padre Umberto Maria Fasola (Rome 1989) 536–586; Piccirillo, Mosaics of Jordan 190, fig. 276. 29 Piccirillo, Mosaics of Jordan 269, fig. 500. 30 Piccirillo, Mosaics of Jordan 282, fig. 524. 31 Gawlikowski and Musa, in Jerash Archaeological Project 137–162; Picci- rillo, Mosaics of Jordan 298, fig. 581. 100 GEOMETRIC MOSAIC PAVEMENTS AT RAS ED-DEIR ————— Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies 54 (2014) 87–104 southern intercolumnar of the second church at Yasileh (528).32 Two examples are at Rihab, one in the intercolumnar panels of the church of Saint Peter (623)33 and one in the northern inter- columnar panel of the church of Saint Menas (635).34 This motif was already old, attested in the Hellenistic period and common in the Roman period: we find it, for example, in Rooms 1 and 2 of the Priest’s House at Aphrodisias in Caria (mid to late V);35 the centers of the diamonds are decorated with crosslet similar to those at Ras ed-Deir. Southern intercolumniation mosaics The southern intercolumniation has three panels. The easternmost is empty; probably its decoration was removed by iconoclasts. The western panel has lozenges similar of those in the northern intercolumniation ( fig. 12). The central panel is decorated with two interlooped circles and a lozenge ( fig. 13).36 Inside each circle is a crosslet in white, dark red, and gray on a white background. This design seems to appear in the region only at Ras ed-Deir. Figure 13. Southern intercolumniation: looped circles/lozenge 32 Z. al-Muheisen and M. Nassar, “The Second Church at Yasileh,” GRBS 52 (2012) 671, fig. 11. 33 Avi-Yonah, QDAP 13 (1947–48) 68–72; Piccirillo, LA 30 (1980) 317– 350; Mosaics of Jordan 313, fig. 633. 34 Lux, ZDPV 83 (1967) 34–41; Piccirillo, Mosaics of Jordan 313, fig. 635. 35 Campbell, Mosaics of Aphrodisias 22, pls. 80–82. 36 M. Nassar, “Catalogue of Geometric Mosaic Pavements of Jordan during the Byzantine Period” (unpublished, n.d.) fig. 2.3: 7. ZEIDOUN AL-MUHEISEN AND MOHAMMAD NASSAR 101 ————— Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies 54 (2014) 87–104 The aisle mosaics The church had four aisles, of which the southernmost, now destroyed, may be later. The surviving aisles have a design of lozenge motifs, with a crosslet in the center of each lozenge ( fig. 14). The pattern in the northern intercolumniation is similar, but there the crosslet design is deferent. Figure 14. The aisles: lozenge motif The northeast room mosaics The northeast room (4.20 m. long and 2.80 wide) has a pattern of overlapping octagons ( fig. 15). The nineteen octa- gons are made up of 41 hexagons with small squares in the 102 GEOMETRIC MOSAIC PAVEMENTS AT RAS ED-DEIR ————— Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies 54 (2014) 87–104 center. Each hexagon contains a lozenge. In the centers of the squares and diamonds are crosslets. The colours are dark red on a white background. Figure 15. Northern room: overlapping octagons This pattern is known in other Byzantine churches in Jordan, for example both aisles of the western church at Yasileh (mid-V to early VI),37 where the colours are dark red, light red, and dark blue against a white background. So too the south aisle of 37 M. Nassar and Z. al-Muheisen, “Geometric Mosaic Pavements of Yasi- leh in Jordan,” PEQ 142 (2010) 184, fig. 4. ZEIDOUN AL-MUHEISEN AND MOHAMMAD NASSAR 103 ————— Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies 54 (2014) 87–104 the church of Procopius at Gerasa (526)38 and the south aisle of the church of Saint Menas at Rehab (635).39 This type of overlapping guilloche octagons is found else- where in the Near East in the Roman and Byzantine periods: so in Room 4 of Bath E at Antioch (305),40 where however the center of each octagon contains a reversed swastika. In the north room of the Tetrapylon House at Aphrodisias (VI)41 the hexagons are decorated with segments of two-stranded guilloches alternating in red and white; in the centers of the octagons are small red squares outlined with frames of alter- nating dark blue, white, and light blue. The narthex mosaics The narthex on the west side of the church (8.20 m. long and 3.80 wide) is decorated with a pattern of lozenges. The colours are dark red on a white bacground. This pattern is also used in the two panels exterior to the columns, and in the aisles of the church. Conclusions The Ras ed-Deir geometric mosaics, like those at neighbor- ing Khirbet al-Bediyeh, show the high ability and technical skill of the artists, using only locally available stone. Comparative study of the motifs has increased our understanding of their relationship to other Byzantine sites. Ras ed-Deir benefited from the talents of one of the superior Byzantine mosaic schools in the Levant, specializing in geometrical designs. Also, we find two designs that make their first appearance in the Ras ed-Deir church: a composite motif ( fig. 7), which was adopted a little later at Khirbet al-Bediyeh (640), and an overlapping octagons motif ( fig. 15), which appears a few decades later in the church of Saint Menas at Rehab in eastern Jordan (635). 38 Piccirillo, Mosaics of Jordan 293, fig. 560. 39 Lux, ZDPV 83 (1967) 34–41; Piccirillo, Mosaics of Jordan 314, fig. 634. 40 Campbell, Mosaics of Antioch, pl. 35. 41 Campbell, Mosaics of Aphrodisias, pl. 56. 104 GEOMETRIC MOSAIC PAVEMENTS AT RAS ED-DEIR ————— Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies 54 (2014) 87–104 The authors hope that these findings will further enrich the literature on this significant subject.42 December, 2013 Faculty of Archaeology and Anthropology Yarmouk University Irbid, Jordan muheisenz@yu.edu.jo Faculty of Arts and Design The University of Jordan Amman, Jordan Mohammadnassar@hotmail.com 42 The authors would like to thank Prof. Kent Rigsby for transcribing the inscription. Also many thanks to Mr. Yousf al-Zoubi for photographs of the mosaics and Mr. Ali al-Omari for drawing the area map (GRBS 53 [2013] 592) and the plan of the mosaic pavements of the church.