A Group of Pilaster Capitals from Shivta: Marble Import in the Byzantine Negev. (2nd January 2022) - Fischer, Moshe
ABSTRACT: Photographs of a group of pilaster capitals of a unique design have been identified in the archive (ATQ 64/6: Shivta) of Harris D. Colt (1901–1973), the first excavator of Shivta. The marble capitals, which are presented and discussed here for the first time, were found during excavations at the North Church at Shivta (1933–1935) and can be dated to the second half of the 5th and mid-6th century ce . The pilaster capitals which are presented here are an evidence for marble imported to the Negev and the prosperity of Shivta during the Byzantine period, emphasizing the investment in the interior architectural decoration of the North Church and its religious significance.