Papyrus Capital, Stratum VIII, Megiddo

From ArchaeoWiki

An architectural capital in the form of a schematised papyrus flower was discovered in the course of the 1930s excavations at Tel Megiddo.

Originally described as "a curious circular limestone block with hemisphericalupper part" [Loud 1948:25, fig.54], the piece was subsequently recognised as a papyrus capital after reorientation [Siegelmann 1976]. In 1976, its location was noted as near the building of the archaeological expedition, where it was recognised and re-studied.

The object was found in Courtyard 2041 of the Stratum VIII Palace, clearly situated out of original context "near a round stone sump cover which emptied a shallow open drain".

It has been suggested that the capital was once mounted on one of the columns in the portico found in the western section of the palace, giving entrance to the official hall [Loud 1948:figs. 61, 382].

Comparisons have been made between the Megiddo capital and a similar capital discovered in the 1920s excavations at Tel Beth Shean.

Bibliography

• Rowe, Alan [1940], The Four Canaanite Temples of Beth-Shan, Part I: the Temples and Cult Objects, [Publications of the Palestine Section of the University Museum], University of Pennsylvania, Volume II, Philadelphia, 1940.
• Siegelmann, Azriel [1976], “A Capital in the Form of a Papyrus Flower from Megiddo”, TA 3 (1976), p.141, pl.10.