Ras al-Shagry tomb update: North Phoenician territory in the second half of the first millennium BC

Abstract

This paper describes the Ras al-Shagry tomb, located in the area of ancient Phoenicia on the Arwadian coast of Syria and discusses it in the context of previous research into the cemeteries of the region. It draws attention to the differences between the sarcophagus-containing tomb of Ras al Shagry and the nearby tower tombs, which do not contain sarcophagi. These differences may be related to particular religious practices and/or socio-political influences. This study develops an iconographic relationship between the sarcophagus itself and the artefacts found within the hypogeal tomb to establish its earliest chronology. Historical events are also discussed in relation to the last period of original use of the Ras al-Shagry tomb. The paper offers new insights into the architectural and cultural context of the territory of Arados/Amrīt during the Achaemenid Empire (sixth to third centuries BC).