BSY_FB_17-17

17

el-Mishrifeh March 8-9, 1900

From Ḥomṣ we travelled about six hours to
the northeast to a modern village, of the above
name, situated within a mound formed
of the decayed walls of an ancient city,

It is evident that these walls were of
sundried brick which has disintegrated into
shapeless clay - several niches in the
four-square wall seem to mark the position
of gates, and on either side can still be
seen large blocks of stone half buried in
the mound. Within the wall a huge
mound is still visible but nothing short
of excavations could reveal anything of
importance.

In the courtyard of the house where we
spent the night is a colossal head of stone
The head is high, the face long and the
crown of the head is covered with a close
fitting cap adorned with an incised pattern
of spirals. The face is broad across the
eyes which are represented by deep hollows