Architecture at Beth Shean

Small Capital, Late 5th/Early 6th c.

Pilaster, Late 5th/Early 6th c.

Capital Fragment, 5th c.

Domestic Capital, Late 5th/Early 6th c.

Capital, Late 5th/Early 6th c.

Column and Capital, Late 3rd/Early 4th c.

Domestic Capital Fragment, Late 5th/Early 6th c.

Fluted Column, Late 5th/Early 6th c.

This exhibition features selections from the monumental and domestic architectural remains found during the Penn excavations at Beth Shean. When one thinks of the ancient world, nothing comes to mind and captivates our imagination quite like its marbled temples and columned monuments. The architecture at Beth Shean evokes much of this grandeur.

Its fallen columns and capitals hint at a built past of grand colonnaded streets and polychromed buildings that soared to lofty heights. These testify to Beth Shean's status as an important regional capital for Palestine. They also tell the story of a city in transition from the Late Antique to the Early Medieval world, a transformation completed in the years following the Arab conquest of the region.

The variety of capitals and columns testify to the richness of the city's built environment and the differences in its size and scale. Stylistic differences on the various capitals and architectural friezes showcase shifts in scale and aesthetics that took place over the centuries of Byzantine occupation.