
Contents
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Introduction Introduction
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History of Research History of Research
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The Hellenistic and Roman Periods The Hellenistic and Roman Periods
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The Villages in Late Antiquity and Early Byzantine Times The Villages in Late Antiquity and Early Byzantine Times
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Churches and Monasteries Churches and Monasteries
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Decline, Resilience, Transformation Decline, Resilience, Transformation
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Rural Economies Rural Economies
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The Limestone Massif in Context The Limestone Massif in Context
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Acknowledgments Acknowledgments
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Bibliography Bibliography
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38 Temples, Tombs, and Villages: The Limestone Massif in North Syria
Get accessMichael Blömer is an archaeologist whose research revolves around Asia Minor and the Near East in the Hellenistic and Roman period. He has worked on urbanism, sculpture, religious iconography, and the religious life of the Hellenistic and Roman Near East. He is also an experienced field archaeologist and directed the excavations at Doliche, southeast Turkey. He received his PhD from Münster University in 2009. He is currently professor of classical archaeology at Münster University and working at the Forschungsstelle Asia Minor.
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Published:22 April 2025
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Abstract
Roman, Byzantine, and early Islamic rule over Syria guaranteed a degree of peace and the economic security that fostered sedentarization and the settlement of marginal zones like the limestone massif in north Syria. A prosperous village society developed here in the early Roman imperial period. Hundreds of villages, hamlets, and convents thrived in the region. A diversified agrosystem secured subsistence, but arboriculture and viniculture created surpluses for sale at nearby markets. A crucial factor for economic success was the location at the heart of a highly urbanized region with a high demand for agricultural produce. In the Abbasid period, however, when nomadic tribes entered the region and the Byzantine recapture of Antioch and Laodicea turned the limestone massif into a border zone, depopulation became rampant.
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