User:Ash.ac1117/Hosn Niha Site

Hosn Niha is an archaeological site composed of several temples and buildings that hold significant value. Although there is very limited research on the site, anthropologists have predicted that the temples found at this site were previously used by a cult during the Graeco-Roman period. This settlement was later left completely abandoned. Much of the area and its buildings ended up being destroyed during the Lebanese Civil War. The entire site stretches across land near the Bekaa Valley for a total of 550 meters at an altitude of 1350 meters. One thing that makes this particular site interesting is the numerous tombs scattered around the area. Anthropologists have discovered that there were different types of tombs, which they assumed were assigned to people based on their ranking within the culture's society. Due to the recent growing interest in the site, more case studies have been conducted.

Discovery
Earliest written records of the site came from European travelers in the nineteenth century. As of recent, Jean Yasmine conducted detailed studies of the sanctuary and its architecture. Yasmine's work focused on mapping the sanctuary's layout. He was able to identify residences found within the village. He used different methods of research like surveying at landscape and built-up archaeology levels. His findings included the different tombs placed randomly across the site and another important building named "La La Grande Residence." This grand building contained many valuable pottery artifacts that later helped archaeologists develop further research and hypothesis about the culture's values and beliefs.

Geography
This archaeological site was discovered near the Bekaa Valley and lies at the base of a steep slope. It is surrounded by large agricultural fields that are still being used till this day. Archaeologists found there to be a sanctuary with two temples found inside, one being bigger than the other. This sanctuary also contains a church and several cult rooms. Further down, a smaller sanctuary and two big quarries were also found. An ancient trade route was discovered along the valley, running from the East towards Niha, another archaeological site found nearby.

Advantages
Because of the site's location and steep slope, the village receives a large amount of sunlight while also sheltering the area. A river that flows through the village once provided the inhabitants with a sufficient water source. Anthropologists discovered a spring not too far from the the sanctuary as well.

Disadvantages
On the contrary, there are also some drawbacks to the site's location. Since it is at such a high altitude, the winters can be very harsh on the village. Winters reach extremely low temperatures and produce large snowfalls. The snow was an important issue because it would block trade routes coming from and going to the sanctuary complex.

Pottery
Disturbances created from outside forces brought sherds of pottery to the surface. These pieces of pottery were an incredible finding because it would give archaeologists better insight about the people who once inhabited the area. After studying these fragment, Yasmine was able to determine that they were created in the first century AD and held extreme value to the culture until they abandoned the site in the seventh century AD. These pottery sherds helped archaeologists strengthen their assumptions of their existence durinng the Graeco-Roman era.

Tombs
Before the site became a little more protected, the tomb sites found around the site had been targeted by looters for items of value that were buried with its owner. Aside from a nearby cemetery, excavators began to see a variety of tombs including communal tombs, individual cast tombs, and stone sarcophagi. rock-cut tombs were the more common ones seen at the site. Interestingly, a lot of these tombs had entrance ways built in them.These entrance ways were usually created for people to place their offerings to the dead.

Cist tombs usually included multiple tombs arranged closely together. This layout led excavators to believe that these people were busied near each other because they were within the same family

Sanctuaries
The double sanctuary, labeled HN001, was also an important structure to the site. This sanctuary was comprised of several dormitory rooms and rooms that were specifically meant for sacrifices and rituals. Many of the altars found within these rooms had symbols of bulls' heads and garlands, which supported the predictions of sacrificial rituals this culture practiced. Larger rooms with larger alters were speculated to be a "male god's" room. The attached, smaller room was usually assigned to the god's companion or partner.