A Spatial and Morphological Analysis of Monastic Sites in the Northern Limestone Massif, Syria

Abstract

Although the monuments of the Syrian Limestone Massif have long been a focus of study, comparatively little attention has been given to the region's monastic complexes, aside from Qal'at Sim'an. Consequently, monasteries have been largely excluded from discussions of the widespread social and economic changes of Late Antiquity. Yet a recent landscape research project in the northern Limestone Massif has examined the layout and juxtaposition of monastic sites in comparison to settlements and topography. The morphology of sites has been examined and the specific activities undertaken by early monastic communities suggested. It is argued that monastic centres, thus far regarded as marginal in both spatial and social terms, may in fact have played a significant role in the processing and control of agricultural resources in the region.