The Syrian Arab Republic, one of the historically richest countries in western Asia, may well claim the title of 'cradle of human civilisation'. The National Museum at Damascus houses the most important collection of the country’s cultural heritage. The present catalogue is a product of a Syro-European cooperation and resumes the endeavours of Selim and André Abdul-Hak, the former director and keeper of antiquities of the Greek & Roman Department: 'To make detailed descriptions of each object available to archaeologists and historians in order to eventually serve more detailed studies'. This first volume of a planned catalogue-series deals with statuary found in the central and southern regions of Syria displaying some 100 sculptures of large and smaller scale, in stone or precious metals, whose provenances are ascertained thanks to the Museum’s inventory journals.
These finds are grouped regionaly in five sections: The city and lands of Damascus, the Batanaea, the Djolân, the Ledjâ, and the Djebel al-‘Arab. Each chapter starts with a brief geographical and historical introduction followed by a site by site commentary on each item, and a detailed textual and photographical documentation of the sculptures themselves.