Citation
Christopher Ratté and Peter D. De Staebler (eds.). Aphrodisias V. The Aphrodisias Regional Survey (Verlag Philipp von Zabern: Darmstadt/Mainz, 2012). <http://hdl.handle.net/2027.42/92695>
Description
Local Name: Aphrodisias, West Necropolis
Local Information: Field 47, West. Regional Survey 2001 no. W9
Latitude: 37.42.32.192
Longitude: 28.43.06.874
Elevation: 520m
Axis: roughly N-S
Description: Poorly preserved; elements of superstructure preserved in situ, no substructures visible; in a mound, about 2 m above field level; in the yard of a farm house. The remains of a monumental tomb platform lie immediately west of the City Wall. The western side is the best-preserved, with a corner-molded podium block at the south end and a second ashlar block in the course above it about 2.50 m to the north. To the west of this block and aligned with it is a corner-molded bench block with a well-finished lion paw at the outer, southwest corner. Other ashlar blocks to the north and south are aligned with this one. An inscribed block fallen immediately to the west that could be associated with this platform records the tomb of a high priest of the imperial cult dated to the earlier third century AD (IAph 2007 12.909, MAMA 564). If the two monuments can be connected, this would be one of only two tombs datable by inscription (with D118, of the bishop Theopropius). Since the City Wall is so close, it is not possible to securely associate architectural blocks in the area (or even the inscription) with this particular structure.