Nessana - Central Church

Columns and piers: 

There were sixteen columns in the basilica, with the pilasters supporting the rhythm of the main colonnades attached to the western and eastern walls (built of ashlar), four columns in the southern chapel and eighteen columns in the atrium. All of the columns were comprised from lathe-made drums with the holes for the dowels. Their diameter is 0.51 m, their average height is fluctuating from 0.35 to 0.50 m. The two easternmost bays of the columns were incorporated into the chancel screen structure. There are two drums, decorated with the reliefs. It is said by the archaeologists that they decorated the central columns of the colonnades (Urman 2004:79). One is adorned with a blooming cross (with two lateral trifoliums, springing from the lower arm). Its arms comprise a traditional Christian acrostic with a common middle letter: ΦΩΣ and ΖΩΗ. The other one is decorated with the six-petaled rosette, added with the grooved arms and inserted into the medallion. In the central eye of the rosette there is a small engraved cross.

Columns and piers materials: 
Limestone
Columns: 
Typology
Columns and piers: 
Comprised of drums
with relief cross
Bases and pedestals: 

The columns of the basilica are leaning at the decorative stylobates, which are comprised from a plain row of slabs, not protruding from the general level. The bases are not attached to the plinths, but each of them is leaning at the separate square slab. They bases are actually ornamented drums, decorated by several horizontal moldings: usually two or three slightly projecting, with the section of a plain drum between them, so that the Pseudo-Attic effect was created. The wide moldings are added with the thin simple lines. All these elements are carved at the lathe.The upper diameter of the bases is 0.50-0.53 m (generally 0.52x0.52 m). The eastern portico of the courtyard served as a joint narthex for both the church and the southern chapel. Of the row of columns supporting the narthex ceiling, the stylobate and its six column bases, were preserved in situ. A cross was carved on one of the stones of the stylobate.

Typology
Bases: 
Lathe-made horizontal moldings/strips
Bases and pedestals materials: 
Limestone
Bases: 
Capitals: 

The capitals are very similar to the bases. The difference is that all of them are widening drums attached to the square abaci, which are equal to the dimensions of the bases (0.52x0.52 m). The moldings are comprised from lathe-made profiles, interrupted by plain surface of the drum and added by ancillary strips. The upper moldings, attached to the abaci, are wider than the lower ones. There are no two identical capitals in the church.

Capitals materials: 
Limestone
Capitals: 
Typology
Order: 
Lathe-made horizontal moldings/strips
Pilaster caps and bases: 

At least six pilaster caps and four pilaster bases were found scattered in the church. They have pyramidal shapes, decorated with various reliefs and carvings, with the accents for the crosses and stylized leaves, but also with amphorae, clusters of grapes and vines, peacocks and other fowl. Probably, belonged to the five doorways of the church.

Pilaster caps materials: 
Limestone
Pilaster caps and bases: 
Typology
Pilaster caps and bases: 
Truncated pyramid (Nabatean type): with relief/painted decoration

lintels, jambs, thresholds

Lintels, jambs, thresholds: 

There is one member of the partially preserved lintel, with the traces of two medallions, one of them decorated with the cross motif. Some members of the jambs of the northern doorway were found scattered in the baptistery chapel. They are comprised from several plain moldings, wide and narrow as well.

Typology
Lintels, jambs, thresholds: 
Lintels
Jambs
Central pattern on lintel: 
Medallion
Cross
Lateral patterns: 
Cross(-es)
Materials of lintels, jambs, thresholds: 
Limestone
Lintels and jambs: 
Window pans, frames and piers: 

see capital in section "ciborium"

Typology
Window Types: 
Double arched (with a colonnette)
Components: 
Mullion
Chancel screen posts: 

According to the presumed reconstruction of the chancel screen stylobate (T-shaped) in the main basilica there were twelve or fourteen posts (square in the section) together with the two easternmost bays of the colonnades. The bema of the northern baptismal chapel had also four posts. In the southern chapel two columns were used for the chancel screen. In the area near the main bema fragments of two posts and one completely preserved post with the globular top were found. They were carved from Proconnesian marble and decorated with the rectangular profiles, one inside the other. The lateral sides have slots for panels. One round colonnette adorned with the upper apophyge and topped with the Corinthian capital was found near the bema also. Probably, it belonged to the second tier of the chancel screen (it was two-tiered usually on its western side). There is one row of acanthus leaves and the type of the capital is acanthus-mask. Two other colonnetes with identical capitals but of a wider diameter were found near the ambo, which is in front of the bema. They belonged to the ambo, most probably, but one of the posts found in situ in the chancel screen is round in its lowest section, so they could also belonged to the it either (see ambo).

Typology
Types: 
two-storied (with a colonnette)
with a globular top
Decorations: 
Grooved and molded frames
Chancel Screen posts materials: 
Limestone
Marble
Chancel Screen posts: 
Chancel screen plates: 

According to the presumed reconstruction of the chancel screen stylobate in the main basilica there were at least twelve panels hold by posts or columns. In the northern chapel there were two. The remains of the marble screen panels are too scanty, but indicate that they were decorated with reliefs of wreaths and crosses.

Typology
Types: 
Blind
Decoration (Central motif): 
Greek/Latin cross within laurel wreath
Chancel Screen plates materials: 
Marble
Chancel Screen plates: 
Altar legs: 

There are four protrusions for the altar legs on the lower plate. Two of them were squared, two -- rounded. Several fragments of the marble altar legs were found. The largest of them is the capital adorned with four plain corner petals and topped with the thin abacus, that was inserted into the upper altar plate to hold it.

Typology
Altar legs: 
Shaft
Capital
Base
Altar legs Materials: 
Marble
Altar legs: 
Altar plates: 
The lower plate of the altar table was located at a higher level in the center of the bema on the rectangular base, built of ashlars (0.10 m higher than the floor of the bema). The altar plate is rectangular in shape, measuring 2.40x1.80 m. The lower plate (1.70x1.10 m) itself was carved from the local hard limestone and had four protrusions for the legs. Its edges were decorated with the plain profiles one inside the other. The small pieces of the upper altar table carved from marble were also revealed. In the bema of the southern chapel near the decorated slab a few segments of the base of an altar table and the table itself were found. The table was carved from marble (dimensions 1x0.78 m), with the Greek inscription.
Typology
Type: 
Rectangular (angulus)
Decoration: 
with molded edges
Altar plates (mensae) materials: 
Limestone
Marble
Altar plates (mensae): 
Ambo members: 

The basement of the hexagonal ambo preserved on the northern side in front of the bema. Each side measures 0.52 m (equal to the width of bases and capitals of the colonnades). General height of the basement is 0.21 m. It was built of limestone blocks. One base of the ambo was found along the northern edge of the step of the bema. Near the base of the ambo two marble columns were found, topped with Corinthian capitals. The corner acanthus leaves have a reduced shape, with only few pointed ends. The corners are marked by a protrusions. There is a relief crux immissa between the leaves. Possibly, there columns supported the wooden staircase that led from the ambo base to the pulpit.

Typology
Ambo members: 
Lower base hexagonal
Piers: 
Column/colonnette
Corinthian capital –
Ambo materials: 
Limestone
Marble
Ambo: 
Decorative reliefs: 

One of the thresholds was decorated with the delicately carved Maltese cross. The other relief crosses are mentioned in the "revetment" and "bases" fields.

Decorative reliefs materials: 
Limestone
Decorative reliefs: 
Ciborium: 

An Attic base attached to the plinth, carved from limestone, was found in the atrium court. Its profiles are more or less delicate, though the tori are angular and the scotia is comprised of two angular fillets instead of a concave molding. There is dowel core in the center of the base. Also in the narthex a smaller drum was found, decorated by several incised lines on a different distance from each other. The Corinthian capital decorated with the four corner acanthus leaves and the crux quandrata (or Maltese) on the two sides was found in the atrium. Probably, these details were parts of the ciborium over the basin in the atrium or in some other place in the church (over the baptismal font?).

Typology
Ciborium : 
Capital
Base
Ciborium materials: 
Limestone
Ciborium: 
Pavement: 

see revetment section

Typology
Pavement: 
Slabs
Pavement materials: 
Limestone
Marble
Revetment plates: 

The floor of the bema, the base for the altar table, the ambo, the font, the floor of the nave were revetted with the imported marble slabs placed over a layer of cement. The marble tiles were laid on a bed of cement (with bronze nails in some parts), which was preserved well throughout the entire area of the hall and at edges of the bema. The nave was revetted with nine rows of tiles, with the scale fluctuating from 0.65 to 0.95 m. On the bottom surface of some of the tiles Greek letters painted with red-brown ink were preserved (probably, the names of the manufacturers). the others contained the Arabic quotations from Koran, oaths or prayers, also painted with the ink. The floor of southern chapel bema, the northern aisle was paved with hard local limestone slabs, that were well dressed and chiseled and laid on a bed of cement over a fill of loose sand (preserved intact in the eastern half of the aisle). The floor of the southern aisle wasn't preserved. The remains of a rosette relief can be observed on one of the paving slabs at the center of the bema in the southern chapel; probably, there was a carved cross also. This stone wasn't removed, but probably there is reliquary beneath it.

Typology
Revetment: 
Marble slabs
Revetment plates materials: 
Limestone
Marble
Revetment plates: 
Basins: 

A stone-made basin , hardly carved, but of complicate polygonal shape, was found in the courtyard of the church.

Typology
Basins: 
Mortarium with “horned” or lug handles
Basins materials: 
Limestone
Basins: 
Liturgical objects: 
Probably, there is a reliquary in the southern chapel (see "revetment" field).