Mamshit - Nilus church (West Church)

Columns and piers: 

There are eight columns in the naos and ten columns in the atrium, comprised from lathe-made limestone drums 0.5-0.55 m in diameter. Engaged pilasters on the walls of the naos were coordinated with the main colonnades. They lean on the stylobata 0.6 m wide, built of one course of rather thin stones, under which a layer of small stones lies. Segment of the half-column was found, though. probably, it was secondary used, as there are no such architectural details in the church, according to the plan. One diminishing drum with smoothed edges is decorated with the deeply carved Maltese cross at the bottom (D. 0.275 m., h. 0.3).

Columns and piers materials: 
Limestone
Columns: 
Typology
Columns and piers: 
Comprised of drums
Apophyges superior/inferior
with relief cross
Bases and pedestals: 

The columns were placed on plinths (0.6 m. square) in the basilica and and set on bases with simple lathe-made horizontal mouldings of different height and width in the basilica and atrium both. Every other base is special in its design, so they don't repeat each other. The bases were found in situ or near the stylobate.

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

The capitals, most of which were found in the debris in the atrium, are of a simple abacus type, with mouldings similar to those of the bases, compised several horizontal strips of different height and width.2). One of them (probably, in secondary use, D. 0.46 m., h. 0.195 m) is decorated by the ancillary horizontal band with flat grooves and dentils. Three benches found in the atrium. The base of these benches is partially made of older, pre-church capitals of small diameter.

Capitals materials: 
Limestone
Capitals: 
Typology
Order: 
Lathe-made horizontal moldings/strips
Components of entablatures, arches and apses: 

Two members of the plain cornices were found without a certain genesis in the architecture of the basilica. But the cornice which decorated the spring of the hemispherical apse is preserved almost to its full length. It is comprised of several rows of various by their size mouldings, mainly -- plain bands, but also scotias and cymas. The voussoir stones are also preserved to their complete length. Their decoration comprises three bands, decorated with bead-and-reel pattern, motif of twisted rope and eggs without darts (the motifs are somewhat simplified classical decoration).

 

Typology
Components: 
Cornice (cyma et al.)
Corbel
Spring cornice
Voussoir
decorated arch of the apse
Materials of components of entablatures, arches and apses: 
Limestone
Cornices, spring cornices, voussoirs: 
Pilaster caps and bases: 

The door-post capitals of the doors leading to the northern and southern rooms have simple pyramidal shape and plain moulding. The other four pilaster caps, preserved comparatively well, were adorned with more interesting decoration. The repertoire of motifs includes crudely carved leaves, grooves, crosses inside the squares, interlacing with each other (Trompe-l'œil style) and plain bands and strips, including also usual acanthus leaves.

Pilaster caps materials: 
Limestone
Pilaster caps and bases: 
Typology
Pilaster caps and bases: 
Molded (series of concave/convex profiles)
Truncated pyramid (Nabatean type): with relief/painted decoration

lintels, jambs, thresholds

Lintels, jambs, thresholds: 

There are plenty of members of door frames, at least, 11 fragments were found. They are decorated with several plain fascias, from three to seven (also five and six), almost all are composed in a "perspective" manner, lowering towards the door flight. One member is decorated with the five-petalled palm leaves, resembling fleur-de-lis. Two members are decorated with almost identical rosettes, comprising 11 petals in one case and 12 in the other. Apparently, fragments of Doric frieze, reused in door jambs (triglyphs and metopes with rosettes)

Typology
Lintels, jambs, thresholds: 
Lintels
Central pattern on lintel: 
Medallion
Cross
Receded portal
Lateral patterns: 
Whirling wheel
Materials of lintels, jambs, thresholds: 
Limestone
Lintels and jambs: 
Window pans, frames and piers: 

In the southern and northern lateral rooms there are window slots high up on the wall, measuring 0.1 m. wide on the interior and 0.3 m. wide on the exterior.

Window frames materials: 
Limestone
Chancel screen posts: 

The chancel encloses only the space of the bema in front of the main apse. There are two openings in the chancel, one in the middle of the nave and the other at the south-eastern corner of the bema. Before setting the church on fire, the conquerors smashed the marble chancel, throwing the pieces all over the eastern part of the church, but still, the quantity of the remains of the posts is outstanding. One of the posts, though found in three scattered members (discovered at the entrance to Locus 306 resting directly on the floor), can be restored to its complete height (h. 2.09 m.). It is comprised from the rectangular trunk (0.2 x 0.205 m., h. 1.05 m.) in the lower part and round column topped with the capital in the upper part (D. 0.185 m.) and leaned at the plain Attic base (with the apophyge). There are three more identical round column that topped the unpreserved rectangular post (one of them no.191 - was adorned only with the apophyge and not attached to the base, so the attribution is doubtful and this could also belong to the upper part of ambo or ciborium). They would flank the main entrance into the altar. Another one rectangular post was adorned with the globular pointed top and thus didn't have a second tier. All the trunks were decorated with the traditional rectangular frames, one inside the other. The lateral sides had the slots for the panels. The small Corinthian capitals of the round columns were composed from four corner acanthus leaves, with plain abaci without fleurons. Echini were decorated with Maltese crosses on two sides (with two dots between the branches), two double lotus leaves on third side and lotus of two leaves on fourth. Rectangular part of shaft decorated by diminishing rectangles. Surely, produced in the Proconnesian workshops.

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

Eight fragments of chancel screen, carved from greyish marble, were found on floor of the basilica. Reconstructed measurements are 1.48 x 0.84 m., th. 0.05 m. The decoration comprised a cross with four fleurs-de-lis in the arms, within wreath. From knot at bottom of wreath rise ribbons with ivy leaves at their four ends, two of which support large crosses.

Typology
Types: 
Blind
Decoration (Central motif): 
Greek/Latin cross within laurel wreath
Decoration (Lateral patterns): 
Crosses
Tendrils
Compositions: 
Stephanostaurion
Chancel Screen plates materials: 
Limestone
Marble
Chancel Screen plates: 
Altar legs: 

Base of an altar leg, carved from white marble (D. 0.13 m., rectangular part 0.155 x 0.14 m., h. 0.13 m). Attic base (two tori and scotia) attached to the plinth.

Typology
Altar legs: 
Shaft
Base
Altar legs Materials: 
Marble
Altar legs: 
Altar plates: 
The altar was placed outside the chord of the apse. Its place is marked by a plastered rectangle (0.95x0.65 m), but no remains of the altar table itself were found.
Typology
Type: 
Rectangular (angulus)
Decoration: 
with molded edges
Altar plates (mensae) materials: 
Marble
Altar plates (mensae): 
Ambo members: 

Attic base of small column, carved from a white marble (D. 0.32 m., h. 0.17 m.), comprised two tori and scotia between them, attached to the plinth and with the holw for the dowel in the upper part. Very delicate in style. Probably, belonged to one of the columns supporting the ambo, due to its size.

Typology
Piers: 
base
Ambo materials: 
Marble
Ambo: 
Decorative reliefs: 

There were at least five building stones decorated with the cross or rosette. One of them is of the simplest example and bears only the incised cross (probably, technical margins, not a decoration). The others bear the equilateral crosses with widening ends of the branches (so called Maltese). Two of them are framed by the relief circles and added by the round balls between the branches. One Maltese cross is not framed by the circle, but it has a special design of the branches, which are articulated by the relief edges and divided into two parts by two pyramidal holes of delicate geometrical shape (resemble brilliant motif). One stone is specially decorated with the unique composition: a concave "plate" with articulated edges has a seven-pointed star and two smaller circles inside. The reliefs are extending for 3-5 cm from the surface. The size of the stones is fluctuating from W. 0.32 m., h. 0.265 m., th. 0.3 m to W. 0.51 m., h. 0.51 m., th. 0.3.

Decorative reliefs materials: 
Limestone
Decorative reliefs: 
Ciborium: 

Several members joining into two separate round colonnettes were found, one was preserved rather well up to the height of 1.215 m., with all order elements The shafts are diminishing towards the top (D. 0.13-0.16 m). The base is very simple, comprised from one plain band and slanting surface and attached to the plinth. The shafts are decorated with the twisted canelluras, apophyges superior and inferior and topped by the Corinthian capitals. The capitals are comprised from four dense acanthus leaves, with the astragalus (beads without reals) and abacus with fleurons. Usually the colonnettes with the such decoration belonged to the ciborium, though these are comparatively small, so this attribution is hypothetical.

Typology
Ciborium : 
Shaft
Capital
Base
Ciborium materials: 
Marble
Ciborium: 
Basins: 

At least two limestone basins were found (D. 0.58 m., h. 0.51 m., th. of rim 0.07 m., depth 0.32 m; D. 0.5 m., h. 0.36 m., th. of rim 0.05 m.). At the foot of the middle column of the eastern portico, facing the main entrance to the basilica, is a stone base measuring 0.6 x 0.7 m. with a cavity in its centre and two post-holes in its sides. This was probably the base of the cantharos.

Typology
Basins: 
Coarsely carved undecorated
Basins materials: 
Limestone
Basins: