| Tiberias |
| The Roman Theater |
| Emergency Conservation Measures |
| Orderer | Israel Antiquities Authority |
| Duration | April 2010 |
| Implemented by: |
Yoram Saad - Head of conservation project branch
Avner Hillman
Eng. Yaacov Schefer
Arch. Yaara Shaltiel
Landscape Arch. Ido Rosental
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The archaeological excavation of the Roman theater in Tiberias began in January 2009. The excavation, undertaken on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority and underwritten by the government of Israel, was directed by Dr. Walid Atrash and Avner Hilman.
The excavation, which was conceived of by the mayor of Tiberias, Mr. Zohar Oved, is an important part in the development of an archaeological park that aims to turn the remains of the city’s magnificent past into a drawing stone for domestic and foreign tourism. It is the mayor’s dream that one day in the future the theater will once again be the venue for enormous performances.
The remains of the Roman theater, which was destroyed in the earthquake that struck on January 18, 749 CE, reveal a monument of impressive size. The theater is approximately 80 meters in diameter and is composed of three seating areas (cavea) that could hold some 6,000 spectators. The seats were constructed on a built foundation; the middle and upper cavea were founded on a system of radial corridors and passages made of barrel vaults. The front wall of the stage and the orchestra, which is paved with limestone flagstones, were preserved in their entirety.
The seating in the theater faces north, so that during performances the sun is at the back of the audience.
The current conservation planning is taking place on two levels:
1. ‘First Aid’. Necessary action is being implemented to stabilize the remains and remove any hazards before completing an overall plan for preparing the site for use and prior to raising all of the funding that is required for conserving it. As the work to stabilize the remains progresses, access to observation points and several regions in the theater will be permitted.
2. Preparing the Theater for Use. The planning process will include a comparative analysis of interventions that have been done at similar sites and an examination of alternatives for preparing the site for use in its original function. The planning alternatives that will be proposed will take into consideration the values of the site, its load bearing capability, operating needs, building materials etc. and will be based on currently accepted principals regarding the conservation of archaeological sites.
The ‘First Aid’ Measures for the Conservation of the Theater
Planning the “first aid” measures was done in order to address a number of issues:
· Stabilizing (using a minimum of resources) so as to remove hazards from most of the area in the site.
· To allow more intensive and broader intervention action after the required resources are acquired.
· To stabilize the remains in such a manner as to preserve evidence of the earthquake that has left its mark on the finds.
· To differentiate the manner of intervention between the theater components and their different periods.
· To open a path for guided visits by groups in accordance with the progress of the conservation work in the theater and in combination with the visitor’s path in the archaeological park.
The Conservation Measures Include:
· Stone conservation
· Stabilizing walls:
- Filling-in lacunae (grouting).
- Completing missing stonework.
- Stabilizing exposed and unstable wall cores.
- Sealing the tops of walls (coping).
· Stabilizing plaster remains.
· Conserving ancient installations, such as cisterns, terra cotta pipes etc.
· Installing engineering reinforcements in walls whose foundations are unstable.
· Marking the reconstruction line with embedded stainless steel plaques that bear the symbol of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The unemployed from the area will be engaged in the project in accordance with the government’s initiative to hire people who are out of work.
As previously mentioned, the continuation of the project will depend on raising the necessary funds for conserving and developing the site.
To view the figures, click on the figure caption
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