Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 August 2014
The coins here discussed are all surface finds from Tell Rifa‘at, one of the largest mounds in the ‘Azaz Casa, thirty-five kilometres north of Aleppo. They were collected together by the excavator of the site, Dr. M. V. Seton-Williams, during the course of three seasons' excavations at the site, 1956, 1960 and 1964. Although none of the coins is from stratified deposits, their range in time from the second century B.C. to the fourteenth century A.D. and their number afford an interesting sidelight on the later history of the site. They all fall within the range of the excavator's Level 1 : Roman to Hellenistic, first century A.D. to fourth century B.C., although the coin evidence now indicates occupation or interest in the area down to the fourteenth century A.D.
1 Seton-Williams, M. V., ‘Report on the Excavations at Tell Rifa‘at”, in Iraq 23 (1961), pp. 68–87Google Scholar for the 1956 and 1960 seasons, and ‘The Excavations at Tell Rifa‘at, 1964. Second Preliminary Report’, in Iraq 29 (1967). pp. 16–33Google Scholar.
2 I am indebted to Dr. M. V. Seton-Williams, F.S.A., for having invited me to examine the coins and prepare this report. I would also thank Mr. Philip Whitting, G.M., B.A., F.R.N.S., and Mr. N. Lowick, B.A., F.R.N.S., for kindly identifying the Byzantine and the Arab issues respectively for me. Any conclusions drawn from their identifications are my own.
3 Seton-Williams, loc. cit., p. 75.
4 Seton-Williams, loc. cit., Ibid., p. 76.
5 Mr. G. K. Jenkins, B.A., F.R.N.S., Keeper of Coins in the British Museum, kindly drew my attention to this and to the relevant references; ‘Coins from the collection of C J. Rich’, by Jenkins, G. K., in The British Museum Quarterly XXVIII, nos. 3–4, pp. 88–95Google Scholar: and ‘Gli aurei Kushana del convento di Debra Damo’, by Mordini, A., in Accademia Lincei, 48 (1960) pp. 249Google Scholar ff.
6 I am grateful to Mr. G. K. Jenkins for discussing this coin with me.
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