Ghirza: Mausoleum South-G

Ghirza: Mausoleum South-G

The cemetery recorded as Gh128 in Graeme Barker e.a., Farming the Desert. The UNESCO Libyan Valleys Archaeological Survey (1996) is better known as Ghirza's South Cemetery. It is less well-preserved than the northern cemetery. Still, Mausoleum-A and Mausoleum-NN are quite well-preserved. Of the other mausoleums, only the foundations are still visible, because the superstructures have been brought to museums. Mausoleum G, for example, wa transported in 1958 to Libya's National Museum in Tripoli.

On top of this tetrapylon, which resembled Mausoleum F, we can discern the same motif as we saw here: two predators - in this case a lioness and a lion - and a ram's head, which may or may not be a symbol of the Libyan god Ammon. The spandrels are decorated with vines and grapes, sun flowers, and fish (also on Mausoleum F). It may seem strange to find pictures of fishes in the desert, because they cannot have lived in the wadis. However, even in small desert lakes, little fishes can be found, although the ones represented here appear to be larger than those.

Ghirza, Mausoleum South G

Ghirza, Mausoleum South G: two predators

Ghirza, Mausoleum South G

Ghirza, Mausoleum South G: fish