The Material Culture of the Syrian Peoples in Late Antiquity and the Evidence for Syrian Wall Paintings

Abstract

This chapter attempts to place the material culture of the Syriac World within its wider geo-political, linguistic and theological context. As in many fields, Syriac Studies has traditionally privileged the study of the written word over the interpretation of the visual arts, architecture and other forms of material culture. This work is intended to offer an introduction to this under-explored area of research and offer a brief summary of what is known thus far, whilst explaining what remains to be done in this fascinating and often overlooked field.