Graffito of three musicians from Temple of Aphlad
YUAG, Dura-Europos Collection, negative number dura-h191a~01
Pictorial graffiti are found on Dura’s plastered mud brick walls in both private and public buildings. This graffito in the collection of the National Museum of Damascus is from the southwest tower at the Temple of Aphlad, and vividly evokes instrumental music and singing at Dura’s sanctuaries that would have played an integral role in religious life. The flutist on the left, vocalist in the center, and harpist on the right are all women. Part of a wooden flute and two fragmentary bone flutes discovered at Dura are in the collection of the Yale University Art Gallery. Terracotta figurines that feature female musicians include one from Parthian Uruk and one from Nabataea: Strabo (Geography, 16.4.26) mentions that two female singers accompanied Nabataean banquets.