The Megalithic Quarry of Baalbek: Sector III the Megaliths of Ḥajjar al-Ḥibla

Abstract

ABSTRACT First excavated in 1898–1903 by a German expedition, the site of Baalbek has been under study ever since except for a forced interruption during the Lebanese civil war (1975–1990). In 1984 the temples of Baalbek were recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. In 2004 a research project for the quarries of Baalbek was implemented as a collaborative effort between the Lebanese University and the German Expedition of Baalbek under the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut. While the focus was the megalithic podium in the Temple of Jupiter, this led to the documentation of the quarry and a general survey of all the other stone quarries around Baalbek.