U-Shaped Building at Caesarea Maritima

The U-Shaped Building at Caesarea is an exploration of a portion of the praetorium of the governor of Caesarea and its subsequent phases, through its excavation in the 1970s by a team led by Robert J. Bull. By examining field notes, photographs and plans, a team of specialists reconstructs the original fourth-century CE construction of a garden space and fountain; its subsequent remodeling in the mid-fifth to mid-sixth century; and its second phase as a luxuriously decorated garden and entertainment space. Partially refurbished during the short Persian occupation, the reassertion of Byzantine control led to a transformation of the area, linking it more strongly to interior spaces of the praetorium. Subsequent phases elucidate the area’s use as a cemetery in the Crusader and Ottoman periods by providing information about the inhabitants and their burial practices. The volume investigates the form of a praetorium in the eastern Mediterranean, the formation of ancient garden architecture, and the composition of the inhabitants of Crusader and Ottoman Caesarea.