Database: Carving for the Ages

Nabataean inscription carved on the Tomb of Kamkam bint Wai'lat (IGN 39), a tomb which belong to her and her daughhter. All those entitled to be buried in it are women. Whoever does not do so will be cursed and will have to pay a fine to the priest.

Carving the monumental tombs of Hegra required unique expertise and a highly methodical process. The master builders probably assessed the quality of the sandstone and only selected the most suitable rock faces. Other factors, such as visibility from the city, seem also to have played a part. Based on a preestablished plan, the stone masons worked from top to bottom and used scaffolding or eventually stood on the ledge that was naturally created as they carved the rock face downwards. They began by roughly outlining features of the façade followed by the slow and careful carving of the elements—pediment, cornice, columns, etc, and sculptural elements with protective or religious symbolism. The work was carried out with simple yet effective tools such as chisels, picks, and hammers.

The funerary chamber and the niches for the bodies were excavated in an interior space left undecorated. Funerary inscriptions were included above some tomb entries, naming the owner of the tomb, the reigning Nabataean king during its construction, curses directed at anyone who might violate the proprietary use... and sometimes the chief mason or sculptor.