*3.6. A Gate Shrine at Mudayna Thamad?*

Outside the gate of Mudayna, a possible cultic installation was excavated, with two standing stones, 0.60 and 1.05 m high, the largest of which had fallen over (Figure 6). These two stones were held in place by a number of smaller chink stones carefully placed around them to act as supports. The two standing stones abutted a large 1.30 m long stone, placed on its side into the ground directly to the east. The excavators interpreted the upright stones as masseboth and the construction as a gate shrine, even though no cultic material was found nearby (Daviau et al. 2006, p. 252 and Figure 4).

**Figure 6.** Photo of possible gate shrine at Mudayna Thamad (Courtesy Wadi ath-Thamad Project).

The identification of this construction as a shrine rests on the find of the large stones only. In the absence of pottery and other special finds, the cultic nature of this site remains doubtful.3
