Palmyra during its 'dark ages' (AD 273–750): a historical and archaeological reassessment

Zenobia’s defeat and the end of the second Palmyrene revolt (272–273) did not coincide with the end of Palmyra. Evidence for its continued existence is apparent in the immediate aftermath and throughout the centuries that follow. From these historical events, scholars may start to trace the city’s urban transformation. Two of the most important agents of these changes were Christianity, which was present in the settlement at least by the early fourth century, and the military. In the early Islamic period, the city prospered as the centre for a powerful tribe, the Banū Kalb, that supported the caliphate in Damascus. This chapter will briefly trace the history of the Palmyra after Zenobia focusing in particular on the main agents responsible for its urban transformation.