ABSTRACT
This chapter documents the ca. 55 stone volutes discovered to date at 16 sites in present-day Israel, Jordan, and Syria. In past research, these were referred to variously as “Proto-Ionic capitals,” “Proto-Aeolic capitals,” and “volute capitals,” based on their presumed origin and architectural function. Rather than referring to these as “structural capitals,” which is a common misconception, the term “stone volute” is proposed for stone blocks with a volute motif carved on one, or both, faces and which are not limited to a single function.
