| The Magnetometer and Surface Survey:
Magnetometer survey in southwest part of the mound. (L. Pavlish) |
East Delta (Tell Tebilla) |
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| Dr. Laurence Pavlish carried out two magnetometer surveys at
Tell Tebilla prior to the initiation of mapping and excavation work at this site
(1999-2001). He investigated a small portion of the southwest quadrant of Tebilla,
focusing the magnetometer survey within a 40 by 50 metre area along the southern side of
the mound. The survey indicated an iron rich signature representing the corner of a mud
brick, rectilinear structure. This building was oriented roughly SW-NE by SE-NW to the
west of an iron deficient zone. The 2000 excavations near this survey area (see Tell Tebilla Part 2) confirmed the composition and orientation of
similar, neighbouring structures; it revealed their function as mortuary complexes with
shaft-chambers containing burials dating from the Saite (Dynasty 26) to Ptolemaic
periods.
Plan of excavation units in southwest part of the mound. (G. Mumford)The second magnetometer survey area encompassed 100 by 250 metres, covering the majority of the eastern half of the mound. |
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Location of magnetometer survey in east part of mound. (L. Pavlish)Detail of magnetometer survey in east part of mound. (L. Pavlish)L. Pavlish’s survey revealed large, elongated north-south, rectilinear areas with higher iron contents surrounded by and enclosing smaller areas deficient in iron. The 2001 excavation of the northeastern part of this survey area (see Tell Tebilla Part 6) uncovered the northern end of a heavily burnt and destroyed, multi-storied mastaba tomb. It would appear that the eastern mound suffered some burning from Artaxerxes III’s 342 B.C. re-conquest of the delta and Egypt, during which the delta suffered particular widespread destruction. |
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Comparison of the magnetometer survey (above right) with excavation results (left) within the area of Buildings B and A. (G. Mumford and L. Pavlish). |
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During the 1999 December season, L. Pavlish (assisted by P.
Carstens and D. Gorzo) examined and plotted a representative, random sample of surface
artifacts and their distributions across the surface of the mound below. He randomly
located a series of one by one metre sample-units that represented 0.15% of the mound's
surface area and which appear within each 50 by 50 metre portion of the mound. He
quantified the surface artifacts (potsherds and non-pottery artifacts) in each sample-unit
and then extrapolated a density distribution of all artifacts (including potsherds) across
the mound. This density distribution reveals that surface artifacts concentrate in
the northwest corner, southeastern half, and southwestern corner of the mound, reaching up
to a maximum of 55 items (within a sample unit in a given area). The northeastern
corner reveals a trend of minimal to no surface materials other than clay.
Extrapolated density distribution of all
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The next image (below) illustrates the proportion (%) of
non-pottery artifacts within each one by one metre sample-unit, and extrapolates the
distribution of these non-pottery artifact proportions across the mound's surface.
The non-pottery items include cinder, limestone, flint, brick, and debris from these
materials. Non-pottery artifacts appear in higher proportions (within the material
culture assemblage of given sample-units) in multiple, isolated concentrations along the
western-half of the east side of the mound and two small clusters in the southwest part of
the mound. These sample units contained (non-pottery) artifact proportions ranging
from 0% to slightly above 30% of the total artifact count within one by one metre
sample-units.
Extrapolated density distribution of all
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L. Pavlish also examined the exposed vertical edges of the
mound and patterns of surface debris found across the mound’s surface. This survey
indicated that the surviving mound contained the remnants of substantial mud brick
structures and clay debris (eroded from these structures), creating the vegetation-free,
clay mound that currently characterizes Tell Tebilla. The mound and its edges have
revealed the remains of an intense conflagration (red burnt soil; baked brick; ash), which
has been re-affirmed during excavations of the southwestern, northwestern, and
northeastern parts of the mound.
Surface features and artifact distribution across
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Pavlish, Mumford, and D’Andrea, "Magnetic Survey at Tell Tabilla, Northeastern Nile Delta, Egypt" in The 33rd Annual Meeting of the Canadian Archaeological Association (CAA), pages 1-10 (pdf) with illustrations: pdf file
http://collection.nlc-bnc.ca/100/200/300/ont_archaeol_soc/annual_meeting_caa/33rd/pavl
ishetal.pdf
http://www.physics.utoronto.ca/~isotrace/
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