Project News & Updates
Dr. Gregory Mumford and Dr. Sarah Parcak were at the University of
Wales (Swansea) in 2005/2006. They are currently at the University
of Alabama
The "dig" seasons were temporarily suspended for 2005
and 2006.
2004 Season - South Sinai
|
2004 Report & Digital Photos
|
|
Interior half of west side of
Old Kingdom
stone fort
(Photo: S. Parcak).
|
Some of the Bedouin and Egyptian
workers,
with the local headman,
Reis Ayad
(fourth from left)
(Photo: S. Parcak).
|
Interior of fort's western half;
wall preserved
up to
3.5 metres (Photo: S. Parcak).
|
|
Full sieving of materials
from
floor of fort
(Photo: S. Parcak)
|
Northwest quadrant of fort
interior with D. Donnelly,
G. Mumford, and Z. McQuinn
preparing the floor
for
excavation (photo: S. Parcak).
|
Project director Gregory
Mumford drawing profile
of entryway wall blocks
(Photo: S. Parcak)
|
|
View of unexcavated eastern
half and wall of fort, with work
camp in background
(Photo: S. Parcak).
|
Ceramicist Rexine Hummel with
Assistant Ceramicist
Deborah Donnelly
examining pottery (Photo: S. Parcak).
|
|
2004 University of Toronto and SCA team: Back row
left-right: Gregory Mumford (project director);
Mustafa Rezk (SCA inspector); Deborah Donnelly (site supervisor); Zoe
McQuinn (site supervisor);
Rexine Hummel (ceramicist); Patrick Carstens (photographer);
Front row: Sarah Parcak (site supervisor; satellite imagery analysis);
Shakira Christodoulou (artist-registrar).
|
Tell Ras Budran (Site 345):
The 2002 and 2004 excavations in el-Markha Plain, South Sinai
Reconstruction of the fort looking west to the Red Sea (O. Rechetnikova).
Abstract: El-Markha Plain
in South Sinai provides an anchorage and resting point for Egyptian
expeditions traveling to the copper and turquoise mining region in South
Sinai. The Toronto
expedition investigated a mound at Ras Budran and revealed a late Old
Kingdom, circular stone fort. It displays a new architectural form
(circular) and an uncommon pharaonic application of stone to a
fortress. It is exceptionally well-preserved and the undisturbed
occupation layer allows analysis of activity patterns. The fort’s late
Old Kingdom construction, occupation, and destruction/abandonment in
South Sinai reflect Dynasty 5–6 historical records for Egyptian
campaigns against Asiatic “Sand-dwellers” and a Bedouin massacre of an
Egyptian expedition beside the Red Sea. The site illuminates multiple
aspects of a period associated with the “collapse” of the Old Kingdom
and the activities and cross-cultural interactions of a garrison located
at the edge of Egypt’s eastern frontier.
INTRODUCTION:
The University of
Toronto expedition to South Sinai investigated a small mound at Ras
Budran in el-Markha Plain in July 2002 and June-July, 2004. The 2002
and 2004 expeditions consisted of Gregory Mumford (project director),
Mustafa Rezk (Supreme Council of Antiquities inspector), Laurence
Pavlish (geoarchaeologist), Rexine Hummel (ceramicist), Patrick Carstens
(photographer), Monica Bontty (registrar), Shakira Christodoulou
(artist-registrar), and site supervisors Deborah Donnelly, Christopher
Gilbert, Zoe McQuinn, and Sarah Parcak.
B. Rothenberg located this
mound during a 1967–68 survey of South Sinai, designating it site 345.[1]
The 2002 expedition generated a topographic map, made a preliminary plan
of the structure, and carried out limited excavation, but did not obtain
sufficient diagnostic pottery to date the structure. In 2004, however,
the excavation of the structure’s floor produced pottery indicating an
Old Kingdom construction and occupation of this fort.
Back to Top
ARCHITECTURE:
Sand clearance along the
structure’s wall tops have revealed a circular fort built of small
limestone blocks. It measures 44 meters in diameter with a 7 meter wide
wall preserved to 3.5 meters along its northern side. Its western side
has a 4 meter wide bastion beside a blocked-up entry passage. The
bastion is preserved to 2.80 meters in height near the gateway and
extends 11 meters westwards. A stairway lies 4 meters to the south of
the entryway and provides access to the battlements and western bastion.
Aside from the entry passage and
the top of an unexcavated eastern chamber, the enclosure wall appears to
lack other chambers or casemate spaces. The fort’s exterior wall face
is less well-preserved, but displays a regular in-stepping of stone
courses, creating a steep slope. The interior face of the enclosure
wall either displayed instability, necessitating additional support, or
incorporated a steeply sloping retaining wall into its initial design.
Although the exact time and reasons for this addition remain uncertain,
it is likely that the presence of poor quality limestone in the main
wall encouraged the construction of a strengthening wall. The entryway
itself either proved vulnerable to attack or demonstrated equal signs of
instability, which included shattered stone blocks and severe cracks in
the ceiling blocks. This required the blocking-up of both ends of the
entry passage and presumably the introduction of an alternate entrance,
possibly via ladder access(?).
Innovative
and unusual design features:
What can be said about
the material, design and construction of the fort itself? In his study
of Egyptian fortifications, A.W. Lawrence asserted that “every known
fortification, of whatever age, was built in mud-brick …”[2]
Other Egyptian stone walls and fortifications have been found, however,
such as an Old Kingdom stone wall at Buhen[3]
and two Middle Kingdom dry stone forts in Wadi el-Hudi, in the Eastern
Desert to the southeast of Aswan.[4]
Hence, the ancient Egyptians did use stone for fortifications in
certain circumstances, especially in areas lacking abundant sources of
clay for mud bricks.
The fort at Ras Budran
is also quite unusual regarding its circular design. The apparent
infrequency of curved walls in Egyptian architecture had already been
noted by Somers Clarke, who, while admitting the existence of bastions
with semicircular ends, added that “for a reason yet to be explained the
Egyptian architect eschewed any constructions which were not rectangular
in plan.”[5]
The relative infrequency of circular structures in Ancient Egypt
requires an outline of their forms, construction techniques, and
functions before proceeding with the excavation results.
Back to Top
Architectural parallels in Egypt:
In general, square and rectilinear
enclosures dominate Early Dynastic to Old Kingdom and later sites, such
as the enclosures at Abydos, Hierakonpolis, Elephantine, Tell Edfu, and
‘Ayn Asil (Dakhleh Oasis). However, some archaeological evidence does
exist for circular enclosure walls prior to and during this period. The
Early Dynastic town at el-Kab yielded portions of two parallel, curved
walls that originally enclosed a 390 by 400 meter, circular area.[6]
On a comparative scale, Hierakonpolis[7]
contains an Early Dynastic, semi-circular stone revetment wall measuring
40 meters in diameter, which is close to the Sinai fort’s 44 meter
diameter. In contrast, the wall at Hierakonpolis is thinner and
functioned as a revetment enclosing a temple platform. Other circular
structures include Predynastic to Early Dynastic circular stone grave
mounds (tumuli)[8]
covering poor burials, but these are much smaller and roughly built.
Although archaeological examples
of circular Egyptian forts remain elusive in contrast to tumuli, temple
platforms, and town enclosure walls, there is some evidence for round
forts in models, depictions and hieroglyphs. For instance, a Predynastic
grave at Abadiyeh produced a fragmentary, ceramic model fort with
figures of human sentries standing behind a curved, crenellated wall.[9]
Some Early Dynastic slate palettes and dockets display plan-views of
settlements with ovoid and circular fortifications.[10]
A Dynasty 1 docket from Abydos depicts a tower with sloping walls,
ladder access, and battlements. This is duplicated by a Dynasty 1
ceramic model of a similar circular fort-tower.[11]
A second round model fort-tower appears in Djoser’s Step Pyramid complex
of Dynasty 3, and is paralleled by Old Kingdom hieroglyphic
determinatives depicting a “tower” or “fort” (swnw and mnnw).
Furthermore, the well-known Egyptian hieroglyphic determinative for
“town” (niwt), which appears during this period, portrays a
circular town wall surrounding cross-streets and houses.[12]
Construction techniques and
parallels:
The fort’s entryway
contains paving slabs placed against the adjacent wall bases in a
similar fashion to pharaonic structures.[13]
The horizontal courses of stone masonry in the fort’s main wall matches
Dynasty 5–6 techniques, while the partly inward sloping courses of stone
in the retaining wall, are more suggestive of Dynasty 3.[14]
The distinct slope visible on the interior and exterior faces of the
enclosure wall occurs frequently in pharaonic masonry.[15]
The application of rough fieldstone wall blocks of varying lengths
resembles the core masonry of Old Kingdom pyramids built by such rulers
as Djoser, Sahure, Neferefra, and Pepy II.[16]
At Ras Budran, the arrangement of limestone roofing slabs to cover a
1.35 meter span in the entryway, matches the 1.30 meter span for
limestone blocks covering the entry hall to Djoser’s Step Pyramid
complex.[17]
Overall assessment of the fort’s
architecture:
Hence, Ras Budran is best
interpreted as an Egyptian frontier fort (probably a swnw) and an
adaptation to the local environment. The selection of stone slabs and
the technique of laying the wall courses follow Egyptian building
patterns more closely than the irregular field stones, wall courses, and
rough corbelled roofs in the nawamis.[18]
In essence, the Ras Budran fort remains unique so far in its specific
form and time period, having no exact duplicates in Egypt, Palestine, or
Sinai.
Back to Top
STRATIGRAPHY:
The sand removal in
the western interior half of the courtyard revealed an open area with
eight broad sequences of activity: (1) a small hearth and isolated
potsherds predating the fort’s foundation trench; (2) the fort’s
construction and installation of an inner retaining wall; (3) the
initial occupation, sealing-up of both ends of the entry passage, and
deposition of black ash and organic patches; (4) the addition of a
cobblestone ramp against the outer face of the eastern door blocking;
(5) the abandonment of the structure and accumulation of sand drifts in
the courtyard; (6) a period of stone quarrying and a camp site; (7) a
succession of three sea storms and intervening wind blown sand; (8) a
modern surface layer.
1. Pre-fort layer:
The earliest
occupation debris lay above a layer of beach sand, which contained
coarse sand and very small, worn fragments of shells. The occupation
layer consisted of a grey patch of ash from a hearth(?) and some
potsherds.
2. Foundation of the fort and
retaining well:
At some point
following the construction of the circular enclosure wall, the Egyptian
garrison added a sloping retaining wall around most of the interior wall
face. The excavated, western half of the courtyard lacked interior
structures, but yielded three deep post holes, a fourth possible post
hole, and a cluster of shallow meandering channels. The post holes lay
roughly parallel to the interior western wall face, suggesting the
possibility of an awning covering part of the open court. The multiple
shallow channels concentrate 5 meters to the east of the entryway in an
area devoid of black ash patches. These channels contain the remains of
thin roots and possibly reflect water erosion channels with a later
growth of some small bushes.
3. The main occupation of the
fort:
At some point before the
deposition of the black ash layer, the garrison sealed-up the western
end of the entrance using dry stone masonry, and next blocked-up the
eastern interior doorway using stone blocks set in clay mortar. The
passage contained clean sand, did not have any trace of the black ash
found immediately outside the door blocking, and yielded only a small
copper wedge and two copper lumps. A cooking hearth lay 10 meters to
the northeast of the interior entry, consisting of soot-stained slabs.
The pottery included some pieces from cooking pots with soot stains
around their rims. The floor had seven small to large patches of black
ash and organic materials. The northern side of the courtyard yielded
some raw clay and unbaked pieces of pottery, suggesting the manufacture
of pottery at or near the fort.
Back to Top
4. The final sealing of the
entry passage:
Although the exact
point in time of the sealing of the entry passage remains elusive, a
cobblestone ramp overlies part of the black ash layer and covers the
exterior face of the eastern door-blocking. The stones composing the
ramp probably came from the wadi to the north and east of the fort.
This ramp implies a perceived or real need to strengthen the existing
eastern and western blockings. No discernable occupation debris
accumulated around the base of the ramp, suggesting that this
construction formed one of the last actions of the garrison before it
withdrew from the site or fell to a Bedouin attack.
5. The abandonment of the fort:
It is uncertain how much longer
the fort remained in service after the installation of the cobble ramp,
but the northern winds deposited sand drifts in the northern side of the
courtyard.
6. Campsite:
After the deposition
of sand against the northern side of the courtyard, a second late Old
Kingdom Egyptian expedition returned to Markha Plain. At this time,
Egyptian or Bedouin laborers began to remove stone from the fort,
covering the surface of the sand slope with fine limestone debris.
Although the final destination of the removed blocks remains unknown,
the workers appeared to have uncovered the entry passage’s ceiling
blocks at this time and subsequently broke through one of the roofing
slabs to access the underlying chamber. A basalt hammer stone lay on
the northern wall top, while two other hammers lay near the western
wall, probably representing tools discarded after dislodging blocks.
Several hearths appear in the building’s sand-filled interior,
reflecting a small campsite. Some late Old Kingdom pottery lay
scattered across the surface, including a small jar, platters, bread
moulds, and storage jar fragments.
7. The campsite’s abandonment and
succeeding sand and sea storms:
In the years following
the partial dismantling of the fort, the breached entry passage filled
with sand and some stone chips, covering the fallen, fragmented roofing
block. At the same time, the northern winds filled the courtyard with a
15–80 cm layer of sand drifts. At least three major sea storms follows
this sequence, being reflected by the deposition of layers of fine, hard
sand and salt crusts, each of which overlies a coarse sand layer. The
first sea storm took place soon after the last Egyptian campsite (late
Dynasty 6?), while the subsequent storms may have occurred during this
time or into the First Intermediate Period. The uppermost salt crust
terminates the sequence of ancient layers and represents the heaviest
sea storm. It formed a very hard, thick salt encrustation across the
fort’s western interior and over the denuded southern wall top.
8. Modern surface:
The relatively rapid
post-Old Kingdom accumulation of wind blown sand in the courtyard left
increasingly less space for subsequent sand deposition. The uppermost
layer and modern surface contained traces of other modern activities,
such as plastic containers, glass, tin cans, a button, and other items.
Back to Top
MATERIAL CULTURE ASSEMBLAGE FROM
MAIN OCCUPATION LAYER:
In order to analyze
the nature of occupation at the fort and activity areas and patterns
across the main occupation layer, the courtyard was subdivided into
units measuring 2 by 2 meters. Each grid-square, or unit, was
designated by letters A–O from south to north and by numbers 1–6 from
west to east. Full sieving of the occupation debris produced a variety
of artifacts and other items, including pottery, stone tools, copper,
turquoise, and faunal and floral remains.
Pottery:
The western half of the floor
produced over 500 diagnostic potsherds (rims, bases, and incised sherds)
and thousands of body sherds, all of which exhibit slow-wheel
manufacture and late Old Kingdom style forms. Approximately 10% of the
pottery assemblage represent marls and silts and forms originating from
the Nile Valley, while the remaining Sinaitic fabrics (90%) occur in
vessels of Egyptian derivation. The Nile silt containers include large
storage jars, a small jar, carinated bowls, a bread mould, and a spouted
bowl. The Sinaitic ware vessels consist of many storage jars, various
bread moulds, platters, offering trays, and some unbaked clay vessel
fragments and clay jar sealings. The presence of raw clay and some
unbaked vessel fragments suggests that the fort’s inhabitants
manufactured pottery nearby.
Stone tools:
The stone tools consisted of
grinding stone fragments, a basalt hammer stone, a basalt “anvil”, some
local grey flint (e.g., a long blade) and many pieces of yellow chert
(e.g. cores, flakes, and blades). The basalt anvil lay in the
northwestern part of the courtyard and bore incised striations on one
surface, indicating its use as a working platform, possibly in
processing turquoise and copper ores.
Copper and turquoise:
Small copper nodules
occur across the floor, appearing in isolated deposits and clusters in
the courtyard and outside the fort. Excavation and sieving revealed
only one distinct copper tool, namely a broken chisel. The floor also
contained some small turquoise chips, which appear to have come from the
removal of the poorer, exterior portions of turquoise. The presence of
both copper and turquoise form a direct link between Ras Budran and the
mining region at Wadi Maghara and Wadi Kharig.
Fauna and flora:
The most common item
retrieved during sieving consists of marine shells. The most frequent
food source is represented by plates from chitons (marine mollusks),
which occur during both the early and later phases of occupation. The
next most common find includes sea urchin (echini) bodies and spines,
which also appear at Wadi Maghara.[19]
The sea urchins probably reflect a food source, while fragments from
large clam shells may indicate both a food source and a utensil (e.g., a
scraper or bowl). Surprisingly, only one fish bone came from the floor
during fine sieving. The floral remains are equally sparse, but include
some seeds, leaves, and the remains of old and modern intrusive roots.
MATERIAL CULTURAL ASSEMBLAGE FROM
THE CAMPSITE:
The artifacts from the second
occupation phase date to the late Old Kingdom and reflect a transitory
campsite. The artifacts included pottery (e.g., sherds from bread
moulds, basins, jars, and storage jars), copper nodules, and three
basalt hammer stones.
Back to Top
CONCLUSION:
Dr. Gregory Mumford
University of Toronto
Back to Top
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
This expedition is funded by the
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and is
supported by the Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations at
the University of Toronto, the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE),
and the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA). Special thanks are
extended to Dr. Z. Hawass, SCA officials in Cairo and Abu Zenima, the
Suez Oil Company (SUCO), expedition staff, the Bedouin workers from Kilo
Tisa, and members of the Egyptian military and police forces for all
their encouragement and support towards the success of the project.
Back to Top
ENDNOTES:
[1]
Page 12 fig. 5 and pages 18 and 25 in B. Rothenberg, 1970. “An
Archaeological Survey of South Sinai. First Season 1967/1968.
Preliminary Report.” Palestine Exploration Quarterly 102:
4–29.
[2]
See page 69 in A.W. Lawrence, 1965. Ancient Egyptian
Fortifications. The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 51:
61-94.
[3]
See Lawrence, 1965. The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 51:
69.
[4]
See I. Shaw, 1994. “Pharaonic Quarrying and Mining: Settlement and
Procurement in Egypt’s Marginal Regions.” Antiquity 68 no.
258: 108–19.
[5]
See pages 155-79 in Somers Clarke 1916. “Ancient Egyptian Frontier
Fortresses.” The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 3 Part 1:
155–79.
[6]
See pages 16 and 17, fig. 2 upper left, in A. Badawy, 1966.
Architecture in Ancient Egypt and the Near East. Cambridge: The
Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
[7]
See page 107 fig. 1 in M. Bietak, 1979. “Urban Archaeology and the
“Town Problem” in Ancient Egypt.” Egyptology and the Social
Sciences, ed. K. Weeks. Cairo: The American University in Cairo
Press; see frontispiece in B. Adams, 1974. Ancient Hierakonpolis.
Warminster: Aris and Phillips Ltd.
[8]
See page 150 and fig. 88 in W. B. Emery, 1961. Archaic Egypt.
London: Penguin Books Ltd.
[9]
See pages 15 and 16, fig. 8, in I. Shaw, 1991. Egyptian Warfare
and Weapons. Princes Risborough: Shire Publications Ltd.
[10]
See pages 48 fig. 36 and 177 fig. 120 in A. Badawy, 1954. A
History of Egyptian Architecture, Vol. 1. From the Earliest Times to
the End of the Old
Kingdom. London: Histories
and Mysteries of Man, Ltd (1990 reprint); see pages 11 fig. 11 and
12 fig. 14 in W. S. Smith and W. K. Simpson, 1998. The Art and
Architecture of Ancient
Egypt. New Haven: Yale
University Press (Third edition).
[11]
See pages 48, fig. 36, and 197 notes 84–85, in Badawy, 1954. A
History of Egyptian Architecture.
[12]
See pages 199 (nt) and 210–12 (nwt) in A. Erman, A.
and H. Grapow, 1955. Wörtebuch der Aegyptische Sprache,
Vols. 1–5. Berlin: Akademie Verlag; See page 125 (niwt) in R.
O. Faulkner, 1981. A Concise Dictionary of Middle Egyptian.
Oxford: Griffith Institute.
[13]
See pages 91 and 171 in D. Arnold, 2003. The Encyclopaedia of
Ancient Egyptian Architecture. Trans. by S. H. Gardiner and H.
Strudwick. London: I. B. Tauris and Co. Ltd.
[14]
See pages 149, 152 fig. 4.78 and 160, fig. 4.88 nos. 1 and 5, in D.
Arnold, 1991. Building in
Egypt: Pharaonic Stone Masonry.
Oxford: Oxford University Press; see also pages 137-38 in D. Arnold,
2003. The Encyclopaedia of Ancient Egyptian Architecture.
Trans. by S. H. Gardiner and H. Strudwick. London: I. B. Tauris and
Co. Ltd.
[15]
See page 148 fig. 4.72 in Arnold, 1991. Building in
Egypt;
see also page 256 in Arnold, 2003. The Encyclopaedia of Ancient
Egyptian Architecture.
[16]
See pages 162 fig. 4.89, 180 fig. 4.111, 181 fig. 4.112, and 232
fig. 5.20 in Arnold, 1991. Building in
Egypt.
[17]
See page 183 in Arnold, 1991. Building in
Egypt;
see also pages 47 and 204 in Arnold, 2003. The Encyclopaedia of
Ancient Egyptian Architecture.
[18]
See pages 143-44, fig. 174, by C. T. Currelly, in W. M. F. Petrie,
1906. Researches in Sinai. London: John Murray.
[19]
See page 52 in W. M. F. Petrie, 1906. Researches in Sinai.
[20]
See pages 90-92 in G.
Mumford and S.
Parcak, 2003. “Pharaonic ventures into South Sinai: el-Markha Plain
Site 346.” The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 89: 83–116,
pls. 6–7.
Back to Top
|
2003 Season - Tell Tebilla
|
|
|
5 August, 2003
The season at Tell Tebilla ended today
at 6:30 pm, with all team members working exceptionally long hours
to complete the recording and storage of the 2003 materials.
The Toronto team completed the planning
of the southwest corner of the enclosure wall (initially uncovered
by the SCA 2002/3 excavation). In addition, we scraped down the
surface within the surviving interior corner of the enclosure wall,
which had remained unexcavated in the 2002/3 season. This area
revealed portions of two earlier structures (mastabas) that had been
cut by the foundation trenches of the enclosure wall and a furnace
installation beside the enclosure wall. Of note, the furnace
installation lay within a chamber that has the same alignment as the
enclosure wall and also yielded a foundation trench that cut through
the adjacent, earlier mastabas.
Back to Top |
|
3 August, 2003
We are in the final week of work at Tell
Tebilla, completing planning, drawings, recording, and packing up the
camp. The plans of the enclosure wall and the adjacent, earlier
structures (beside the enclosure wall's foundation trench) will be
completed over the next two days. We have already photographed the
enclosure wall using a six metre high tripod, and are photographing the
other structures beside it.
There is a small backlog of unprocessed
pottery which will be drawn in the course of a week next year at
Tebilla. Otherwise, the backlog of diagnostic pottery from 2001 has
been completed, while most of the 2003 pottery has also been described,
photographed, and drawn. All the osteological material and other
samples have been processed and are being stored in the excavation
magazine for further study in 2004.
The discovery of several large domestic
structures, beyond the eastern and western sides of the north-south
enclosure wall, provides future areas for excavation. There would
appear to be a brief period of Late Period habitation within the
northwest portion of the mound, which postdates the Third Intermediate
Period to Dynasty 26 mastabas and predates the construction of the
massive fort-temple enclosure wall (probably dating to the mid-4th
century BC: temp Nectanebo II?). The domestic structures contain
ovens in courtyards and appear to have at least 20 or more cm
preserved above their floors.
Several more images will be posted on the
website illustrating the most recent findings from this season.
Back to Top |
|
31 July, 2003
Today excavation ended in Unit H-15 (Room
8, Building A). We located the lowest floor level within the structure
around 5.50 metres above sea level (over 6 metres below the surviving
wall tops). The southern end (South baulk) of the lowest chamber
contained a second large chunk of slag and bone, which appears to be the
refuse from the extraction of calcium in glass production. The presence
of some Roman pottery in the disturbed lower levels of an adjacent
chamber (Chamber 1, Building A), and the location of refuse pits with
glass slag at the top of the structure, suggest that the skeletons in
Tebilla's cemeteries were being exploited for calcium during the Roman
period.
The space below the mudbrick ceiling
(first floor) in Building A yielded a mostly undisturbed burial of a
young female (about 10-12 years of age) with an in-situ bracelet and a
necklace of cowrie shells and amulets (wadjet eyes). This burial lay
alongside the southern wall, in the undisturbed mudbrick debris and
pottery (locus 65) that had been missed by the intrusive (Roman) pit
cutting to the base of chamber 8. Of note, much of the floor of Chamber
A remained intact, concealing a low grey brick wall extending into the
chamber from the eastern and southern sides of the room. At the base of
this wall we found an earlier walling system lying at a different
angle. The exterior walls (Buildings A and D) indicate that at least 3
metres of the building lay above ground (the ancient, exterior ground
level will be traced next season). Hence, the mastaba (Building A) had
a cellar with a two storey above ground portion with battered wall
faces.
Back to Top |
29 July, 2003
Laura Chinery completed the excavation of
Unit G-14 today. Her trench encompassed a street between two buildings
(A and D) and uncovered 17 intact burials (stacked in alternating layers
from head to toe) and the remains from 10 other burials. The burials
yielded traces of embalming, wrapping, bitumen, and painted decorated
casings (blue and white). One body still contained its toe nails. Dr.
P. Sheldrik and A. Graver will return in the next season to conduct
further analysis on the bodies uncovered in late July. (L. Chinery and
A. Burridge have already completed a thorough preliminary assessment of
these latter burials, which will be included in a forthcoming report).
The exterior walls of both Buildings A
and D have a steep batter, which reduced the street to less than 50 cm
at a depth of 3 metres. The exterior walls contain two rows of holes,
equally spaced, from wooden beams set into the walls. Some holes
contained traces of wood, while one contained a well-preserved beam
end. The street area had been filled with successive, dense layers of
pottery in-between periods of burial and wind- and water-laid debris.
In the northern two thirds of Chamber 8,
we have excavated below the bottom of Building A. Although later
pitting (i.e., for burials) had cut through the original floor,
the northern wall definitely ends and is underlain by a dense layer of
pottery and reddened soil. The Eastern wall lies directly above a wider
eastern wall that projects 25 cm into Chamber 8. The western wall awaits
further delineation, but appears to bulge outwards, perhaps lying above
an earlier wall or being founded deeper. The southern interior section
displays a definite horizontal surface line subdividing the underlying
broader eastern wall and termination point of the northern wall. The
soil below this line contained much yellow and grey dense mudbrick
debris, with some red-brown soil and much pottery (large to small
sherds) lying at all angles.
An ovoid area (grave pit), containing far
fewer bricks, lay in the northern part of this lower mudbrick debris.
This pit contained the disarticulated remnants of burials (with bitumen
coatings). Some decorated casing fragments lay near the top of the
mudbrick debris, along the western side of this area. Tomorrow the
southern interior section will be drawn and peeled back
stratigraphically to reveal the remaining wall face in Chamber 8. The
lowest part (cellar/first floor) of Chamber 8 would appear to have been
roofed by a north-south barrel vault; confirmation of this awaits final
delineation of the bricks in the southern part of the chamber.
In the fallow field, Trenches I-V (Area
NE-1) show that the eastern enclosure wall probably continues beyond the
fallow field, measuring up to at least 300 metres. Unfortunately, water
seeping in from the adjacent rice fields have made it difficult
to identify (beyond reasonable doubt) the enclosure wall in Trenches IV
and V. The enclosure wall, however, definitely appears in Trenches
I-III.
Back to Top |
26 July, 2003
Further news on tracing the enclosure
wall. Trench III in Unit NE-1 (fallow field beyond mound edge) has
revealed the northern part of the eastern enclosure wall about 272
metres from the southwest corner of this wall. Trenches I and II lie
at 260 and 266 metres from the SE corner and should yield further
confirmation tomorrow. Trench IV will be started tomorrow to find out
whether the enclosure wall turns before the 280 metre mark.
Unfortunately, this wall might continue
into innundated rice fields and may leave tracing the NE corner turn
to future seasons. Some options include coring, magnetometer survey
work, and examining drainage channel banks (along the projected line
of the wall). Trench III of NE-1 also yielded potsherds and some
walls from structures cut by the enclosure wall's foundation trench.
The excavation of the interior southwest
corner of the enclosure wall has reached a depth of 2.80 metres below
the surviving wall top (within the 2002/3 SCA excavation area). The
foundation trench begins at the modern surface and is about 1 metre
wide. Of interest, the enclosure wall sits on a much wider platform
base laid lower down within the foundation trench, filling the one
metre wide trench alongside the narrower, upper wall. The wall
narrows by 25 cm near the top where the enclosure wall measures 11.50
metres in width.
Sarah Parcak is supervising the excavation
crew in removing a small section of the foundational platform within
the corner (Unit SW-1) to locate the foundation deposit. SCA test pits
within the wall reached the water table at just over 3 metres depth.
We will use water pumps in an attempt to reach the foundation deposit
in the event that the wall base extends below the water table.
The excavation of the street in Unit G-14
has revealed a distinct batter to the exterior faces of Buildings A
and D. Laura Chinery has uncovered a dozen intact burials so far
within this street, with the remains from about 10 other burials
nearer to the modern surface. The street narrows to about 50 cm at
about 3.50 metres depth from the modern surface and wall tops of
Buildings A and D. It would seem more likely now that Buildings A and
D do represent mastabas rather than non-funerary structures reused for
burials. Further excavation within this area will reveal the full
nature of Building A.
Back to Top |
23 July, 2003
Excavation has begun in the southwestern
corner of the enclosure wall, at the base of a 50 cm deep trench
placed here by the 2002/3 SCA excavations. Of note, the SW
enclosure wall had not been noticed immediately owing to half-a-dozen,
regularly placed test-pits placed within the surviving 30 metre
walling system (see picture to-follow). However, officials mentioned that
these test pits revealed only solid mudbrick, and did not represent
chambers (as in the surrounding, excavated mastabas). We will
excavate below the 3.30 metre depth of the test pits to locate the
base of the foundation wall.
We obtained permission from the landowner
to excavate in his fallow field to trace whether the eastern side of
the enclosure wall turns at the 235 metre mark, or extends further
northwards (as indicated in the 1968 satellite image). We are clearing the surface debris in a 20 by 15 metre
area that spans the 235-255 metre point along the north-south wall (30-50
metres beyond the mound edge).
Room 8 in Building A continues to yield
interesting results. Today Alwyn Burridge reached a dense layer of
chopped-up and burnt human bones. Many of the bones contain coatings
of bitumen, which had extended over the breaks in the bones.
Cut/chopping marks and other evidence indicate that the bones had been
reduced to small pieces (less than 10 cm), possibly being used in a
glass manufacturing process. Evidence of glass manufacture was found
in pits cutting into the top of Building A; the lower chamber (6.50
metres below the wall tops) was open to this depth at some point
(based upon stratigraphic and other evidence).
In the following week we will be
completing excavation and recording work, but will continue to pursue
locating the NE corner and finding one of the expected foundation
deposits. If located, the NE corner would be the most promising since
the fallow field lies about 4 metres below the nearby mound edge.
New information reveals that the Ramesside
and many other limestone and granite blocks (found during the
construction of the water plant) are more likely to represent
Ramesside construction at Tebilla rather than a re-use of Ramesside
blocks. Officials and construction workers clarified that the blocks
all came from a level 6 metres below the base of the lower mound level
(the surface associated with the Dynasty 26 mastabas). Hence, the
temple blocks came from an area 8 metres below the western edge of the
mound, well below the ancient surface associated with the 235 by 280-352+?
metre enclosure wall.
The temple block of Sheshonq I (noted by
Chaban in 1908) lay on the surface of the mound, but its exact find
spot remains unknown. It would seem likely that the Dynasty 22 temple
lay somewhere within the northwestern part of the mound, in an area
that would have been sacred. In addition, the placement of the
enclosure wall in the northwest part of the mound implies that this
area remained the most important part of the town. Hopefully evidence
will emerge to support the current notion that the enclosure wall
dates to Nectanebo I or II's fortress and temple building program.
Back to Top |
21 July, 2003
Exciting news! The southwest corner of
the enclosure wall has been located at the northwestern edge of the
SCA 2002/3 excavation area of the southern end of Tebilla. Although
115 metres of the southern enclosure wall (visible in a 1968 satellite
image) has been cut in the construction zone associated with the
modern water filtration plant, 30 metres survive in the western part
of the mound. The southern wall measures 235 metres in length.
The surviving wall measures 11.50 metres
in width, continues along the same line as the 90 metre stretch of the
southern enclosure wall 115 metres to the east, and its foundation
trench cuts through earlier mastaba walls that have a distinctly
different orientation from the enclosure walls. The enclosure wall
turns northwards and will be traced for the 35 metres remaining
between its southwest exterior corner and the wall of the water
plant. A domestic building with an oven --(postdating the mastabas)--
lies directly west of the enclosure wall's corner and foundation
trench. Since the southern edge of the mound is scheduled for
imminent removal as farmland (later this fall?), we are mounting a
salvage operation to excavate down to the sand foundations in the
inner SW-corner of the enclosure wall to locate the SW foundation
deposit under the interior brickwork (postulated through parallel
foundation deposits for fortification and temple enclosure
The north-south (eastern) enclosure wall
measures 205 metres to the mound edge. We will examine the fallow
field beyond the mound edge to see whether the wall turns at the 257
metre point (i.e., indicating a square enclosure), or continues for
a substantial distance within the fallow field. Should the
enclosure wall be square in plan, we would search for the NE
foundation deposit, which would be more easily reached. Hopefully,
Tebilla's 11.50 metre wide enclosure wall will not have foundation
walls extending to a depth of 12 metres as at Tel Qedwa (Dynasty 26
fort in Northwest Sinai).
The street area in Unit G-14 (northeast
mound) has yielded a few more burials. 11 burials lie in the
eastern part of the street, with several layers of stacking. Laura
Chinery and Alwyn Burridge have been working long hours to record
and remove each burial completely; the remainder of the osteological
team, Dr. P. Sheldrik and A. Graver, will return for future work on
these and other burials for future seasons at Tell Tebilla.
Room 8 of Building A continues to be
excavated. We are finding an increasing concentration of faunal
remains, such as many bird bones (adult and infant) and bones from
over a dozen mice. In addition, the brick fall debris contained a
large chunk of slag mixed with burnt human bones (similar to chunks
found at Mendes in the eastern part of the mound). We believe we
are approaching the floor of the chamber since we will soon be 2
metres below the ceiling top (lining the sides of the room).
Maureen Rode is currently preparing digital images to be sent to the webmaster for posting on the
website.
Back to Top |
|
20 July, 2003
The southern wall top and edge has been
cleaned up for photography and planning. During the delineation of
the enclosure wall's inner and outer edges (within the top of the
foundation trench), we discovered a large bronze figurine of Horus.
The figurine measures about 25 cm high and represents a seated Horus
figure with finger-to-mouth and an Atef crown headdress. It lay
within the northern, interior foundation trench area (in Unit X-10),
about 15 metres to the west of the interior corner.
Further scraping of the southern wall area
and its environs reveals a possible gateway installation. The
interior area contains a massive foundation wall perpendicular to the
east-west enclosure wall and additional buttressing along the exterior
wall. These features are sufficiently different from the rest of the
enclosure wall and suggest that a gateway may have lain in this area.
In addition, this area yielded much limestone debris along the
interior wall area, including a limestone block lying along the
interior wall edge.
Although the water plant foundation area
has cut much of the southern enclosure wall, we will scrape down the
surviving patch of mound to the west to trace the wall here. In a
subsequent season, we will investigate selected areas in the fields to
the north and west of the mound to trace the southwest and northeast
corners in the deep foundation wall. The wall does not appear to have
been accompanied by an external moat, but the western mound edge will
be examined more closely to see whether any moat lay along the
exterior wall. A nine metre area separates the exterior wall from the
earlier structures, suggesting a broader disturbance than the 50 cm to
one metre wide strip of foundation trench evident beside the inner
wall face.
Back to Top |
19 July, 2003
We have completed excavating Room 8 in
Building A (Unit H-15) to the 6 metre ASL (above sea level) point
--5.60 metres below the preserved wall tops. It would appear that we
have approximately another metre to excavate to the floor level based
upon the location of the lower brick "shelf" projecting out from each
side of the chamber. A. Burridge (Unit H-15 site supervisor) has
suggested a domed cellar, which appears to be the most likely
explanation. The "ledge" ("dome") definitely projects outwards from
each wall face of the chamber, being underlain by softer, burnt soil
and larger potsherds.
The vertical walls, brick debris, and
potsherds underlying the lower shelf/ledge in Room 8 had a later
deposit of soft silt against them, forming a definite interface
between the pit wall (cutting through the ledge/dome) and the brick
debris filling the chamber. Half a dozen large chunks of baked brick
debris lay just above the 6 m. ASL-level in chamber 8, lying within
thicker, grey clay. This area also yielded numerous skeletons of
mice.
The pottery from the multiple layers of
debris in Room 8 date from Dynasty 26 through the Persian period (Late
Period). The uppermost levels of Room 8 did produce some Late Period
to early Greco-Roman period sherds, suggesting that the period of
disturbance probably post-dates the postulated 343 B.C. destruction of
Artaxerxes III. Radio-carbon dating and further study of the pottery
sequence from the stratified street area (Unit G-14), and elsewhere,
may assist in dating the different events evident within Room 8.
The street area being excavated by L.
Chinery has produced eight bodies (infants to adults) and the
disarticulated remains of other human burials. One infant was buried
with a string of beads. In addition, the exterior wall of Building A
contains the top of a squared opening. The exterior bricks had fallen
from this opening, but it may represent a doorway(?), a window(?), or
possibly a robber's entrance into the burials (L. Chinery suggested
the latter idea). Further investigation should reveal the true nature
of this opening into the southern wall in the street.
The wall top continues to be cleaned up
for photography and reveals regular exterior buttresses, with matching
zigzags along the interior wall face. The bronze items in the wall
corner contain many items from figurines, such as divine beards of
varying sizes, atef crown pieces, flails, etc.
Back to Top |
15 July, 2003
Excavation continues in
Units H-15 and G-14, in Room 8 of Building A and the street to the
north, respectively. The street contains multiple adult and
juvenile burials just above the roadway associated with the buildings
to the north and south. Dr. Peter Sheldrik and Alison Graver (in conjunction with
Laura Chinery and Alwyn Burridge) completed their in-field examination
of the burials from this street. The layer immediately below the
burials lies beside some bricks set on end within the street,
indicating the foundation trench for Building A. Work continues
in this area to reveal the exact relationship between the construction
of Building A and the subsequent burials
Room 8 in Building A is being excavated
below the level of the street burials, probably within a subterranean
cellar. The side walls contains a "shelf" of brick which continues to
be defined, and which appears to be the remnants of a domed ceiling
(postulated by Alwyn Burridge and Greg Mumford, excavating within this
area). There is otherwise no evidence for the original roofing
material for the cellar. The floor of the cellar still lies below at
least a metre of debris. We have gridded out the stratigraphic
section of the room (for drawing) and will remove the southern earth
section tomorrow.
We have reached the 6 metre Above Sea
Level (asl) depth below the surviving wall tops of Building A, and Dr.
Pavlish has sunk a core 6.90 metres below this floor. The core
revealed multiple layers of occupation below the 6 metre asl level,
but did not reach the sterile underlying sand of the gezira upon which
the town was founded (located by Dr. Pavlish elsewhere in his corings
at Tebilla). Of note, the core also revealed another two metre deep
area of sterile clays, and located the local water table about three
metres below the base of excavations in Room 8.
Sarah Parcak has continued to excavate the
pit in the corner of the enclosure wall (in Unit W-11). It appears to
represent a disturbed (secondary) burial of at least two individuals.
The bones have all been burnt white and are disarticulated and
fragmentary; the pit contains fire reddened soil, charcoal, and
numerous bronze amulets and figurine fittings and gilded bone and
cartonage pieces. The pit had been placed deliberately against the
inner corner of the enclosure wall, postdating the construction --and
destruction-- of the enclosure wall. The location and contents of the
pit makes it highly unlikely to be a foundation deposit (which awaits
discovery within the wall of the enclosure wall's corner).
Kei Yamamoto and the pottery team (Fran
Cahill and Maureen Rode) are making headway, drawing and describing
all the diagnostic potsherds from the 2003 season. It is hoped that
all the pottery will be drawn before the end of the 2003 season for
the forthcoming volume on Tebilla. So far Tebilla has yielded many
regional and international imports (e.g., Phoenician storage jars)
amongst the corpus of local pottery.
Back to Top
|
12 July, 2003
The enclosure wall along the western part of the mound has been fully exposed
now, revealing a surviving 90 metre long east-west section (to the exterior corner) and
about 200 metres north-south. The exterior side displays regular buttresses
extending about 50 cm beyond the main wall line, while the interior side contains some
buttressing. The foundation trench line runs about 1 metre alongside either side of
the wall top.
Dr. Pavlish has completed a more
detailed topographic map of the western side of the mound, and has placed the enclosure
wall within this new map. In addition, he has conducted a new magnetometer survey of
the wall top and its surroundings along the mound top for comparison with his initial,
less intensive magnetometer survey of this area. We hope to extend the
magnetometer survey into the lower, fallow fields to the north of the mound to see whether
the wall can be traced in this region.
The project began excavations (supervised by Sarah
Parcak) within the interior corner beside the enclosure wall foundation and found the
top of a probable foundation deposit. The foundation deposit consists of a partly
circular pit placed within the main foundation trench, and lies against the wall's
interior corner. Excavations within the upper part of the pit have revealed
reddened soil, burnt animal bones, bronze figurines (e.g., a flail, a cow ear fitting, an
arrowhead, an amulet, and other pieces), and numerous flecks of gilding (from wooden
figurines?). It is hoped that the following days will reveal the cartouches of the
king responsible for building this enclosure wall.
The SCA has provided a conservator (Mr. Maher) who has
cleaned many of our bronze pieces today; his restoration revealed fine details on a bull
figurine, an atef crown fragment, a cow ear fitting, and other pieces. Maureen Rode
has made impressions of all the seals in modelling plastic (Fimo) and has taken digital
images of these impressions (for addition to the website).
The street (excavated by Laura Chinery) to the north of
Building A (Units H-14 and H-15) has yielded at least four bodies lying on top of one
another, and traces of a blue and white decorated mummy case against the exterior wall of
Building A. Project osteologists, Dr. Peter Sheldrik and Alison Graver, will be
removing these bodies for further assessment in the field.
Alwyn Burridge continues to supervise the excavation of the
layers of debris in the northeast room (no.8) in Building A. We have the impression
that we are now in a basement. The walls have become wider than the upper walls and
do not display the intense burning found in the floor above. However, this
"basement" room still contains some burn collapse debris (e.g., some reddened
wall faces and large baked brick pieces).
The western ledge, immediately below the second storey
doorway, has yielded a disarticulated and intensely burnt body (blue and white bones): it
consists of the remains of toe bones, a pelvis, ribs, and a skull stretched out along
the ledge. Chamber 8 continues to represent somewhat of a mystery, but we hope that
the discovery of the floor and future excavation of the entire structure will clarify the
full nature of this building and its later use for burials.
Rexine Hummel and Lyla Pinch Brock departed for England on
Friday, leaving Kei Yamamoto to direct the pottery team (Fran Cahill and Maureen Rode).
Lyla will return in two weeks to resume her assistance in drawing the pottery.
Shakira Christadoulou (registrar) and Patrick Carstens (photographer) continue to
process all the materials from this season.
Back to Top
|
10 July, 2003
The surface scraping along the mid-western part of the mound top has yielded
the lower walls and floors of domestic dwellings with ovens visible in several structures.
This would seem to represent an intervening phase between the mastaba cemetery
(Third Intermediate Period to Dynasty 26) and the intrusive enclosure wall (Nectanebo
fortress). More investigations are needed in this area.
Room 8 in Building A (Unit H-15) has revealed multiple phases of use:
(1) It was burnt down (perhaps in ca.343 BC by Artaxerxes III), (2) it was filled
with debris after the conflagration and weathering, (3) a wall of yellow brick was placed
within the upper fill, creating a new chamber for burials, (4) further burials were placed
in the chamber, cutting down through part of the yellow wall, (5) this area was robbed out
to a depth of about 2 metres, cutting out most of the fill beside the burials, and (6) the
remnants of the disturbed burials were dispersed down debris slopes as the chamber
re-filled with mudbrick debris.
We have cleared Room 8 (Building A) to its 2001 excavated
depth of 5.60 metres and are now excavating deeper to find the initial floor level in this
three (or more) storey structure. Dr. Pavlish will core below the 5.60 metre point
to determine how much further the floor lies below the current depth of the excavation in
this room. The debris has yielded a scarab, amulet fragments, large pottery jar
fragments, slag, chunks from charred beams, and limestone debris.
Back to Top
|
7 July, 2003
The western mound top continues to be scraped down towards the north,
reaching units K-6 and K-7. It would appear that many square and rectangular
structures (mastabas) lie along the western side of the mound. However, a scrape
down of the surface of Unit K-7 has yielded a row of bases from five circular ovens,
indicating a domestic area to the northeast of the cemetery region. This will be
explored briefly later next week.
The large
"temple" wall has displayed regular buttresses along its exterior, but these
buttresses measure no more than 50 cm from the main wall face. This wall lies
in a foundation trench that cuts through the square and rectangular structures (mastabas)
along the western side of the mound. It is possible that the wall may belong to one
of the forts built (by Nectanebo) at the mouth of each delta river branch. (The wall
cuts through Saite period structures). The inner corner will be excavated to find a
potential foundation deposit.
The structure in the southeastern corner of the
"temple" enclosure appears to have been built in two stages. An earlier
yellow brick building lies slightly below an upper addition to the first structure.
The second (upper) structure utilized foundation trenches to add a southern wall beside
(and slightly over) part of the lower structure. It would appear that the earlier
structure had fallen into disrepair and had been reused in part and modified in the
southern area. The lower surface has yielded a distinct floor with a scatter of
pottery and traces of some reed matting (from the roofing).
Another inscribed block was found next to the exterior wall
of the water plant during municipal bulldozing and removal of 30 cm of soil beside the
modern foundation trench for the water plant enclosure wall.
Excavation continues in the street between the houses in
Units G-14 and H-14, yielding much pottery from multiple levels and the bodies of
some infants and adults. Room 8 in Building A (Unit H-15) has a southern wall
about 2.50 metres to the south of the northern exterior wall. The sloping debris
layers are being peeled back stratigraphically from the cross section and have yielded a
scarab seal, beads, amulets, slag, disarticulated human and animal bones, and many
potsherds.
Back to Top
|
2 July 2003
The structure (Units X-8, X-9, W-8, and W-9) within the southeast corner
of the temple enclosure lies within a narrow foundation trench that is cut from an ancient
surface that lay at some point (now lost) above the current ground level. The temple
wall, 1 metre to the south, also lies within a foundation trench, but it has also lost the
surface from which its foundation trench was cut. The parallel alignment of the southeast
building (X-8) and the temple enclosure wall argues for building X-8 postdating the
construction of the temple wall (in contrast to the many earlier buildings, with a
different alignment, that had been cut by the temple and building X-8).
The osteological team (Dr. P. Sheldrik and A. Graver) reports that one of the
bodies (female) from the mastaba tombs excavated along the southern edge of the mound
displayed degeneration in the cervical spine and evidence for having lifted heavy loads.
This reveals that at least some of the burials in the mastabas to the south of the
mound represented a working class. The examination of the burials from the painted
case and sarcophagus will form a comparative sample of the health and condition of the
elite portion of Tebilla's populace.
The excavation of the eastern half of one room in Building
X-8 has revealed a sub-surface room (basement chamber) with a lower floor
below the ancient, exterior ground level. This chamber has yielded a
deposit of reed matting across the floor top, possibly reflecting a burial or building
materials from the collapse of the ceiling (subsequent excavation will yield the
answer to this question). The room has yielded beads, a bronze nail, a ceramic
token, some animal bones, and a broken vessel along the northern side of the room.
There is no evidence for a foundation trench within the inner chamber in contrast to the
exterior wall face.
The street area in the northeast part of the mound (Unit
G-14/H-14) lies between two large mudbrick buildings. It has yielded multiple,
U-shaped deposits of soil and pottery along its length, with evidence for periodic
rainfall and pooling of mud along the base of several deposits. The pottery dates
from Dynasty 26 into the Persian period, including many storage jars, bowls, platters, and
other fragments. The buildings along either side of the street have also yielded the
holes left from roofing beams, with charred wood in some holes and one exceptionally well
preserved, large end from a beam (unburnt) that will be a key piece for
dendrochronological placement and radio-carbon dating (with permission from the SCA).
Work has continued in clearing out the back-fill debris
within the northeast chamber (Unit H-14) of the structure (Building A) to the south
of the street. This will continue to the 5.40 metre depth attained in 2001, with the
southern half of the chamber being excavated stratigraphically as the northern half of the
chamber is cleared of back-fill. Tracing the original street level(s) and foundation
trenches for the northern and southern buildings, in addition to obtaining stratified
pottery sequences, will be crucial in dating the construction of the structures, their
destruction period (postulated as 343 B.C.), and fine-tuning the sequence of Late Period
pottery.
The pottery team (R. Hummel, L. Pinch-Brock, K. Yamamoto, and
F. Cahill) has finished drawing and describing all the diagnostics from the 2001 season
and has begun on the 2003 season. Every diagnostic sherd from the excavation has
been drawn and described; the pottery will be published fully on a CD with the range of
types illustrated in plates in the forthcoming volume for Tebilla.
Back to Top
|
30 June 2003
Work continues on exposing the north-south extension of the temple enclosure
wall and structures to the immediate west. It would appear that several earlier
structures lie immediately to the west of the temple wall, oriented differently than the
temple wall. These walls and structures had been cut by the temple wall, paralleling the
situation for buildings beside the interior north-south wall within the temple enclosure.
A preliminary conclusion is that the earlier structures (at least some of
which contain burials) represent mastaba tombs, while the adjacent temple walls are
actually only the foundations for the temple enclosure, lying below the ancient temple
ground level. The temple may have been preserved above its floor level in the
southeast corner, where a structure lies beside the temple wall. Excavation in this
area (by S. Parcak and M. Rode) should reveal the stratigraphic relationship between the
temple wall and interior structures.
It is suspected that the Late Period temple walls at Tebilla
were removed to gound level after the Persian invasion (temp Artaxerxes III) of 343 B.C..
The destruction of fortification walls was used commonly --in antiquity-- to reduce
the ability of conquered peoples to rebel successfully and to hold out against future
campaigns of conquest. Since the foundation walls of many Late Period enclosures and
major structures extend as deep as 12 metres, it will still be possible to trace
major structures within the eastern side of the temple enclosure.
The northeastern part of the mound has yielded various infant
burials in the debris-filled street (Unit H-14) between two buildings. Several large
virtually intact vessels were also found in this area.
Back to Top
|
28 June 2003
Further clearance within the temple enclosure revealed more structures to the
north of the "house" in the southeast corner of the enclosure wall. The
artefacts from the surface scraping included grinding stones, alabaster vessel fragments,
bronze fittings, bronze nails, beads (bronze and faience), amulets (Bes; Sakhmet; Wadjet
eyes), vessels (faience bowls; faience New Year's flask fragments), and pottery (Late
Period to Greco-Roman period).
The northeastern
part of the mound (Unit H-14) yielded the remains from two children, other human remains,
pottery vessels, alabaster vessels, limestone grinding stone; faience bowls with lotus
patterns), and beads.
Back to Top
|
26 June 2003
The osteological team (Dr. Peter Sheldrik and Alison Graver) arrived this
week to examine the human remains from Tell Tebilla. They will be processing the
materials from the 2000-2001 and 2003 seasons (with further assistance from Alwyn Burridge
and others).
Excavation began in the area of
housing in the northeast area of the mound (Unit H-14). Laura Chinery and Alwyn
Burridge are excavating the street area to the north of a large structure (Building A
from 2001) to locate the ancient ground level and foundation trench associated with the
southern and northern structures. The 2001 excavation in the southern building had
revealed massive burnt walls extending at least 5.40 metres, but the floor had
remained unlocated below the 5.40 metre point. This season will include excavating
further down below the 5.40 metre point inside the building.
The general surface area has already yielded some alabaster
(calcite) vessel fragments, bronze pieces, and much pottery. A skull fragment was
found in the sub-surface debris in the street, indicating the extensive placement of
burials (Late Period to Greco-Roman period) within the abandoned, debris filled
streets and chambers in this part of the ancient town. At this point it is
conjectured that the town was destroyed by Artaxerxes III in 343 BC, near the end of the
Late Per | |
