SOUTH SINAI

El-Markha 3

	Site 346: Topographic Mapping: The project geoarchaeologist, Larry Pavlish, had generated a preliminary topographic map of the mound in 2001, with other details added by G. Mumford (illustrated further below). A more detailed topographic map was completed in the 2002 season, including the wadi to the south of Site 346 and part of the hillock beyond the southern wadi bed.			South Sinai (El-Markha) Arabic Summary Arabic Report Bibliography Sources for El-Markha Sites 346 and 345 El-Markha 1 Project Personnel Introduction El-Markha 2 Site 346: Tell Markha El-Markha 3 Topographic Mapping El-Markha 4 Site 346: Unit B-4 & C-3 Copper Smelting Furnace El-Markha 5 Site 346 Trench & Waterfall El-Markha 6 Other discoveries in El-Markha Plain El-Markha 7 Interaction with Local Bedouin El-Markha 8 Site 345: Tell Ras Budran El-Markha 9 Site 345: Units 1 to 4 El-Markha 10 Site 345: Pottery & Artifacts Satellite Imaging Image Interpreatation in El-Markha Plain

	Above left: P. Carstens assisting L. Pavlish in contour mapping (Photo: S. Parcak). Above right: L. Pavlish taking elevations for topographic map of 346 (Photo: P. Carstens).
	An examination of the surviving mound’s surface revealed traces of several furnaces and a small, stone-lined hearth. The material culture assemblage included crucible fragments, large bowls, smaller bowls, platters, white-slipped amphora, Canaanite-style storage jars, grinding stones, pounders, lithics, and copper slag. P. Carstens and L. Pavlish mapping Site 346. (Photo: S. Parcak) Preliminary map of Site 346. (L. Pavlish and G. Mumford)
	Site 346: Laying out Excavation Grid and Planning: Having determined that most of the material culture from Site 346 lay within a 40 by 40 metre area of the surviving eastern end of the site, we established a grid over the mound. The grid incorporated sixteen 10 by 10 metre excavation units labelled A-D from west to east and designated 1 to 4 from north to south. Preliminary topographic map and layout of surface grid and 60 metre wadi trench. (G. Mumford and L. Pavlish) Schematic view of grid system and wadi trench (D5-10) at Site 346. (G. Mumford)
	To facilitate drawing on graph paper sheets, each 10 by 10 metre excavation unit was subdivided into four 5 by 5 metre quadrants in the Northwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Southwest corners of each excavation unit. Each quadrant and excavation unit contained a series of 1 by 1 metre squares, which in-turn facilitated the placement of a portable string-grid (with a 10 by 10 cm mesh) for planning all surface features and artifacts in-location. Example of 10 by 10 metre unit, with four quadrants, and grid squares of 1 by 1 metres. (G. Mumford) Example of surface planning of all artifacts and features in Unit B-4, NW quadrant (Field drawing: C. Gilbert; inking: G. Mumford).
	This intensive planning of all surface features and artifacts took ten days to complete and was assigned to all the team-members (excepting the ceramicist who processed the pottery obtained from each unit). The above illustration of Unit B-4 (by C. Gilbert) provides an example of the types of features and materials noted. We planned eleven units (A.1-4, B.2-4, C.2-4, and D.4) fully, omitting five units (B.1; C.1; D.1-3), which contained virtually no surface artifacts or features.

	Above left: Detail mapping of all surface features and artifacts (Mumford; Pavlish; Bontty). (Photo: P. Carstens) Above right: C. Gilbert mapping surface of Unit B-4. (Photo: P. Carstens)

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