Site 346:Unit 3:A 2 metre wide trench, designated Unit 3, was laid out across the centre of the structure. The intent was to obtain a view of the deposition of wind blown sand within the structure. This operation was soon halted until future, longer seasons, owing to the massive amounts of sand that required removal. The exposure of part of the northern, inner wall-face showed a slight inward stepping of courses of stones to form a steep batter to this wall. The northern inner wall face was quite well preserved, having the best protection from the northern winds. The exterior wall had been undercut somewhat by the northern winds, while the southern part of the fortress lay engulfed in sand. |
South Sinai
|
||||
Trench excavation of wind-blown sand
|
|||||
Site 345:Unit 1:The western side of the fortress displayed a small recess between an elongated, projecting western bastion/wall and a small buttress. This seaward facing area appeared to be the best candidate for the entrance to the fortress. Z. McQuinn and S. Parcak supervised the excavation of Unit 1 in this area, but soon discovered that the doorway area had been walled-up and halted clearance here. The wind-blown sand lying against this part of the fort was devoid of artifacts. |
|||||
|
|
||||
Above left: Excavation beside blocked-up west
exterior entryway, south of a small buttress. (Photo: P. Carstens)
|
|||||
Unit 1: View of Z. McQuinn and S. Parcak excavating entry (north of West Bastion). (Photo: G. Mumford)*** |
|||||
Site 345:Unit 2:An examination of the wall top immediately to the east of Unit 1 and the walled-up entryway uncovered a hole beside some ceiling slabs. The hole revealed that a chamber lay below and had been largely filled up by sand. A further investigation of the eastern, inside edge of the enclosure wall exposed a large lintel and blocked-up doorway leading into this chamber. One ceiling block had been breached in the past, allowing the chamber to fill with sand. |
|||||
|
|
||||
Above left: Unit 2: View of ceiling slabs
covering entrance passage to fort; Unit 2 to left. (Photo: P. Carstens)
|
|||||
| Unit 2 was placed to the east of this doorway,
under the supervision of Z. McQuinn and S. Parcak. A firm, thick layer of salt-encrusted
and hardened sand lay slightly below the modern sand surface; it formed a cement-like
protective capping to the east of much of the entryway. Multiple layers of sloping,
wind-blown sand had accumulated below this layer, and than lay above a horizontal layer of
soot, ash, and flat-lying potsherds. A small, circular depression in the sand contained a
concentration of ash and soot. This represented a campfire for travelers who had used the
partly sand-filled, abandoned structure for a campsite and protection from the strong,
continuous, northern winds. A basalt hammer stone lay 10 cm above this layer. It probably
represents the discarded utensil used to breach the ceiling block of the chamber to the
immediate west. During the excavation of the wind-blown sand, it soon became apparent that a ramp of cobblestones had been laid against the blocked-up doorway to the western chamber. The removal of a further 50 cm of wind-blown sand revealed the floor upon which this cobblestone ramp lay. The cobblestone ramp was sectioned in half longitudinally to observe its construction technique and remained very stable during the removal of the stones. The ramp exhibited no evidence for mortar other than loose sand. |
|||||
|
|
||||
Above left: South Baulk/stratigraphic section
in Unit 2. (G. Mumford).
|
|||||
|
|
||||
Above left: Unit 2: A job well-done, McQuinn
and Mumford complete delineation of cobble ramp. (Photo: P. Carstens).
|
|||||
| The removal of the remaining half of the cobblestone ramp revealed the blocked-up doorway. This doorway had been sealed using limestone blocks and a mud mortar, and contained larger blocks near the base that extended further back into the concealed chamber. | |||||
|
|
||||
Above left: Unit 2: Sectioning cobble ramp in
half (Parcak; Hussein; McQuinn; Mumford). (Photo: P. Carstens).
|
|||||
|
|
||||
Above left: Unit 2: Blocked-up door behind
cobble ramp (Hussein; Mumford; Rezk). (Photo: P. Carstens)
|
|||||
| The ashy sand surface below this ramp contained
many potsherds, some of which may date as early as the late Roman to early Byzantine
period (perhaps in the 6th century AD, when the Emperor Justinian commissioned the
fortification of the monastery at St. Catherine, to protect it against bedouin raids).
More excavation is needed, however, to yield a larger and better sample of diagnostic
pottery for dating the construction and occupation of this structure. The blocking-up of
the fortress entryway may date to the medieval period in which the entrance to St.
Catherine was sealed for protection against Bedouin raiders.
Cobblestone ramp before excavation. (Photo: P. Carstens) |
|||||
Cobblestone ramp after cutting section. (Photo: P. Carstens) |
|||||
| The left (southern) half of the doorway was removed first, both to maintain the continuity of the longitudinal section through the cobblestone ramp, and to support the northern side of the door lintel. The lintel's north end did not appear as firmly anchored as its southern end. All personnel working near this doorway wore safety helmets (kindly provided by the Egyptian Manganese Company in Abu Zenima and Suco). | |||||
|
|
||||
Above left: Mumford removing half of the
blocked-up door (safety hats courtesy of Egyptian Manganese Company and Suez Oil Company).
(Photo: P. Carstens)
|
|||||
| Sand had accumulated rapidly after the ancient removal of the chamber’s ceiling block, filling most of the chamber. This sand filling contained a firm salt crust, which had formed by rainfall and wind-driven water pouring through the gap in the ceiling. It had coated parts of the upper wall sides and the top of the western and eastern slopes of the sand fill. This sand took several days to remove. It was sterile except for a few small stone blocks that had fallen through the hole in the ceiling. | |||||
|
|
||||
Above left:: Wind-blown sand had accumulated
within the entry passage
|
|||||
| The chamber yielded a stone pavement; it measured
1.2 metre by 4.2 metres, and had been roofed by massive slabs of 33 cm by 66 cm by 170 cm.
The contents of the entire floor area of the chamber were sieved, but failed to produce
artifacts other than one copper "wedge" and two copper lumps. The chamber’s
western doorway had also been walled-up, and although further investigation is required,
it is the view of this writer that this chamber represents the original entrance to the
circular structure.
Interior profile and floor plan of western entry passage. (G. Mumford) |
|||||
|
|
||||
Above left: Rezk and Mumford clearing
entryway interior (blocked-up exterior west-door at end). (Photo: P. Carstens)
|
|||||
|
|
||||
Above left: Unit 4/2: Stairway to West
Bastion and interior wall beside entryway to fort. (Photo: P. Carstens)
|
|||||
Site 345:Unit 4:The building contained a westward projecting, rectangular "bastion"/wall, which was accessed by an interior stairway. The bastion extended westward towards the sea, but its primary function remains uncertain, whether for defense or another purpose. |
|||||
|
|
||||
Above left: Grid arrangement for planning western bastion
area. (G. Mumford)
|
|||||
| The presence of a stairway suggests the existence
of either a walkway for soldiers or possibly a second storey. It lay immediately south of
the entryway and connects with the westward projecting tower. There were traces of a
right-angle turn in the stairway, heading to the north above the entryway passage.
Unit 4: Detail view of stairway leading to West Bastion
|
|||||
Return to El-Markha 8 | Go to El-Markha 10
