EGYPTIAN
ARCHAEOLOGY
Digging Diary 2005 Summaries of some of the archaeological work undertaken in Egypt during the Summer and Autumn of 2005 appear below, with one report from Spring 2005.The sites are arranged geographically from north to south,ending with theWestern Oases. Field Directors who would like reports to appear in EA are asked to send a short summary, with a website address if available, as soon as possible after the end of each season to Egyptian Archaeology, 3 Doughty Mews, London WC1N 2PG. E-mail: patricia.spencer@ees.ac.uk PATRICIA SPENCER Abbreviations: EDP Early Dynastic Period: OK Old Kingdom; FIP First Intermediate Period; MK Middle Kingdom; SIP Second Intermediate Period; NK New Kingdom;TIP Third Intermediate Period; LP Late Period; GR Graeco-Roman Period. Institutes and Research Centres: ARCE American Research Center in Egypt; BM British Museum; CFEETK Franco-Egyptian Centre, Karnak; CNRS French National Research Centre; DAI German Institute, Cairo; EAC Egyptian Antiquities Conservation project; EAP Egyptian Antiquities Project; HIAMASA The Hellenic Institute of Ancient and Mediaeval Alexandrian Studies; IFAO French Institute, Cairo; MMA The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; NYU New York University; OI Oriental Institute, University of Chicago; PCMA Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology; UCL University College London. SCA Supreme Council for Antiquities.
SPRING (February to May) Lower Egypt Abu Sir: The work of the Czech Inst of Egyptology mission, directed by MiroslavVerner, focused on the study of inscriptions and some minor restoration in the shaft tomb of Iufaa. SUMMER (May-September) Lower Egypt Zawiyet Umm el-Rakham:The Liverpool Univ team, directed by Steven Snape, concentrated on conservation and restoration aspects of the mission’s work at this Ramesside site near Marsa Matruh.The field-test of the restoration programme which was put in place last year had proved to have survived the winter in very good condition indeed, and it is intended that the methods developed for the fieldtest will be used for future restoration work at the site. In addition, it was possible to ‘ground-truth’ the presence of a major rock-cut ditch immediately to the S of the perimeter wall of the fortress, as suggested by the magnetometer survey in 2004. (www. zurdig.com) Alexandria:The HIAMASA expedition, directed by Harry Tzalas, undertook a study-season of photography and finds processing in preparation for publication. Underwater excavation will resume in 2006. Mendes (Tell el-Ruba): The expedition from Pennsylvania State Univ, led by Donald Redford, continued work in four areas in and around the
temple of Banebdjed (see EA 26, pp.8-12). Clearance of the 2nd pylon revealed jambs of Ramesses II, and dado blocks of Merenptah (which complement the foundation deposits discovered two years ago). This pylon had replaced a mud-brick façade built in the reign of Tuthmosis III. The mastaba field which had been partly cleared by NYU in the 1960s was re-opened and a new mastaba with a false door was discovered,belonging to an individual named Nefershuba. Further work was undertaken on the OK stratification, and additional sealings of the 1st Dyn retrieved.Adjacent to the temple, at its SW corner, an installation for food production was uncovered, the termination of which was dated by a sealing of Pepy II. Work continued on the TIP ‘palace’, producing a complete pottery sequence from the late NK to the Ptolemaic Period. Giza: An initial survey was undertaken by a NYU expedition, led by Ann Macy Roth, of the mastaba tombs in the S part of Reisner’s cemetery G2000, including a survey of the conservation needs, the preparation of a three-dimensional digital map, and epigraphic recording of the exposed inscriptions and decoration. In addition, areas in need of further archaeological investigation and re-clearance were identified and ranked in order of priority.An initial attempt was made to sequence the mastabas (G 2001 - G2054) chronologically. Saqqara: The Inst of Egyptology, Waseda Univ mission, under the general direction of Sakuji Yoshimura and led in the field by Nozomu Kawai,
Egypt Exploration Society Expeditions SUMMER/AUTUMN Sais (Sa el-Hagar):The EES/Univ of Durham mission, directed by Penny Wilson (Univ of Durham), concentrated on post-excavation recording of Roman and Late Antique pottery collected during the Delta Regional Survey, prehistoric pottery excavated in spring 2005, and objects from Excavation 1 in Kom Rebwa. In addition, five short drill transects were made in Beheira governorate to track the course of the Canopic branch of the river Nile. Evidence was found for the river and associated features as well as a buried ancient site (perhaps Roman) at Jinbawy. (www.dur. ac.uk/penelope.wilson/sais.html) Delta Survey: 1.During the season of the BM expedition at Kom Firin, Neal Spencer (BM) continued the identification and investigation of ancient sites in Beheira governorate. 2. An EES team, led by Joanne Rowland (UCL) explored 30 known and unknown sites throughout the central Delta governorate of Minufieh. The known Ptolemaic and Roman Period site of Quesna was investigated with a view to future sub-surface survey (planned for 2006) and sherds from the New Kingdom to Late Antique Period were observed across the unexcavated area of the site. Sherds, possibly Roman, were also noted at nearby sites which may be satellite sites to the main Quesna archaeological area.At the village of Kom el-Ahmar, inscribed and uninscribed Saite blocks were found dispersed through the village. In close proximity to Kom el-Ahmar, the villages of Kom el-Ahmar (Saft Jidam), Izbet Nasser and Izbet el-Kom el-Ahmar also revealed ceramic sherds from the Roman to Late Antique Period, together with reused stone column drums. See further, pp.3-6.
(www.ees.ac.uk)
Sais. Bone harpoon c.3,800 BC Memphis: 1. A small EES team, directed by Paul Nicholson (Cardiff Univ), completed the excavation of a large, well preserved kiln at Kom Helul believed to be for the production of faience.Work concentrated on the excavation of the access pit behind the firebox of the kiln.The history of the disuse and abandonment of the kiln was elucidated from the stratigraphy. Postexcavation work was also continued. 2. The EES Survey of Memphis team, directed by David Jeffreys (UCL), excavated at the foot of the N Saqqara escarpment after a preliminary magnetometer survey.The collapsed N wall of the Anubieion was exposed and a sequence of brick spill lines and aeolian sand deposits was recorded. The Anubieion enclosure-wall itself was located at the S end of the excavation, with an alignment more SE than expected, suggesting the proximity of a corner or gateway. No pre-Roman levels were reached, even at a depth of seven metres, so it seems unlikely that there was higher ground here at the foot of the cliff; sediment cores also suggest that alluvial silts approach the cliff face with very little room for desert scree or other deposits,confirming a very different landscape from that visible today.The Ptolemaic and Roman ground level here must lie at 18m or less above sea level, very close in absolute terms to the levels of the base of the ramps of the ‘harbour’ in the Unas valley temple. Since this must
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have been dry ground in Roman times, it is unlikely that such OK valley temples could have held water even during the inundation, since the floodplain, and flood level, can be expected to have risen c.3m in the intervening 3,000 years. Several outstanding surveying tasks were completed, including levels for the main UTM grid points, and a short pilot survey was carried out in anticipation of a GIS-based visibility analysis of the Memphis region, starting with floodplain visibility of the Djoser pyramid. Amarna:An EES team led by Barry Kemp (Univ of Cambridge) continued the recording of finds from the area of small houses (grid 12) excavated in March and April 2005. The finds included a varied collection of stone tools (hammers and grinders), made on the spot and used in the shaping and finishing of other stonework, including querns. At the same time Anna Stevens began a survey of the Stone Village, an outlying desert settlement of the Amarna Period. A part of the dense spread of surface stonework was mapped in detail. An exploratory trench confirmed the presence underneath of floor deposits and structural remains.A finely-carved limestone sculptor’s model (see further p.10), possibly showing the head of Akhenaten, was found on the ground surface in the Central City.(www.mcdonald.cam. ac.uk/Projects/Amarna/home.htm) Qasr Ibrim:The EES team, led by Pamela Rose (Univ of Cambridge), continued the study in Aswan of excavated material, in particular Napatan, Roman and Meroitic textiles, and Napatan wig fragments discovered during the most recent excavation seasons (see further pp.7-9). Good progress was made with preparing material for publication.