PPT. PRESENTATION: "The “Cultic” and Public Areas of a New Kingdom Fort in Northwest Sinai:...

The “Cultic” and Public Areas of a New Kingdom Fort

in Northwest Sinai: Field II at Tell el-Borg.

By Greg MumfordUniversity of Alabama

at Birmingham;

Research Associate at the

University of Wales Swansea

Project director:

James Hoffmeier(Trinity International

University)

Project patron:

H. Miller

Further thanks to

Tell el-Borg staff, SCA,

& Egyptian associates.

Tell Borg

Tell Borg Field II 2000-02 and 2007:Project Director: James Hoffmeier

2000-2001 and 07 Field II excavators, investigators, etc:

• Gregory Mumford Field Director

• Jim Knudstad Field Director

• Rosa Frey Field Director

• Thomas Davis Field Director

• Aaron Burke Field assistant

• Jeremy Cheek Field assistant

• Scott Haddow Field assistant

• Steven Moshier Geologist

• Lauren Powell Field assistant geology

• J. Hoffmeier/H. Alexander Photographers

• R. Hummel & C. Duff Ceramicists

• L. Pinch-Brock Artists

• N. Siver; D. Ward Conservators

• L. Wilding Data base analyst

• Egyptian & Bedouin staff Qantara and Belusa

NORTH SINAI: Tell Borg

Tell Borg

New Kingdom

coastline

Tell Borg


Field

I

Field

IV

Field

V

Field

II

Field

III

Field

VIField

VII

Field

VIII

Paleolagoon

Wetland

Western moat


Field

I

Field

IV

Field

V

Field

II

Field

III

Field

VIField

VII

Field

VIII

Paleolagoon

Wetland

Early Dyn.18

Reed structures

Occupation

debris


Field

I

Field

IV

Field

V

Field

II

Field

III

Field

VIField

VII

Field

VIII

Paleolagoon

Wetland

NK Cemetery


Field

I

Field

V

Wetland

Paleolagoon

Field

III

Field

VIField

VII

Field

IV

Field

VIII

Field

IILate Dyn.18

Fortified area


Field

I

Field

IV

Field

V

Field

II

Field

III

Field

VIField

VII

Field

VIII

Paleolagoon

Wetland

Dyn.19

Fort-temple

NORTH SINAI: Tell el-Borg Field II

Well

Courtyard

Floor

Pit & rubbish

Walling systemGranite

installationShrine(?)

Occupation

surfaces

“Public Area”

TELL BORG: Field II,

Dynasty 19 well

• Dyn.18 = pre-well

layers

• Dyn.19 = Well

Pre-Well layers


Dynasty 19 “well

• Dyn.18 = pre-well

layers

• Dyn.19 = Well

Well pit

Well pit

SHALLOW WELL: pre-well occupation layers & activity

Dyns.18 – early 19: Pre-well occupation layers.

10 layers and sequences of activity:

1. Household activities - food processing tools

a. stone tools

2. Building activity a. mud brick debris

b. Limestone & sandstone frags

3. Industrial activity - Copper smelting

a. copper alloy lumps

b. Cu droplets from smelting

c. Copper-stained sand

4. Luxury products a. Cu toggle pin (jewellery)

b. Faience vessel frag.

c. Cypriot & Canaanite pots(1%)

5. Other items a. Cu alloy arrowhead

b. Ostrich eggshell pieces

c. Egyptian pottery (99%)

Dyn.19 stone-lined pit = make-shift well.

• Reused talatat blocks

Stairs

NS

N S

Stairs

4.5 x 10 m

Ovoid pit

2.5 m deep

Tell Borg: Field II.

• Stairway access from north

• Mud brick parapet wall along exterior top

Tell Borg Field II WELL (“cistern”):

Dynasty 19 stone-lined ovoid pit surrounded by mud brick parapet

WELL: - Stone lining - allows entry of shallow ground water

- prevents collapse of sand side walls

- Mud brick parapet keeps out some drift sand

- Reused blocks & rough construction implies

a less significant installation

(like Dyn.19 moat to East)

Tell el-Borg: Dyn.19 Fort-temple

Well in SW cornerWell

Field II

well

Stone-lined cisterns/wells

and Sacred Lakes.

TANIS

Tanis

Stone-lined pit may = a well?

Examples at Tell el-Amarna

e.g., Late Dyn.18 House Q48.4 well

TELL BORG: Field II, Dyns.19-20 post-well layers.

in-filling & changes in function within the Field II well area.

POST-WELL

Tell Borg, Field II, Dyn. 19/20: Post-Well use:

Multiple (seasonal?) layers of lime in hollow wine press???

• Lime plastered hollow above fill

• Six layers subdivided by debris

• Seasonal (6 years)

• Lime plaster implies need for firm, non-porous(?) surface

• Region of Tjaru = well-known for wine production

• Six seasons of pressing grapes? (drain outlet?)

• Or a threshing floor; other functions? (i.e., watering hole?)

Dyns. mid-19 to 20: Post-well debris and activity layers.

Multiple debris layers and six lime plastered depressions

1. Household activities - Stone tools: flints, pounder,

hammer stone, grinder.

- Food (e.g., pig jawbone)

2. Building activities - Lime-plastered basins

- Stone architectural fragments:

a. limestone, sandstone, diorite

3. Industrial activity - Copper alloy lumps

- Copper blades, nail, sheeting,

4. Luxury items - Faience & copper beads

5. Other items - Egyptian pottery (99%)


Courtyard flooring.

Courtyard flooringGranite

block

Pit

Pre-courtyard floor:

• Early – mid-Dyn.18

• Mud brick walling debris

• Potsherds: 91% Egyptian

9% Cypriot &

Canaanite

• Copper alloy hook (fishing)

• Clam shell (food)


Courtyard flooring.

• Late Dyn.18

• 5-8 cm multilayered floor

(Temple courtyard?)

• Mud brick installation

• Pitting within surface: posts?

Brick feature


Courtyard flooring.

PIT

Pit

Brick

feature

Brick feature

“Pit & rubbish”TELL BORG: Field II,

Unit J: Pit for foundation(?)

• Dynasty 19-20?

• 1.26 m. deep

• 6 x 10.5 m.


Unit J: Pit for foundation(?)

• Late Ramesside

• 6 x 10.5 metres

• Debris-filled

PIT

PITPIT

New Kingdom

Beer jar

Bichrome LB 1

Roman(?)

Sculpture and other fragments

in pit refuse.

• Granite corner piece

• Polished statue fragment

(versus “whetstone”).

Borg

Field

II

PIT-J

Block with incised disksBones

Grinding stone frag.

Copper alloy

Limestone

Calcite Basalt bowl frag.Leg

Upper debris layer in pit: Copper alloy vessel fragments.

0 5 cm

• Many body pieces from these

vessels (II.2 Unit J, locus 3)

• Originally from cultic(?) deposit

Deir el-Balah• Dyn.18 settlement

• Dyns.19-20 fort

Water reservoir

• 20 x 20 metres

• 5 metres deep

• mud-lined? (below)

OTHER RESEVOIRS:

NW Sinai:

BEA-10 reservoir:

• 10 x 15 metres

• mud-lined (silt)

WATER

RESERVOIR

NE Sinai: Deir el-Balah Dyn.18 resevoir.


Unit A zigzagging wall.

• 1.70 metres wide

• Granite Block.

• Ceiling fragment with

yellow stars on blue.

Walling system

Plain

granite

block

Granite block


Units A-D: Wall & Tower/Shrine?

• Early Dyn.19

? ?

Tower / Shrine?TELL BORG: Field II,

Wall and Tower / Shrine (?).

• Early Dyn. 19

? ?

Field II mudbrick block with casemates

= Buttress? Tower? Gateway?

E.g., Dyns.19-20 Fort at Haruba (NE Sinai).

Field II mudbrick block with foundational casemates

= Potential buttress(?)

7.60

m.

6.75 m. BUTTRESS ?

Field II mudbrick block with foundational casemates

= Potential shrine(?)

7.60

m.

6.75 m. SHRINE ?

Paving ?

1? metre wide walls above

Gurob: NK temple to T.3

?

6.75 m wide

Tell Borg: New Kingdom Shrine?

Loat 1904. Gurob. pl.14

10 m wide

Evidence of

brick paving

covering

foundation

chambers

5.4 m. wide 6.75 m wide

?

Amarna Reports II: 3 fig. 1.2

Architectural remains:

• Limestone block fragment

• Sun-disk with uraeus

(II.2 Unit F surface)

Royal statuette fragments:

• Limestone head

(II.2 Unit E, Loc.15)

• Lm. shoulder

(II.2 Unit I, Loc. 15)

• Lm. Forearm

(II.2 Unit E, Loc. 5)

Canaanite

Pottery:

up to 10%

TBO.273

(II.2 F.1)

TBO.309

(II.2 I.15)

Jordan valley

Bichrome (LB 1)

Cypriot pottery: II.2 Units F.10 & D.3

Egyptian pottery: 90% with broad range of marl & silt forms

Store jars, flasks, juglets, kraters, bowls, etc.

• Example of calcite vessel

from Tell el-AmarnaCalcite vessel fragments:

• Body fragment from a calcite

vessel

• II.2 Unit E, loc.15

Amarna

Votive offering(?):

• Glass vessel fragment

(Field II)

New Kingdom

example from Egypt

Copper alloy vessel fragments:

• Copper alloy fragments (II.2 Unit F.1)



Note: Similar definite metal vessel body

& rim pieces found nearby in Field II.2

Examples of metal

vessels from Egypt

(wine set)

Gold-foil and fragments:

• Gold sheet piece

(II.2 Unit F, loc. 14)

• Gilded ivory (or gesso)

(II.2 Unit E, loc. 15)

Traces of jewellery:Gold & ivory bead

necklace(s)

• Gold bead

(II.2 Unit I loc. 15)

• Ivory bead

(II.2 Unit F loc. 12)

Example of necklace

from Tut’s tomb

Traces of jewellery:

Faience bead necklace(s)

• Beads (II.1 Unit D loc.5)

• Beads (II.2 Unit D loc.16)

• Bead (II.2 Unit E loc.15)

• Bead (II.2 Unit D loc.14)

Example of necklaces from

Tutankhamun’s tomb


• Faience grape cluster pendant

(II.2 Unit F, locus 1)

Example

from Amarna


• “Glass” earring

(II.2 Unit D, loc. 5)

Examples of earrings

Traces of

jewellery:

Ovoid, faience

wadjet-eye seal

II.2 Unit D loc.14

Votive offering(?):

Faience frag. II.2 Unit F loc.12

E.g.,

Dyn.25

23.5 cm

Tell el-Amarna

Best

parallel

= ankh-

amulet

fragment

No!

Tut’s tomb: Senet board & pieces

Votive offering(?):

• Faience gaming piece

(II.2 Unit E, loc. 15)

Ornament or functional item:• Probably a ceramic pendant(?)

• Possibly a ceramic net weight(?)

• Less likely a ceramic loom weight(?)

Context: II.2 Unit E, loc.10.

Probably too light for a loom weight

Copper alloy tools:

• Fragment (II.2 E.3)

• Blade frag. (II.2 E.1)

• Awl (II.2 E.1)

• Awl (II.2 D.1)

Copper alloy tools:

• Fishing hook (II.2 Unit D, locus 5)

• Blade/vessel frags. (II.2 Unit F, locus 11)

• Staple/fitting (II.2 Unit F, locus 1)

Stone tools:

• Chert blade (“scraper”) II.2 Unit E, loc. 1

• Chert blade/point II.2 Unit E, loc. 5

• Chert arrowhead tip II.2 Unit D. loc. 16

Stone tools:

• Chert scrapers

II.2 Unit D, loc.4

II.2 Unit H, loc.1

II.2 Unit I, loc.15 Middle Kingdom examples

of flint blades used in butchery.

Small village shrine at Tell el-Amarna:


Geological Trench Pit.

Geological Test Trench

• River to east

• Multiple silt depositions

UNIT M: ancient river bank.FIELD II:

North of “shrine”

Fish & animal bones

Unit M: 2 x 12 m

Overall findings from Field II:1. Elite structures: Decorated & inscribed building frags.

TEMPLE a. Reused late Dyn.18 talatat blocks

b. Decorated blocks from a temple

c. Limestone, granite, etc. stones

d. Ceiling blocks (stars)

2. Royal sculpture: a. Fragmentary cult statue by shrine

b. Basalt rod/sceptre fragment

3. Luxury items: Jewellery, containers of stone,

faience, imported pottery, gold foil,

4. Copper smelting(?): Copper alloy lumps, droplets, sheets

5. Weaponry & tools: Arrowheads; flint & copper tools

6. Other items: game pieces(?), weight(?), etc.

Overall findings from Field II:7. Pottery:

• Egyptian pottery 98%

• Cypriot pottery 1%

• Canaanite pottery 0.8%

• Mycenaean pottery 0.3%

8. Fauna: Field II: III: IV:

• Cattle bones 27% (cultic!) lower lower

• Pig bones 24% lower lower

• Nile fish 20% 53% 32%

• Marine shells 19%

• Sheep/goat 4%

• Bird bones 2%

• Ostrich shell frags. 2%

• Donkey 1%

• Horse 1%

• Dogs - x x


Field

I

Field

IV

Field

V

Field

II

Field

III

Field

VIField

VIIField

VIII

Paleolagoon

Wetland

“CULTIC”

AREA

Dyns.18-19+

Occupation

areas

Cemetery

Temple

blocks

Fort-temple

Fortified

area

PPT. PRESENTATION: "The “Cultic” and Public Areas of a New Kingdom Fort in Northwest Sinai:...

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