DOI article:
Hogarth, David G.: Egypt Exploration Fund, [4]: Report on prospects of Research in Alexandria
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.10057#0027
Alexandria, South of the Boulevard de Eosette.
15
Byzantine period, to judge from a
miserable ampulla, stamped with the
almost unrecognizable figure of a
saint, found beside one of the graves.
As we descended, large square blocks
began to be found lying loosely, and
at 141 feet we hit the top of an in-
different wall one stone thick, running
at an angle of 229°, and presently of
another parallel at only 1 foot 3 inches
interval. The inner faces of both bore
remains of plaster. At 20 feet we struck
at the western end of the hole on a
pavement, composed of a mosaic squai'e
(4 feet 8 inches, see fig.), with a concrete
of marble, porphyry, etc., on either hand,
and at top and bottom a floral border
1 foot 4 inches wide. The direction of
its lines is the same as that of the wall
mentioned above—of the mosaic square a
sketch is appended : on the north survived
a fragment of a smaller panel, in which
appeared a bird's head and two flowers.
The quality of the material, and the con-
ception and execution of the design, are
about as good as in average Pompeian
mosaic, and I should be inclined to refer
this pavement to the end of the 1st or early
in the 2nd century a.d. It was laid on a
bed of soft lime cement mixed with frag-
ments of brick; below this was hard sand,
then ashes, then cement, and then sand
again : but these layers were not bound
to one another in any way, and proved so
treacherous a substratum that afterwards
we were quite unable to lift the mosaic
upon them. The pavement was broken on
the north and east, but continued on the
south and west as far as we could follow
it. No wall nor any column-bases appeared
in the space to which the pit had contracted
Stratification of Surface Deposit on Zoglicb
riot.
15
27
30
JJJJ-L
JJ-UJ-
_t LLJ_
_JJ_U.
J.
m
Fragments of
Vfoiked bono.
Wall of poor
quality (Arab).
Vitrified elag.
Tombs of late
Byzantine or
early Arnb
period with
coarse pottery.
Earth and
stones mixed
with indis-
tinctive Roman
sherds.
Top of wall
mortared and
i I-built.
Level of loose
blocks.
Mosaic
pavement.
/'Soft lime
\ cement.
jSand.
] Ashes.
/ Cement,
^Sand.
Plnin bhi'k
plazod sherds
mixed among
indistinctivn
red and buLF
unglazcd.
Mud.
Fresh water.
15
Byzantine period, to judge from a
miserable ampulla, stamped with the
almost unrecognizable figure of a
saint, found beside one of the graves.
As we descended, large square blocks
began to be found lying loosely, and
at 141 feet we hit the top of an in-
different wall one stone thick, running
at an angle of 229°, and presently of
another parallel at only 1 foot 3 inches
interval. The inner faces of both bore
remains of plaster. At 20 feet we struck
at the western end of the hole on a
pavement, composed of a mosaic squai'e
(4 feet 8 inches, see fig.), with a concrete
of marble, porphyry, etc., on either hand,
and at top and bottom a floral border
1 foot 4 inches wide. The direction of
its lines is the same as that of the wall
mentioned above—of the mosaic square a
sketch is appended : on the north survived
a fragment of a smaller panel, in which
appeared a bird's head and two flowers.
The quality of the material, and the con-
ception and execution of the design, are
about as good as in average Pompeian
mosaic, and I should be inclined to refer
this pavement to the end of the 1st or early
in the 2nd century a.d. It was laid on a
bed of soft lime cement mixed with frag-
ments of brick; below this was hard sand,
then ashes, then cement, and then sand
again : but these layers were not bound
to one another in any way, and proved so
treacherous a substratum that afterwards
we were quite unable to lift the mosaic
upon them. The pavement was broken on
the north and east, but continued on the
south and west as far as we could follow
it. No wall nor any column-bases appeared
in the space to which the pit had contracted
Stratification of Surface Deposit on Zoglicb
riot.
15
27
30
JJJJ-L
JJ-UJ-
_t LLJ_
_JJ_U.
J.
m
Fragments of
Vfoiked bono.
Wall of poor
quality (Arab).
Vitrified elag.
Tombs of late
Byzantine or
early Arnb
period with
coarse pottery.
Earth and
stones mixed
with indis-
tinctive Roman
sherds.
Top of wall
mortared and
i I-built.
Level of loose
blocks.
Mosaic
pavement.
/'Soft lime
\ cement.
jSand.
] Ashes.
/ Cement,
^Sand.
Plnin bhi'k
plazod sherds
mixed among
indistinctivn
red and buLF
unglazcd.
Mud.
Fresh water.