DOI Artikel:
Hogarth, David G.: Egypt Exploration Fund, [4]: Report on prospects of Research in Alexandria
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.10057#0029
Alexandria, South op the Boulevard de Eosette. 17
corner of a large plot belonging to Prince Toussoun, immediately behind
the Tribunal des Indigenes on the north, and the Consulate of France
on the east. The surface of this plot had been formerly at a higher eleva-
tion, but some three to four metres of earth were sliced off it a short time
ago, and first an Exhibition and then a cafe-jardin established on the
levelled site. Only one foot below the new surface there is a marble pave-
ment laid on a thick cement bed over most of the north of the plot, but
its thin small slabs are probably early Arab work, and the deposit for
6 feet below at least looked like deliberate filling into support the pave-
ment; among it were some bits of late Roman stucco and a small lime-
stone drum. At 11 feet a small conduit was found running north-east.
At 15 feet G inches we hit a wall running about 314°. In thickness it
was only 1 foot 8 inches, but the stones of its single course of elevation
were of good size and well cut: one was 2 feet 4 inches long. We un-
covered about 10 feet of this wall without meeting with a return. On
the east side occurred a layer of concrete much broken. Cutting through
this we went down to water at 28 feet, finding the foundations of the
wall descending to that level, but no articles of any value or potsherds
other than indistinctive Roman red.
It will be noted that the wall, found in this pit, is (practically speaking)
at right angles with those found in the pit on the Zogheb plot. I con-
clude, therefore, that in this central region at least the ancieut town was
built very far from the lines of the modern, and that the axis of the old
Canopic Street must vary much at this point from that of the Boulevard
de Rosette :1 the former must have read about 230°, the latter reads
2G0°.
1 The character of my Beport being -what it is, it fortunately does not enter into
my province to deal at length with the researches of Mahmud Bey el Pallaki, a
MS. translation of whose very rare hook (Mcmoire sur Vancienne Alexandria, &<•.,
Copenhagen, 1872), was put most kindly at my disposal by Bear-Admiral Blomfield,
E.N. Anyone, however, who attempts to write a topographical memoir on the city
will have to appraise, and, I think, condemn in the main, the work of Ismail's Court
Astronomer. Mahmnd Bey had, it is true, facilities in 1870 which exist no longer
in 1895 : not only was an autocratic Khedive behind him, but the site was far more
open. The newGreek quarter did not exist,and therewas hardly a housoeast of Cherif
Pacha Street. Mahmud Bey had had, however, no sort of training for the work he
was set to do ; not only did he not know any classical language, but I am given to
understand that this was his first essay in excavation. " As for his competence as
an archaeologist," writes Yacnb Artin Pacha in reply to a question of mine, " I do
not think that he had any." I am glad, therefore, that I can avoid basing any of
my own work on his. I feel the greatest uncertainty as to his rectangular map of
the city—not for one moment impugning his bona fides, but doubting his com-
petence to ascribe dates to the street pavements that he found, or to determine to
corner of a large plot belonging to Prince Toussoun, immediately behind
the Tribunal des Indigenes on the north, and the Consulate of France
on the east. The surface of this plot had been formerly at a higher eleva-
tion, but some three to four metres of earth were sliced off it a short time
ago, and first an Exhibition and then a cafe-jardin established on the
levelled site. Only one foot below the new surface there is a marble pave-
ment laid on a thick cement bed over most of the north of the plot, but
its thin small slabs are probably early Arab work, and the deposit for
6 feet below at least looked like deliberate filling into support the pave-
ment; among it were some bits of late Roman stucco and a small lime-
stone drum. At 11 feet a small conduit was found running north-east.
At 15 feet G inches we hit a wall running about 314°. In thickness it
was only 1 foot 8 inches, but the stones of its single course of elevation
were of good size and well cut: one was 2 feet 4 inches long. We un-
covered about 10 feet of this wall without meeting with a return. On
the east side occurred a layer of concrete much broken. Cutting through
this we went down to water at 28 feet, finding the foundations of the
wall descending to that level, but no articles of any value or potsherds
other than indistinctive Roman red.
It will be noted that the wall, found in this pit, is (practically speaking)
at right angles with those found in the pit on the Zogheb plot. I con-
clude, therefore, that in this central region at least the ancieut town was
built very far from the lines of the modern, and that the axis of the old
Canopic Street must vary much at this point from that of the Boulevard
de Rosette :1 the former must have read about 230°, the latter reads
2G0°.
1 The character of my Beport being -what it is, it fortunately does not enter into
my province to deal at length with the researches of Mahmud Bey el Pallaki, a
MS. translation of whose very rare hook (Mcmoire sur Vancienne Alexandria, &<•.,
Copenhagen, 1872), was put most kindly at my disposal by Bear-Admiral Blomfield,
E.N. Anyone, however, who attempts to write a topographical memoir on the city
will have to appraise, and, I think, condemn in the main, the work of Ismail's Court
Astronomer. Mahmnd Bey had, it is true, facilities in 1870 which exist no longer
in 1895 : not only was an autocratic Khedive behind him, but the site was far more
open. The newGreek quarter did not exist,and therewas hardly a housoeast of Cherif
Pacha Street. Mahmud Bey had had, however, no sort of training for the work he
was set to do ; not only did he not know any classical language, but I am given to
understand that this was his first essay in excavation. " As for his competence as
an archaeologist," writes Yacnb Artin Pacha in reply to a question of mine, " I do
not think that he had any." I am glad, therefore, that I can avoid basing any of
my own work on his. I feel the greatest uncertainty as to his rectangular map of
the city—not for one moment impugning his bona fides, but doubting his com-
petence to ascribe dates to the street pavements that he found, or to determine to