DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.47598#0181
Peter L. Shinnie
Excavations at Debeira West
The Ghana contribution to the Aswan dam salvage campaign took the form of financing an
excavation by the University of Ghana at the medieval town of Debeira West during the years
1961-64.
The site of Debeira West lay on the west bank of the Nile and about fourteen miles north of Wadi
Haifa. The site had been known since at least 1912 and both Somers Clark (1912) and Mileham
(1912) mention it. Mileham described the church (site 24-R-2), carried out some clearance, and
found an inscribed tombstone of Peter the Deacon, who died in A.D. 1029. The site consisted of
the church mentioned above, which was still in a reasonable state of preservation and in virtually
the same condition as when visited by Mileham; of the main group of domestic buildings (site
24-R-8) (fig. 1), and of two other areas of building, one (site 24-R-44) which contained houses
and a church; an unusual closely integrated complex, perhaps a monastery (site 24-R-60) (fig. 2),
and a large house apparently related to the church (site 24-R-2) and a complex of several periods
(site 24-R-59). In addition there were two isolated groups of buildings lying some two miles further
north (sites 24-R-l and 24-R-3). The whole stretch of river bank falling within the Ghana concession
had been occupied at various times during the Christian period and only the main groups of
buildings could be excavated within the time available.
The region in which the Debeira West settlement lay, between the modern villages of Serra to the
north and Argin to the south, has in modern times been virtually uninhabited. It was covered with
wind-blown sand and presented a desolate and forlorn aspect. There had probably been no
occupation or cultivation since the end of the twelfth century A.D. and deposits of sand came
right to the river edge. The presence of a town here in medieval times shows that there must have
been some environmental change, and it seems probable that at that time there were deposits of
river silt comparable to those recently cultivated on the east bank. Changes in the river have
swept them away and it may be that a change from silt deposition to silt erosion on the west bank
caused the abandonment of the town in the twelfth century. No other reason for such an
abandonment can be seen—it was certainly not violent.
The investigation of Debeira was deliberately planned to get the maximum amount of information
on domestic aspects of medieval Nubian life. It was realised that an ordinary settlement of
agriculturalists, as the town appeared to be, was unlikely to produce art objects of importance,
but that it could provide an excellent means of obtaining less spectacular but equally important
information. In the event, objects found and the nature of some of the buildings, were more
elaborate than had been anticipated and Debeira was shown to be something more than just
a settlement of poor peasants. With the possible exception of the unique island town of Mainarti,
it was the largest medieval settlement between the sub-capital at Faras and the second cataract.
It consisted not only of the main town, but also of two churches, and a monastery (?). The main
town was occupied at two quite separate periods, the first dating to the seventh century A.D. and
the second from c. A.D. 750 to c. A.D. 1100. The dating is based on the pottery styles, and the
absolute dates which Adams has suggested for them. These dates though subject to alteration in
detail, cannot be far out and should stand until more precise ones can be obtained. Between these
two periods the site of 24-R-8 was abandoned and was covered with wind-blown sand. The
churches are associated with the main, richer, second period of occupation, whilst the monastery (?)
appears to have been occupied at the same time as the first town, that is in the sixth century, or
even on the appearance of some of the pottery, somewhat earlier. During the time
116
Excavations at Debeira West
The Ghana contribution to the Aswan dam salvage campaign took the form of financing an
excavation by the University of Ghana at the medieval town of Debeira West during the years
1961-64.
The site of Debeira West lay on the west bank of the Nile and about fourteen miles north of Wadi
Haifa. The site had been known since at least 1912 and both Somers Clark (1912) and Mileham
(1912) mention it. Mileham described the church (site 24-R-2), carried out some clearance, and
found an inscribed tombstone of Peter the Deacon, who died in A.D. 1029. The site consisted of
the church mentioned above, which was still in a reasonable state of preservation and in virtually
the same condition as when visited by Mileham; of the main group of domestic buildings (site
24-R-8) (fig. 1), and of two other areas of building, one (site 24-R-44) which contained houses
and a church; an unusual closely integrated complex, perhaps a monastery (site 24-R-60) (fig. 2),
and a large house apparently related to the church (site 24-R-2) and a complex of several periods
(site 24-R-59). In addition there were two isolated groups of buildings lying some two miles further
north (sites 24-R-l and 24-R-3). The whole stretch of river bank falling within the Ghana concession
had been occupied at various times during the Christian period and only the main groups of
buildings could be excavated within the time available.
The region in which the Debeira West settlement lay, between the modern villages of Serra to the
north and Argin to the south, has in modern times been virtually uninhabited. It was covered with
wind-blown sand and presented a desolate and forlorn aspect. There had probably been no
occupation or cultivation since the end of the twelfth century A.D. and deposits of sand came
right to the river edge. The presence of a town here in medieval times shows that there must have
been some environmental change, and it seems probable that at that time there were deposits of
river silt comparable to those recently cultivated on the east bank. Changes in the river have
swept them away and it may be that a change from silt deposition to silt erosion on the west bank
caused the abandonment of the town in the twelfth century. No other reason for such an
abandonment can be seen—it was certainly not violent.
The investigation of Debeira was deliberately planned to get the maximum amount of information
on domestic aspects of medieval Nubian life. It was realised that an ordinary settlement of
agriculturalists, as the town appeared to be, was unlikely to produce art objects of importance,
but that it could provide an excellent means of obtaining less spectacular but equally important
information. In the event, objects found and the nature of some of the buildings, were more
elaborate than had been anticipated and Debeira was shown to be something more than just
a settlement of poor peasants. With the possible exception of the unique island town of Mainarti,
it was the largest medieval settlement between the sub-capital at Faras and the second cataract.
It consisted not only of the main town, but also of two churches, and a monastery (?). The main
town was occupied at two quite separate periods, the first dating to the seventh century A.D. and
the second from c. A.D. 750 to c. A.D. 1100. The dating is based on the pottery styles, and the
absolute dates which Adams has suggested for them. These dates though subject to alteration in
detail, cannot be far out and should stand until more precise ones can be obtained. Between these
two periods the site of 24-R-8 was abandoned and was covered with wind-blown sand. The
churches are associated with the main, richer, second period of occupation, whilst the monastery (?)
appears to have been occupied at the same time as the first town, that is in the sixth century, or
even on the appearance of some of the pottery, somewhat earlier. During the time
116