DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6641#0074
the season 1887-8.
MINOR EXPLORATIONS.
I—WORK AT TARRANEH.1
The little village of Tarraneh, on the western
edge of the Delta, is the modern successor of the
Coptic TEpertovf" (Terenuti), and the classical
Terenuthis. In earlier days it was perhaps called
Mevekaov, after Menelaus, the brother of Ptolemy
Soter; at least, Strabo places a city of that name
in the neighbourhood, and we shall soon see that
Ptolemy Soter was active here.
Tarraneh is situated at the end of the road
from the Natron Lakes, upon the Damietta branch
of the Nile, which here flows close to the desert.
The site of the old city is Kom abu billiih
sjb IjjI ^ on the edge of the desert. Thence a
road is carried upon an embankment, crosses the
railroad and then a canal, called Tir'et el Khatat-
beh .uLUail! h.j, to Tarraneh ^yi, south of which
is Kom aqenus ^yj'l, an insignificant mound very
near Tarraneh; and Ekhmas ^Ui-S).
Across the river, south from Tarraneh, is Zauyet
razin with an extensive shallow mound.
In the village of Zauyet razin is a Roman lime-
stone tablet (PI.xx. 1) representing a serpent before
an altar, on which is placed a jug. In the middle
1 See also Academy, March 3, 1888, p. 158.
of the mound are many columns of red granite,
2 ft. 6 in. in diameter, with one base and two
Egypto-Corinthian capitals: near them lies a
block (re-used) with the cartouches of Rameses
II. There are also limestone capitals, &c. At
Ekhmds is a limestone trough resembling PI. xx.
3, only in this case the lion's head is pierced and
forms a spout, and there is no hole in the base.
At Tarraneh are three specimens of these
troughs, the use of which I cannot explain. I
have never seen them elsewhere, so they are
probably connected with some local industry
practised in very late Roman times, e.g. natron
washing. Fig. 2 appears not to have been
pierced either at the side or base. Fig. 3 has a
large, irregular hole in the base at P. The third
specimen very closely resembled 3, but was not
pierced. The internal arrangements of all show
no material deviation; three circular pans in
every case discharge into a deeper trough (H K IL)
of irregular form.
Also a male torso from neck to half-way down
the thigh, standing, nude, excepting a piece of
drapery over the shoulders; | life size; white
marble ; Roman.
At the door of the mosque is a block of Gebel
Ahmar sandstone, in the middle of which is an
MINOR EXPLORATIONS.
I—WORK AT TARRANEH.1
The little village of Tarraneh, on the western
edge of the Delta, is the modern successor of the
Coptic TEpertovf" (Terenuti), and the classical
Terenuthis. In earlier days it was perhaps called
Mevekaov, after Menelaus, the brother of Ptolemy
Soter; at least, Strabo places a city of that name
in the neighbourhood, and we shall soon see that
Ptolemy Soter was active here.
Tarraneh is situated at the end of the road
from the Natron Lakes, upon the Damietta branch
of the Nile, which here flows close to the desert.
The site of the old city is Kom abu billiih
sjb IjjI ^ on the edge of the desert. Thence a
road is carried upon an embankment, crosses the
railroad and then a canal, called Tir'et el Khatat-
beh .uLUail! h.j, to Tarraneh ^yi, south of which
is Kom aqenus ^yj'l, an insignificant mound very
near Tarraneh; and Ekhmas ^Ui-S).
Across the river, south from Tarraneh, is Zauyet
razin with an extensive shallow mound.
In the village of Zauyet razin is a Roman lime-
stone tablet (PI.xx. 1) representing a serpent before
an altar, on which is placed a jug. In the middle
1 See also Academy, March 3, 1888, p. 158.
of the mound are many columns of red granite,
2 ft. 6 in. in diameter, with one base and two
Egypto-Corinthian capitals: near them lies a
block (re-used) with the cartouches of Rameses
II. There are also limestone capitals, &c. At
Ekhmds is a limestone trough resembling PI. xx.
3, only in this case the lion's head is pierced and
forms a spout, and there is no hole in the base.
At Tarraneh are three specimens of these
troughs, the use of which I cannot explain. I
have never seen them elsewhere, so they are
probably connected with some local industry
practised in very late Roman times, e.g. natron
washing. Fig. 2 appears not to have been
pierced either at the side or base. Fig. 3 has a
large, irregular hole in the base at P. The third
specimen very closely resembled 3, but was not
pierced. The internal arrangements of all show
no material deviation; three circular pans in
every case discharge into a deeper trough (H K IL)
of irregular form.
Also a male torso from neck to half-way down
the thigh, standing, nude, excepting a piece of
drapery over the shoulders; | life size; white
marble ; Roman.
At the door of the mosque is a block of Gebel
Ahmar sandstone, in the middle of which is an