Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (10.1998(1999))

_TELL EL-FARKHA

EGYPT

TELL EL-FARKHA
EXPLORATIONS, 1998
Marek Chlodnicki, Krzysztof Cialowicz
The site of Tell el-Farkha is situated north of the village of Ghazala (Markaz el-
Simbillawein). It consists of three tells covering a total area ofca. 400 x 110 m and rising
to 4-5 m above the surrounding fields. Located in 1987 by an Italian archaeological expe-
dition of the Centro Studi e Ricerche Ligabue in Venice, it was explored archaeologically in
1988-1990. A predynastic settlement was identified, as well as mudbrick architecture from
Late Predynastic to Old Kingdom times. O
Work was renewed in 1998,2) the purpose of the campaign being a comprehensive survey
of site geology and stratigraphy, intended to provide the necessary data for a comprehensive
planning of the next and more intensive season in the field. Three archaeological survey meth-
ods were applied: test trenches, geological core sample drilling and geophysical surveying.
M. Chlodnicki, R. Fattovich, S. Salvatori, Italian Excavations in the Nile Delta: Fresh Data and New Hypotheses on
the 4th Millennium Cultural Development of Egyptian Prehistory, Rivista di fsrcheologia, vol. 15 (1991), pp. 5-33; id.. The
Nile Delta in Transition: A View from Tell el-Farkha, [in:} E.C.M. van den Brink (ed.), The Nile Delta in Transition: 4th-
3rd Millennium B.C. (Tel Aviv 1992), pp. 171-190; id., The Italian Archaeological Mission of the C.S.R.L.-Venice to the
Eastern Nile Delta: A preliminary report of the 1987-1988 field seasons, CRIPEL 14 (1992), pp. 45-62.
2) Funds for the present campaign came from the Poznan Prehistoric Society; the work, which lasted from May 3 to May
31, was carried out in association with the Institute of Archaeology of the Jagiellonian University in Cracow and the Polish
Center of Archaeology of Warsaw University. The expedition, directed jointly by Dr. Marek Chlodnicki and Assist.
Prof. Krzysztof Cialowicz, included: Dr. Jacek Kabacinski, Mariusz Jucha, archaeologists; Tomasz Herbich, geophysicist;
Prof. Dr. Maciej Pawlikowski, geologist; Maciej Jordeczka and Halina Zarska-Chlodnicka, documentalists. The Supreme
Council of Antiquities of Egypt was represented by Chief Inspector of Mansura, Mr. Salem el Baghdadi.

63