Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (10.1998(1999))

_TELL EL-FARKHA_

EGYPT

GEOLOGICAL DRILLING

Two geological shafts were drilled in the
disturbed area south of the central tell and
a series of drillings was made along a N-S
line, cutting across the western tell and
between it and the central tell. Ten shafts
were spaced every 20 m and drilled to a
depth of 4.5-5 m, starting at the edge of
the village and ending in the fields north

of Tell el-Farkha. The drilling revealed the
level at which sand, the original surface of
the gezirah, appeared and the thickness of
superimposed cultural layers. An impor-
tant discovery consisted of identifying,
already outside the confines of the tell,
three layers rich in sherds, separated by
thick layers of pure silt.

THE FINDINGS

In terms of diagnostics, the present cam-
paign has served its purpose admirably.
Geological drilling has made it possible to
determine the geological-archaeological
structure of the gezirah, while geophysical
surveying has identified architectural
remains on part of the site. The site stratig-
raphy has been studied in test trenches and
a provisional chronology established. The
major occupational phases, identified by the
earlier work of the Italian expedition, have
been confirmed.
The first occupation of the site is linked
to the Lower Egyptian Culture, as indicated
not only by the pottery from the lowermost
layers, but also the habitation and domestic
quarters in the form of dwellings, the out-
lines of which were traced in the lowest lay-
ers of trench W01/98. A more exact chronol-
ogy and identification of Tell el-Farkha with
a specific phase in the development of Lower
Egyptian Culture is not yet possible, but it
is beyond doubt that the phases uncovered in
the present season are chronologically at
least contemporary with the origins of set-
tlement at Buto, corresponding to the
Nagada lib phase (ca. 3500-3400 BC). The
next phase undoubtedly reflects Nagadan
settlement, beginning most probably con-
temporarily with Nagada lid (ca. 3300-
3200 BC) and lasting throughout the third
period in the existence of this civilization.

No traces of violent events (invasion) have
been found so far to mark the moment of
cultural change in the settlement at Tell el-
Farkha. Neither is there a clear phase during
which the site may have been abandoned,
although some layers have yielded strongly
eroded material possibly indicating such
a phenomenon. These remains, however,
seem to be later (although insignificantly)
than the appearance of evident traces of
Nagadan civilization in the area. Also in the
Early Dynastic Period the site seems to have
remained in uninterrupted use and the ter-
mination of settlement on the western tell
should be dated to the end of the 2nd and
beginning of the 3rd Dynasty.
The settlement on the site remains to be
studied even though the present campaign
has already provided answers to many ques-
tions. The role of the settlement is still
unclear, its importance in the region, as well
as its links with the formation processes of
the Egyptian state. The geological and geo-
physical surveys seem to indicate that espe-
cially in Late Predynastic and Early Archaic
times the site was one of the most important
centers of Pharaonic civilization in the
Delta. The cemetery of this population,
undoubtedly somewhere in the near vicini-
ty, remains to be localized. Future explo-
ration should uncover more of the site and
lead to better documented conclusions.

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