Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (12.2000(2001))

TELL AMARNA

SYRIA

TELL AMARNA
RESTORATION AND EXCAVATION, 2000
Tomasz Waliszewski, Krzysztof Chmielewski

The site of Tell Amarna on the right bank of the Euphrates, about 8 km south of the Syrian-
Turkish border, was the object of archaeological and restoration works by a Polish-Belgian-
Syrian team between September 5 and 25, 2000. ^ The objective at hand was to salvage the
mosaics floors uncovered in 1998 in a Byzantine basilica near Tell Amarna, investigating
the building itself in the process.
1) The expedition is a joint project of the Service d'Assyriologie et d'Archeologie de I'Asie Anterieure of Liege University,
the Polish Center of Archaeology and the Institute of Archaeology, both of Warsaw University, and the Syrian Direction
Generale des Antiquites et des Musees. The work was financed by the Belgian side. The authors would like to express their
gratitude to the Tell Amarna expedition director, Prof. Onhan Tunca, as well as the DGAM Director of Research, Dr. Michel
Maqdisi, who made our work possible. Tomasz Waliszewski field directed the activities of a team comprising conservators
from the Monuments Conservation Faculty of the Fine Arts Academy in Warsaw: Messrs. Krzysztof Chmielewski, Andrzej
Karolczak, Marcin Chmielewski, Pawel Jgdrzejczak and Sylwester Pigdziejewski, and Mrs. Ewa Chrzanowska, archaeologist.
A special note of thanks goes to Ms Rodeina Harfouche, DGAM inspector, whose friendly assistance and sympathy greatly
helped to keep the project moving along.

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