Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (14.2002(2003))

NAQLUN

EGYPT

cards, measuring 19.2 by 12.8 cm, in year
493 of the hijra (AD 1099/1100).5) Pre-
ceding the text is a full-page illumination
depicting a cross; additional decorative
elements are to be found in the text on the
title page and on the last page of the codex,
which also contains a brief inscription in
Arabic giving the name of the owner of the
book — one Botros, presumably the same
with the man laid to rest in T. 324. The
codex is relevant to the dating of the burials
inside this mausoleum, as well as to the
contemporary second-phase graves in
chamber AE.l. All may be placed pro-
visionally in the middle of the 12th
century.
The second mausoleum was a specially
constructed room just about 10 sq. m in
area, situated in the northwestern corner of

the church (Fig. 7). The chamber was
accessible from the east and contained four
plastered superstructures of red brick,
erected in four stages over seven burials.
Obviously the mausoleum had remained in
use over a lengthy period of time. Initially,
a narrow marker had been put in place; this
survives only fragmentarily by the northern
wall of the chamber, indicating the position
of a grave containing two coffins deposited
simultaneously (T. 50a,d). This marker was
made wider when the next coffin (T. 50b)
was buried next to the previous two. After
a while the most fully preserved marker was
erected; this stood by the southern wall of
the chamber over two coffins (T. 133a,b),
which appear to have been deposited
together in their pits. In the last phase of
the mausoleum one more person was buried


Fig. 7. Site A. Mausoleum with tombs T. 30 and T. 133
(Photo W. Goldewski)
5) For a preliminary discussion of the contents of this codex, see contribution by J. van der Vliet in this volume.

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