Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (14.2002(2003))

OLD DONGOLA

SUDAN

Another amulet in the form of a pottery
ostracon with a text in Old Nubian was pre-
sumably meant to protect the owner against
scorpion bites. The word aggin is mentioned
repeatedly in various magic variants.

At the end of the season the excavated
area was covered with an easily removable
roof. In some of the rooms the surviving
vaults needed to be supported with
additional walls, e.g. room 36.

EXCAVATIONS IN THE MONASTERY IN THE 36th SEASON
(2002/2003)

The primary objective of the campaign was
to protect the forty uncovered rooms of the
Northwestern Annex with toxic substances
designed to eliminate the subterranean
termite, called arda locally, the larvae of
which eat corridors in walls of Nile mud
and mud-brick, thus constituting a threat
to the preserved wall paintings.
The upper-floor rooms of the Main
Monastery Building (NW-E) were
evaluated in terms of essential safety
measures required for the further methodic
exploration of the structure. In effect, an
area 15 by 20 m of the upper floor was
cleared, comprising 15 rooms, which all
appear to have been an adapted ruin,
intended for temporary use (cf. Fig. 8).
Further work on the Monastery Church
was focused on uncovering the eastern end
of the building (the pastophoria and the

passage behind the apse were cleared, the
total width of the church being established
as 13-9 m including outer walls) and on
investigating the central part of the north-
ern aisle, close to the outer wall.13) Some
preservation steps were also undertaken
here, chiefly to protect the uncovered struc-
tures and the wall paintings, including
that of the Nativity and of the Holy
Trinity, both dating from the 11th/ 12th
century.
In the first part of the campaign the area
of Kom J was surveyed.l4) Two tomb super-
structures in fragmentary condition were
recorded among the scattered brick rubble.
A pharaonic block was found reused in the
construction of the easternmost tomb; it
preserved two hieroglyphic signs in relief:
Sps (or similar)15) and RJ in low relief, both
painted yellow.

UPPER FLOOR OF BUILDING NW-E

The upper floor in the Main Monastery
Building (coded NW-E) is actually
confined to the westernmost section,
bordering on the Northwestern Annex on
the east. Exploration had started in the
previous season when a row of rooms 43,
44, 36, 34 was excavated on the level of
both floors.

This season another eleven rooms of the
upper floor were cleared (cf. Fig. 8). The
walls were all built of different-size mud
brick (occasionally repaired with red brick)
and were preserved to a height ranging from
1.70 m to as low as 0.25 m. Several periods
of use are attested, with the currently
uncovered one representing mostly the

13) See above, note 6.
14) Mr. Daniel Gazda was responsible for the work.
15) The signs A 40, A42, A46, C8, or CIO (A. Gardiner, Egyptian Grammar, List of Signs) are a theoretical possibility here.

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