Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (14.2002(2003))

OLD DONGOLA

SUDAN

Terminal Christian Period, when the upper
story was partly reconstructed from heavy
damages incurred possibly as a consequence
of the Mamluk raids on Dongola in the end
of the 13 th century.
Some rooms with walls still standing
high (mainly the southern part: rooms A 2,
*53 and partly rooms !57, J56, *54 and !55)
were used as is, either on the original level
where sometimes the original terracotta
paving (as in !54) or mud floor (in J51, !52
and J55) was still in place, or on a new mud
floor laid on a layer of rubble in places
where the condition of the ground-floor
vaults was deemed unsafe (rooms A 6, r50
and A3). How effective this was is an
entirely different issue; many parts were
obviously excluded from circulation

because of crumbling vaults. Another
question that remains is whether the
upper-floor rooms were used with the
surviving older vaults (it could be true of.
rooms J52 and *53) or were provided with
a provisional flat roof.
One method that was applied in the
reconstruction of the building was to
double the walls, by inserting them into
existing spaces (cf. Fig. 8); new barrel
vaults could easily be introduced then
(rooms :48, :49, DO). In rooms !45, !50, T58
and !51, it was sufficient to double one or
two walls in order to cover them anew with
a vault. Rooms !48 and '49 and probably
*47 and !46 (as also a passage in room !36,
excavated in the previous season), received
a new brick paving (Fig. 12).


Fig. 12. Interior of room l48 of Building NW-E, looking south, in the last phase of use
(Photo M. Wiewiora)

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