Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (14.2002(2003))

DONGOLA REACH

SUDAN

DONGOLA REACH
THE SOUTHERN DONGOLA REACH
SURVEY PROJECT, 2002
Bogdan Zurawski

The fifth season of the Southern Dongola Reach Survey lasted from January 16 until
March 23, 2002.l) The expedition focused on the excavations at Banganarti, but even so
SDRS subteams continued the survey and digging in various parts of the concession area and
beyond.
The immense scope of restoration and preservation activities carried out at Banganarti
during the fifth SDRS season was possible thanks to generous assistance from Heidelberg-
Poland Company Ltd., which has committed itself to sponsoring the reconstruction and
restoration of the Banganarti church in the coming four seasons.

1) The expedition staff comprised Dr. Bogdan Zurawski, archaeologist, project director; Dr. Mahmoud El Tayeb,
archaeologist, who once again shared his time between two missions: the Gdansk Archaeological Museum's mission to
Hamadab and the SDRS; Dr. Marcin Wiewiora, archaeologist-architect; Dr. Adam Lajtar, archaeologist, epigraphist;
Mrs. Magdalena Laptas, Ms Dobrochna Zielinska, archaeologists, iconologists; Mr. Piotr Osypinski, archaeologist, lithics
specialist; Ms Marta Gauza, archaeologist, palaeozoologist; Mrs. Ewa Parandowska, Mr. Cristobal Calaforra-Rzepka,
restorers; Mr. Wojciech Chmiel, restorer, mural documentalist; and Mr. Jacek Poremba, photographer. The staff was
accompanied by two graduate students from the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun: Ms Magdalena Raciniewska and
Ms Dorota Zak. The NCAM was represented by senior inspector Ms Nahla Hassan.
After four years of absence, Mr. Piotr Parandowski returned to the SDRS stage to film in superb fashion the first season
of excavations in the Banganarti church. (The film entitled “The Nile's way” was produced with financial assistance from
the Polish Academy of Sciences and the TVPartner Film Production Company).

237