Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (15.2003(2004))

MAREA

EGYPT

gated by P. Grossmann in 1980. The fill,
measuring a mere 1.5 m in depth, yielded
few potsherds, but sizeable quantities of
stone blocks fallen from the upper parts of
the walls. Two thinner walls attached to
the inside of the wide transept wall created
room 1, presumed to be an inner
pastophorium {Fig. 5). The floor here was
of marble slabs, this conclusion evinced by
several pieces of marble tiles, as well as
imprints in the lime substructure of the
floor. One of the marble tiles discovered in
the debris was found to bear an inscription
in Greek: 'hvaaxaaia EvAoy(tov) (jipeofir)
epov pvrj(fir)) (To the memory of Anastasia,
daughter of Eulogios, presbyter). It was
presumably a wall plaque erected in
commemoration of the daughter of the chief
priest of this church {Fig. 6).
Another two crosswalls flanked a wide
passage leading to room 2, closed off from
the north and south by provisionally
constructed partitions. The building
material used here included pieces of
shattered marble columns, which had been
taken either from other structures or from
the partly damaged church. The evidence
indicates that the pastophoria (remains of
walls of analogous construction can be seen
on the other side of the apse) were of later
date and did not belong to the original
foundation. Littering the floor of room 2
were considerable quantities of black and
red stone tesserae originating from wall
mosaics, some still embedded in plaster.
The size of the tesserae ranged from 10 to
12 mm2. Also found were two cubes of
gilded glass, undoubtedly from the dome
of the apse, as well as large pieces of opus
sectile cut from pink and green marble and
from porphyry.
The most interesting results were
achieved in the apse itself, which was
completely explored in the course of the
present season. Two steps led up to a plat-

form made of lime mortar, now cracked.
A crypt was found on either side of the axis
of the apse. In both cases, the depth of the
crypt reached 1.80 m. One of these crypts
(no. 1; marked as a in Fig. 4) preserved
a stone vault and a slab closing the
entrance from the west {Fig. 7). The other
{b in Fig. 4) contained the collapsed stones
of a similar vault. There were multiple
burials in both of the crypts. Pieces of
rotten wood found with the bones
indicated the presence of some kind of
wooden coffins. Since the tombs had been


Fig. 7. Crypt no. 1 in the apse with a slab
closing the entrance. View from the
west (Photo T. Kalarus)

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