Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (15.2003(2004))

MARINA EL-ALAMEIN

EGYPT

Mena workshop.27) Parallels are dated to
the first half of the 7th century.
Lamp E 282 (Fig. 8), ovoid in shape,
made of a reddish-yellow fabric with gray
slip, has a rather blurred square discus, de-
pressed and joined to the wick hole on the
nozzle by a shallow channel. The lug is drawn
up from the clay, as is typical of these late
lamps. A very similar lamp was found in
Islamic layers at Kom el-Dikka in Alexandria
(Polish excavations reg. no. 4018). The
other late lamp (E 281) is an evidently local
clumsy product intended for everyday use.

The studied assemblage also contained
a wheelmade Byzantine lamp (E 267) and
three examples of Byzantine ‘boot’ lamps
(E 270. E 291, E 372) (Fig. 8). The fabric
of the boot lamps is light brown or light-
yellowish brown, the slip varying from
reddish yellow and pale yellow to light
greenish-gray. The bodies are wheelmade,
squat, wide rounded shoulders and flared
filling hole. The short nozzles were made
separately and attached, the vertical band-
handle applied as well.28) The lamps are
dated to the 6th and 7th century AD.

27) W. Selesnow, Bildwerke der Sammlung Kaufmann, II, Lampen aus Ton und Bronz (Liebieghaus-Frankfurt-am-Main
1988), cat. no. 321 (PI. 44), from Abu Mena (?); PI. 8a on page 99 illustrates the marks identifying Abu Mena ateliers.
28) Bailey iii, op. cit., Q 2276 from Wadi Sarga near Asyut, and discussion on page 232-233; Selesnow, op. cit., cat. no. 294,
from Egypt.

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