Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (16.2004(2005))

TELL EL-LARKHA

EGYPT

Farkha) at the northern end of the old
trench (levels 36-47), going down a further
0.60 m in relation to the level reached in
2003. As in previous seasons the remains of
mud-brick buildings oriented NW-SE
were recorded. The walls of these buildings
were usually two-brick-lengths thick.
Numerous remnants of kilns, hearths and
grain silos were discovered inside the
buildings and within the courtyards. At the
bottom of the last layer to be excavated, the
outline of a 1.50 m-thick wall dividing the
site into two distinct zones emerged. The
site stratigraphy of the eastern zone in-
corporated building remains, whilst that of

the western zone clearly indicated that the
layers had accumulated on a slope. The
trench yielded large numbers of potsherds,
several complete vessels and assorted stone
tools - grindstones, quern fragments and
flint knives, including bifacial ones. Two
anthropomorphic clay figurines merit at-
tention. One is 67 cm high and represents
a crouching male figure (chin missing)
with a large nose and schematically depicted
hands [Fig. 3]. The second is a very sche-
matic representation with indistinct fea-
tures, the interpretation depending on
which way it is looked at. A copper pin with
a loop-shaped head was also recorded.

EASTERN KOM

Work on the Eastern Kom continued on
the two trenches there through May 11. As
in previous years, excavation was con-
ducted within two trenches. The first of
these, the so-called North Trench, lies on
the western slope of the kom, and had
already yielded a number of settlement
features during earlier seasons. The second,
the South Trench, is situated on the
southwestern slope and had revealed some
Early Dynastic burials in 2001-2003.
NORTH TRENCH
The section E93-94 was now explored
beyond the alluvial deposits noted at
a depth of 3.40 m, where digging had
stopped in 2003. A trial pit dug then
revealed these deposits to be 0.50 m thick,
reaching down to the level of the island,
which was also the level of the water-table.
Work on the lower layers was postponed
until 2004, possibly to a time of year when
the water-table would be lower.
A few small pits filled with lumps of
pug and sometimes large amounts of
pottery, as well as single layers of mud-

bricks making up indistinct formations
were discovered whilst excavating a silt
deposit (Levels 24-28). Most of the trench,
however, was occupied by layers of
alluvium and backfill. Other than pot-
sherds a miniature clay figurine of a hawk
was also found. A shallow pit (10 cm)
measuring 1.50 m in diameter was partic-
ularly interesting on account of its fill,
which consisted of brown soil intercalated
with silt. It yielded huge quantities of flint
and agate debitage, the amount of agate
especially being quite unusual considering
the relatively few instances of the stone
being noted so far on the site. Also found
in the pit was a flint knife and two unique
quartz objects: a very well worked artifact
in the shape of a truncated cone, which had
served as a hammer [Fig. 5], and an elon-
gated (broken) hexagonal item. Judging by
the flint knife and the pottery recovered
from this pit, it was associated with Naqada
culture.
Outlines of domestic features made of
organic materials were noted in the gezira
sands, which appeared once the silt layer

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