Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (16.2004(2005))

NAQLUN

EGYPT

TEXTILES CONSERVATION AND DOCUMENTATION

Textiles discovered during the exploration
of the burials in cemetery A ran in the
dozens. Shrouds and robes, preserved in
fragmentary state, were cleaned, preserved
and documented. These textiles constitute
an important part of the large assemblage
of 12th and 13th century textiles dis-
covered at Naqlun and they provide a sound
basis for studies of textile production in
the Fayum, as well as of robes worn in the
region in this period. Numerous well
preserved tunics (galabiyah) and shawls

also support observations regarding fashion
styles in the design arid manner of de-
coration. Many pieces also reveal fragments
of silk-embroidered Arabic inscriptions and
there are also a few pieces from Building G
that preserve Coptic texts.
Concurrently, the conservator proce-
eded with the conservation treatment of
a shawl (Nd.00.082) discovered in 2000,
ornamented with fragmentary Coptic
inscriptions [cf. Fig. 9 on p. 210 in this
volume).9

WORKED WOOD

The worked wood from the previous se-
ason, as well as the current one, was record-
ed by I. Zych, whose main task, however,
was a study of the wooden coffins from the
burials excavated this year (plus coffin
documentation from earlier seasons).10 The

coffin assemblage proved interesting not
only in terms of the burial context, but also
as an indirect exposition of local wood-
working techniques current in the Fayum
in the 11th-13 th centuries, as well as of the
local trade in wood in this period.

9 W. Godlewski, "Les textiles issues des fouilles recentes de Naqlun, Egypte", in: La trame de l'Histoire. Textiles
pharaoniques, coptes et islamiques (Paris 2002), 100-104.
10 See contribution by I. Zych in this volume.

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