Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (16.2004(2005))

BANGANARTI

SUDAN

PREDECESSOR OF THE LOWER CHURCH

The three deep trenches reaching below the
floor level of the Lower Church did not hit
on any trace of pavement. Neither was
a layer of tamped earth found, meaning that
the huge slabs of well-polished bluish-
veined granite of the pavement in the cen-
tral part of the church must have been
patiently dismantled along with the huge
terracotta tiles that formed the pavement in

other parts. It must have been accomplished
before the passageways were blocked (!). It
could hardly have been done after the dome
had collapsed. Before the end of the season
the whole interior of the Upper Church at
Banganarti was roofed with corrugated iron
mounted on a welded steel construction set
in the heightened outer walls and the cen-
tral piers.

EXPLORING ED-DEIGA FORTRESS

In January 2004, while working at Banga-
narti, the mission was informed of illicit ex-
cavations at the ed-Deiga fortress exposing
some sandstone column drums, which the
SDRS team, exploring the site extensively
in the past, had not recorded.

The mighty fortress of ed-Deiga [Fig. 9]
situated on the southwest outskirts of el-
Arak village, was originally constructed on
the riverbank, even though today the river
flows a kilometer or so away._ It once guar-
ded the strategic checkpoint between Dar


Fig. 8. Meroitic sa?idstone capital (plastered with lime mortar) from ed-Deiga fortress
(Photo B. Zurawski)

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