Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (16.2004(2005))

JIYEH

LEBANON

the site of modern building development
in 2002, prompting a geophysical survey
of the endangered area, coupled with an
investigation of the site of the basilica and
its neighborhood.7 In 2004, further de-
gradation of the Roman-Byzantine necro-
polis forced the Polish-Lebanese mission to
undertake salvage excavations, which are
reported on preliminarily in this volume by
K. Domzalski U. Wicenciak, M. El-Tayeb
and the present author.
The only regular excavations during the
2004 season were carried out inside the

basilica, testing in four trenches the west-
ern and southern parts of the building. The
walls of the church narthex were traced
[Fig. 2], identifying entrances and reve-
aling the partly preserved south wall. Some
minute traces of floor mosaics were obser-
ved in the southern aisle, presumably left
when the main pavements were removed to
the Beiteddine museum in 1987/88. The
wall tops, preserved practically at ground
level, bear clear evidence of bulldozing.
Excavations in the basilica are scheduled to
continue in the coming season.


Fig. 2. Test trench in the basilica revealing the narthex luall
(Photo T. Waliszewski)

7 See the following contribution by T. Herbich in this volume.

422