DOI issue:
Egypt
DOI article:Majcherek, Grzegorz: Kom el-Dikka: excavation and preservation work preliminary report, 2004/2005
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42091#0028
ALEXANDRIA
EGYPT
two small brick-made circular furnaces
were cleared; one placed near the entrance
and the other at the back of the hall, partly
sealed by the adjacent benches. Both were
apparently used as glass furnaces — glass
slag was found in abundance nearby and
the inner walls bore evidence of vitri-
fication. They apparently predated the
auditorium, suggesting that the area had
been used as an industrial zone. These
findings confirm the surprising isolation of
the area behind the portico until the end of
the 5th century and it is extremely dif-
ficult to reconcile an industrial establish-
ment of this sort with the traditional
function of a portico. The construction of
this lecture hall corresponds with
a complete rebuilding of the portico itself.
Solely a severe earthquake could have
caused the massive destruction observed in
its structure. Similar evidence for a seismic
catastrophe is to be observed also in other
monuments in the area.
Auditoria D and F, located further to
the west, were built along the E-W passage
leading to the baths. Regardless of their
actual location and position of the door,
they show a typical orientation along an
N-S axis; the differences lie in the size and
details of the internal arrangement.
Flail D, clearly narrower than the
others (7.30 x 4.25 m), was furnished with
Fig. 4. Late Roman auditorium G with remains of glass furnaces cleared at floor level
(Photo G. Majcloerek)
26
EGYPT
two small brick-made circular furnaces
were cleared; one placed near the entrance
and the other at the back of the hall, partly
sealed by the adjacent benches. Both were
apparently used as glass furnaces — glass
slag was found in abundance nearby and
the inner walls bore evidence of vitri-
fication. They apparently predated the
auditorium, suggesting that the area had
been used as an industrial zone. These
findings confirm the surprising isolation of
the area behind the portico until the end of
the 5th century and it is extremely dif-
ficult to reconcile an industrial establish-
ment of this sort with the traditional
function of a portico. The construction of
this lecture hall corresponds with
a complete rebuilding of the portico itself.
Solely a severe earthquake could have
caused the massive destruction observed in
its structure. Similar evidence for a seismic
catastrophe is to be observed also in other
monuments in the area.
Auditoria D and F, located further to
the west, were built along the E-W passage
leading to the baths. Regardless of their
actual location and position of the door,
they show a typical orientation along an
N-S axis; the differences lie in the size and
details of the internal arrangement.
Flail D, clearly narrower than the
others (7.30 x 4.25 m), was furnished with
Fig. 4. Late Roman auditorium G with remains of glass furnaces cleared at floor level
(Photo G. Majcloerek)
26