Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (17.2005(2007))

TELL LARAMA

EGYPT

WORK IN THE THEATER AREA

Final investigations conducted in the spring
of 2005 concentrated on the areas adjoining
both entrances to the theater and a spot by
the northern facade. The objective was to
investigate the layers and buildings
preceding the construction of the theater in
this area and the character of the
neighborhood at the time of the theater's
existence.
A test trench adjoining the western
parodos yielded further information on the
structure preceding the theater. It had been
of red brick bonded in clay mortar, founded

in a compacted layer of brown clay
identified as a Hellenistic rubbish dump.
The fill included painted fragments of
Hellenistic pottery and terracotta figurines.
The trench traced east of the eastern
parodos, that is, already outside the
building of the theater, permitted the local
stratigraphic sequence to be studied in full
{Figs 1,3]. The lowermost layer here (3 in
the section drawing) was found to be brown
compacted clay yielding Hellenistic pottery
(and the only pottery stamp found this
year!). The oldest structures on this spot


-:... yi -a-

Fig. 2. French adjoining the eastern entrance to the theater, view from the west. Main seivage
channel in the center (Photo K. Jakuhiak)

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