DOI Heft:
Egypt
DOI Artikel:Maślak, Szymon: Some remarks on the stratigraphy and architectural vestiges in sector 1 at Tell Farama (Pelusium) season 2005
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42091#0144
TELL LARAMA
EGYPT
ashy-lime mortar (3 cm thick) was found
directly to the west. This mortar covered
some courses of broken baked bricks, set
longitudinally on edge and intentionally
inclined eastward to level the ground
under the proper floor.9
Apart Irom the higher-quality floors,
there were many less carefully executed floor
levels all over the trench. They fell into at
least three types, and doubtless all of them
served household (or industrial) purposes, as
proved by a number of pots sunk into them.
The white-colored floors, several centi-
meters thick,10 seem to be the youngest, but
it should be noted that floors of this kind
were found in deeper pits as well. Another
type, red in color, was composed of a 2-3 cm
thick layer of tamped powdered baked
brick. Last but not least, there were tamped
earth floors with lime (and/or gypsum)
mixed in. One variant of this was a floor of
tamped earth, but with fragments of baked
brick and white stone pressed thickly into
the ground.
OTHER FEATURES
One of the most interesting features was
a virtually square (0.75 by 0.80 m)
container, constructed of baked bricks (22-
23 x 11-11.5 x 5-5.5 cm and 21-22 x 10.5-
Fig. 3. Container of baked brick with amphora
preserved inside it (Photo K. Jaknbiak)
11 x 5-5.5 cm) bonded in lime mortar, but
of extremely poor quality [Fig- 3]■ Since an
amphora was found in it, the container
could be interpreted as a liquid jug stand,
probably with internal compartments.11
Many hearths or ovens were identified in
the trench.12 The first group includes pots
containing black ashes, found sunk into
the ground and surrounded with bricks.
The hearth discovered in the northwestern
corner of the trench was different. It was
a ring (approx. 1.40 m in external dia-
meter) made of mostly broken baked
bricks bonded in clay mortar (the only full-
sized brick: 23 x 11 x 4.5 cm). Together
with the black ashes deposited inside, there
was also a fragment of large storage vessel
(amphora) placed against one of the walls.1-1
It cannot be excluded that the structure was
the bottom of a simple bread oven.
9 Bricks in che same arrangement, but without any trace of a covering, were preserved in the southern part of the trench.
10 Due to the highly corrosive environment, affecting even very hard and durable materials, one cannot say for certain
what kind of material was used here. These floors are believed to be covered mostly with poor lime mortar, probably
with the addition of gypsum. However, this covering sometimes resembles a crushed (or almost powdered) white
limestone.
11 Remains of bronze rods could still be seen in the joints between the bricks of the floor.
13 Similar hearths, but more deteriorated, were discovered in Farama West, see Grzymski et ah, op. cit., CR1PEL 16
(1994), 118-119, Fig. 5.
140
EGYPT
ashy-lime mortar (3 cm thick) was found
directly to the west. This mortar covered
some courses of broken baked bricks, set
longitudinally on edge and intentionally
inclined eastward to level the ground
under the proper floor.9
Apart Irom the higher-quality floors,
there were many less carefully executed floor
levels all over the trench. They fell into at
least three types, and doubtless all of them
served household (or industrial) purposes, as
proved by a number of pots sunk into them.
The white-colored floors, several centi-
meters thick,10 seem to be the youngest, but
it should be noted that floors of this kind
were found in deeper pits as well. Another
type, red in color, was composed of a 2-3 cm
thick layer of tamped powdered baked
brick. Last but not least, there were tamped
earth floors with lime (and/or gypsum)
mixed in. One variant of this was a floor of
tamped earth, but with fragments of baked
brick and white stone pressed thickly into
the ground.
OTHER FEATURES
One of the most interesting features was
a virtually square (0.75 by 0.80 m)
container, constructed of baked bricks (22-
23 x 11-11.5 x 5-5.5 cm and 21-22 x 10.5-
Fig. 3. Container of baked brick with amphora
preserved inside it (Photo K. Jaknbiak)
11 x 5-5.5 cm) bonded in lime mortar, but
of extremely poor quality [Fig- 3]■ Since an
amphora was found in it, the container
could be interpreted as a liquid jug stand,
probably with internal compartments.11
Many hearths or ovens were identified in
the trench.12 The first group includes pots
containing black ashes, found sunk into
the ground and surrounded with bricks.
The hearth discovered in the northwestern
corner of the trench was different. It was
a ring (approx. 1.40 m in external dia-
meter) made of mostly broken baked
bricks bonded in clay mortar (the only full-
sized brick: 23 x 11 x 4.5 cm). Together
with the black ashes deposited inside, there
was also a fragment of large storage vessel
(amphora) placed against one of the walls.1-1
It cannot be excluded that the structure was
the bottom of a simple bread oven.
9 Bricks in che same arrangement, but without any trace of a covering, were preserved in the southern part of the trench.
10 Due to the highly corrosive environment, affecting even very hard and durable materials, one cannot say for certain
what kind of material was used here. These floors are believed to be covered mostly with poor lime mortar, probably
with the addition of gypsum. However, this covering sometimes resembles a crushed (or almost powdered) white
limestone.
11 Remains of bronze rods could still be seen in the joints between the bricks of the floor.
13 Similar hearths, but more deteriorated, were discovered in Farama West, see Grzymski et ah, op. cit., CR1PEL 16
(1994), 118-119, Fig. 5.
140