DOI issue:
Egypt
DOI article:Maślak, Szymon: Building G in Naqlun: material, construction, furnishing
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42091#0216
NAQLUN
EGYPT
over mud bricks laid flat but rather
irregularly. A similar substructure of mud
brick can be seen under the mud floor in
corridor G. 1.
The well-preserved floor in room G.6 is
different in many respects. The joining
line crossing the room indicates that it was
laid in at least two stages. The upper layer,
about 3 cm thick, was executed of hard
lime mortar called 'cement plaster',17 laid
on a layer of baked brick about 8 cm thick
laid flat on a "bedding" of gray mud with
chaff as temper. This clay bedding, directly
on bedrock may have constituted the
original floor of room G.6. The cream-
colored coating of plaster made of desert
clay can be seen to flow down smoothly
onto it (especially on the east and west
walls). The laying of the upper floor could
have corresponded to a renovation of the
room connected with whitewashing of the
cream-plastered walls.18
WINDOWS
The lighting and ventilation of Building
G remains a doubtful issue. In similarity
to other buildings from different ages
found in Fayum Oasis, it can be assumed
that windows were placed fairly high on
the walls (just under the ceiling).19 In
Building G they should be expected
foremost in the walls coming out on
streets N.l, E.l and N.2, first of all in the
older and smaller part of the complex and
then in the planned extension of the
building incorporating the adjacent
streets. The condition of walls preserved
no higher than 1.20-1.30 m2() has un-
fortunately left no trace of any kind of
construction that could possibly be at-
tributed to a window.
The fill of room G.6 yielded two palm-
wood beams with evenly cut ends and
more or less dressed surfaces, bearing re-
mains of mud mortar. Their size (111 x 12
x 8.5 cm and 70 x 18.5-19-5 x 9 cm)
precludes their use as roof beams, but they
could have framed a skylight, similar to
those that can be observed in the archi-
tecture of the 20th-century monastery at
Naqlun, or else formed part of a window
in the original outer wall.
Doorways could have also supplied
light and air to rooms in Building G.
DOORS
Three entrances to Building G have been
located: two from the south from street N.l
and one from the north from street N.2, the
latter preserved only at walking level. A door
into the building from street E.l seems
unlikely. The eastern outer wall of the
extended Building G was dismantled down
to the foundations in places, but a careful
analysis of the street surfaces shows no
evidence of an entrance here.
17 Also used for part of the floor in room G.5, cf. Maslak, PAM XV, op.cit., 153.
18 Cf. Maslak, PAM XV, op. cit., 154, where the "whitewashed plaster" was erroneously attributed to room G.5 instead
of G.6.
19 Cf. A.E.R. Boak, E.E. Peterson, Karanis. Topographical and Architectural Report of Excavations During the Seasons
1924-28 (Ann Arbor 193D, 15, 28, Pis XX-Fig. 39, XXXII-Fig. 63; Husselman, op. cit., 44-46, Pis 59-60a.
20 Godlewski, PAAl XV, op. cit., 147; Godlewski, PAA1 XVI, op. cit., 187.
212
EGYPT
over mud bricks laid flat but rather
irregularly. A similar substructure of mud
brick can be seen under the mud floor in
corridor G. 1.
The well-preserved floor in room G.6 is
different in many respects. The joining
line crossing the room indicates that it was
laid in at least two stages. The upper layer,
about 3 cm thick, was executed of hard
lime mortar called 'cement plaster',17 laid
on a layer of baked brick about 8 cm thick
laid flat on a "bedding" of gray mud with
chaff as temper. This clay bedding, directly
on bedrock may have constituted the
original floor of room G.6. The cream-
colored coating of plaster made of desert
clay can be seen to flow down smoothly
onto it (especially on the east and west
walls). The laying of the upper floor could
have corresponded to a renovation of the
room connected with whitewashing of the
cream-plastered walls.18
WINDOWS
The lighting and ventilation of Building
G remains a doubtful issue. In similarity
to other buildings from different ages
found in Fayum Oasis, it can be assumed
that windows were placed fairly high on
the walls (just under the ceiling).19 In
Building G they should be expected
foremost in the walls coming out on
streets N.l, E.l and N.2, first of all in the
older and smaller part of the complex and
then in the planned extension of the
building incorporating the adjacent
streets. The condition of walls preserved
no higher than 1.20-1.30 m2() has un-
fortunately left no trace of any kind of
construction that could possibly be at-
tributed to a window.
The fill of room G.6 yielded two palm-
wood beams with evenly cut ends and
more or less dressed surfaces, bearing re-
mains of mud mortar. Their size (111 x 12
x 8.5 cm and 70 x 18.5-19-5 x 9 cm)
precludes their use as roof beams, but they
could have framed a skylight, similar to
those that can be observed in the archi-
tecture of the 20th-century monastery at
Naqlun, or else formed part of a window
in the original outer wall.
Doorways could have also supplied
light and air to rooms in Building G.
DOORS
Three entrances to Building G have been
located: two from the south from street N.l
and one from the north from street N.2, the
latter preserved only at walking level. A door
into the building from street E.l seems
unlikely. The eastern outer wall of the
extended Building G was dismantled down
to the foundations in places, but a careful
analysis of the street surfaces shows no
evidence of an entrance here.
17 Also used for part of the floor in room G.5, cf. Maslak, PAM XV, op.cit., 153.
18 Cf. Maslak, PAM XV, op. cit., 154, where the "whitewashed plaster" was erroneously attributed to room G.5 instead
of G.6.
19 Cf. A.E.R. Boak, E.E. Peterson, Karanis. Topographical and Architectural Report of Excavations During the Seasons
1924-28 (Ann Arbor 193D, 15, 28, Pis XX-Fig. 39, XXXII-Fig. 63; Husselman, op. cit., 44-46, Pis 59-60a.
20 Godlewski, PAAl XV, op. cit., 147; Godlewski, PAA1 XVI, op. cit., 187.
212