Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (17.2005(2007))

JIYEH

LEBANON

JIYEH (PORPHYREON)
EXPLORATIONS 2005
Tomasz Waliszewski, Urszula Wicenciak
in collaboration with Mahmoud El-Tayeb and Karol Juchniewicz

Modern Jiyeh lies on the seashore about 20 km due south of Beirut. The site situated within
the boundaries of the present towns of Jiyeh and Nebi Younis has been ideyitified as Greco-
Roman Porphyreon.1 It consists of an urban zone with a basilica on the south and a necropolis
located about 200 m to the north of it.
Rescue excavations at Jiyeh in 2005 were focused on recording the remains of ancient
structures in the southern and central parts of the site.2 This short report presents the results
of our investigations in two areas: the Byzantine basilica and the stratigraphical trench
situated on the beach, between the basilica and the northern necropolis. A more detailed and
comprehensive study of recent discoveries is under preparation for the forthcoming Bulletin
dArcloeologie et d'Architecture Libanaise (BAAL), the annual of the Lebanese Directorate
General of Antiquities.
1 For a general outline of the history of the ancient town, cf. T. Waliszewski, "Jiyeh (Porphyreon). Explorations 2003-2004", PAM
XVI, Reports 2004 (2005), 421-422.
2 Excavations were conducted by a Polish-Lebanese Mission, established as a joint project of the Polish Centre of Mediterranean
Archaeology of Warsaw University and the Directorate General ol Antiquities ol Lebanon. The team consisted of Dr. Tomasz
Waliszewski, head of the expedition, assisted by Dr. Mahmoud El-Tayeb, Mr. Asa'ad Seif and Mrs. Bahija Traboulsi,
archaeologists, the latter two representing the Directorate General of Antiquities; Prof. Dr. Karol Piasecki, anthropologist;
Dr. Krzysztof Domzalski, Ms Urszula Wicenciak, ceramologists; Mr. Kazimierz Kotlewski, photographer; Mr. Marek Pusz-
karski, documentalist; Mrs. Sophie Garreau, Mr. Karol Juchniewicz, Mr. Pawel Tchorek, archaeologists; Ms Karolina Kisie-
lewicz, registrar; Mr. Marcin Kisielewicz, metrologist; as well as students of archaeology and engineering from the Universice de
Paris I - Sorbonne, Warsaw University, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poz-
nan, Warsaw University of Technology and Jagiellonian University in Krakow: Ms Iwona Brodzka, Mr. Pawel Drakus, Ms Jo-
lanta Gorniak, Mr. Tomasz Gora, Ms Natalia Koperniak, Ms Dominika Kuczynska, Ms Magdalena Makowska, Mr. Karol
Ochnio, Mr. Cezary Olczyk, Mr. Piotr Prejs, Ms Izaura Prusik, Ms Renata Skrzypczak, Ms Agnieszka Szulc, Mr. Haidar Nairusz
Vela, Ms Malgorzata Zukowska. Our heartfelt thanks are extended to the team of restorers from the Academy of Fine Arts in
Warsaw, headed by Dr. Krzysztof Chmielewski, who participated in the last days of the season and secured fragments of wall
paintings discovered in the basilica and in one of the lace Roman tombs on the necropolis: Mrs. Izabela Uchman-Laskowska and
Ms Marta Banas, Mrs. Eliza Hugo-Bader, Mr. Wojciech Osiak, Ms Agnieszka Wielocha, Ms Kamila Wojtowicz.
As in previous years, our expedition benefited greatly from the support of the Directorate General of Antiquities represented by
its Director General, Mr. Frederic Husseini, to whom we owe expressions of sincere thanks.
Our team is also greatly indebted to Mr. Georges Azzi, President of the Municipality of Jiyeh, for very effective and generous
assistance extended to the Project during the months of August and September 2005. The authorities of Jiyeh provided us with
workers for the excavations, as well as a bulldozer used to remove the modern dump from the basilica area. Also, the interest
expressed by several members of the baladiye, notably Mr. Georges Azzi, encouraged us to undertake new tasks in an effort to
save the antiquities of Jiyeh.

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