Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (18.2006(2008))

TELL EL-BALAMUN

EGYPT

positions and left lying at various angles,
embedded in the surface mud. The lower
course of white limestone blocks was
relatively intact and the thickness of the
wall was measured as 3-68 m. All the
remains were buried only by a relatively
recent deposit of water-laid mud, brought
in by the winter rains and completely
lacking any archaeological material.
The location of this monument is of
interest not because of its proximity to the
temple of Nectanebo, with which it has no
connection, but because it stands close to
the site of the Ramesside pylon of the
temple of Amun. It is situated immedi-

ately to the right side of this pylon just
outside the front of the New Kingdom
temple, in the traditional location of
a bark-station chapel and probably served
as such a monument. The square plan
would certainly agree with this possibility.
If it was a bark-station, it would have been
the precursor of the nearby subsidiary
temple of Nectanebo I, which fulfilled the
same function for the Amun-temple in the
Thirtieth Dynasty. Work on the building
will be continued in 2007 to examine the
remainder of its perimeter and attempt to
establish its date and function more
precisely.



Fig. 7. 'French T3/2006. Hast corner of the Fig. 8. 'French 7 4/2006. Masonry in the
stone building northeast wall of the stone building
(Photo P. Spencer) (Photo P. Spencer)

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