Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (18.2006(2008))

TELL LARAMA

EGYPT

storage. Several Gaza IV amphorae were
found fixed in low and shallow clay
benches discovered in the southeastern
corner. Another oval-shaped oven with
relatively large deposits of ashes was
discovered there, immediately back of the
wall separating the room from the main
chamber. The unlikely positioning of this
facility in relation to the main room lends
support for the idea that this room was
used for storage by squatters who occupied
an abandoned and partly ruined structure.
It also seems possible that parts of the
dwelling were still used by the builders of
the adjacent church which partly destroyed
the southern end of the house.
Further work on a wall of baked brick
discovered last year in the southern part of
the trench established its dating as later
than the mosaic house. The pottery
material from below the foundations of
this wall turned up Gaza 4 and LR 7
(Peacock, Williams type 53) amphorae.
Testing beside the brick wall identified a
layer of gray clay associated with this late
pottery assemblage, below which was a
layer of red clay with material dated even
into the Late Hellenistic period.

An extension of the trench to the
southeast focused on understanding the
function of this brick wall. Limited
excavations in this part revealed remains
which can be identified tentatively as those
of a church. They consisted of some baked
bricks making up the floor in the purported
northern aisle and some fragments of grey
marble flagstones in the heavily ruined
diaconicon. The building was erected not
earlier than in the 5th century, possibly even
in the beginning of the 6th century AD, as
appears from pottery analysis and stra-
tigraphical observations, but without more
work these conclusions must remain
tentative.
Among the small finds one should
mention a fragmentary stone stele inscribed
in Greek on both sides (poorly preserved)
and three amphorae stoppers of lime mortar
with stamped Latin inscription. Two of
those stoppers give the name Valerius in the
genitive plural: Valeriorum, arranged in
a circle around the chrism in the center
{Fig. 4}· The inscription on the third
stopper proved illegible. There is also
a rather large set of small bronze coins from
the 4th century AD to be studied.

REFERENCES

Cledat, J.
1913 Le Temple de Zeus Casios a Peluse, ASAE 13, 79-85
Jakubiak, K.
2007 Tell Farama (Pelusium). Reports on the third and fourth seasons, PAM XVII {=Reports
2005], 125-135
Maslak, S.
2007 Some remarks on the stratigraphy and architectural vestiges in Sector 1 at Tell Farama
(Pelusium). Season 2005, PAM XVII [ = Reports 2005], 136-141