Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (18.2006(2008))

OLD DONGOLA

SUDAN

CHRISTIAN POTTERY FROM
OLD DONGOLA (KOM H)

Dobiesiawa Bagmska

Ongoing excavation of the monastery
complex (including the church) on Kom H
in Old Dongola has yielded a pottery
assemblage ranging in time from the
6th/7th to the 14th century (specifically the
Early and Classic Christian periods in the
case of the church). The pottery from the
2006 season1 was documented on a current
basis with additional studies being made of
the material from the monastery church
(HC), which had been excavated in the
2003-2005 season. It included a rich
repertoire of wheel-made and handmade
forms. Both red and white wares were
noted. Of special interest was a set of Early
Christian thin-walled vessels coming from
the foundation layers of the monastery
church. The fabric and specific forms and
decoration of these vessels leaves no doubt
that they were produced in the ceramic
workshops on Site R1 in Old Dongola.
The 6th/7th century material from the
monastery church proved to be of particular
importance, for it provided a date for the
establishment of the building. It was
further corroborated by pottery with
decoration and vessel shape characteristic of
the 7th-century ceramic production in
Dongola present in the fill of the shaft of

a grave (G.3) inside the church. The grave
has been tentatively attributed by a funerary
stela found nearby to Bishop Joseph, who
died in AD 668. Analogous ceramic
material was recorded in the kilns on Site
R1 (especially kiln RIB, cf. Pluskota 2001:
357-365) and in the palace toilet depository
(B.I.15) on Kom A in Old Dongola.2
A similar Early Christian assemblage has
been recovered from the level of the
foundations of the Lower Church in
Banganarti (studied by the author, see
relevant report in this volume).
Material from the excavations continued
in 2006 in the Southwestern Annex (SW-E)
of the monastery on Kom H, especially the
finds from units 13, 14 and 16, represented
mostly painted Late Christian wares (12th-
14th century), including some rare forms
and unique decoration. This material has
contributed significantly to the study of
Late and Terminal Nubian pottery
production.
Typological studies are in progress of
this extensive assemblage, which is of
particular importance for understanding the
full repertoire of vessel shapes and dec-
oration styles of the pottery produced in the
Makurian capital in medieval times.

1 For the fieldwork in 2006 on Kom H in general, see above, report by S. Jakobielski and M. Martens-Czarnecka in this
volume; for the exploration of the monastery church (HC) in November and December of 2006, see above, report by
D. Gazda in this volume as well. The pottery was documented in writing (D. Baginska), drawing (A. Blaszczyk,
H. Kozihska-Sowa, D. Baginska) and photography (J. Swigcicki).
2 Studied by the author in 2003-2005 with permission from W. Godlewski, who heads the excavations on Kom A.

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