Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (18.2006(2008))

MtoM - MEROWE SHERIQ, TANQASI, ZLJMA

SUDAN

22 pieces of pottery were gathered from the
surface of the well, which was filled already
in Christian times and which stood inside
the border of the settlement.
Most of the sherds are fragmentary and
difficult to date, but even so, the assemblage
deserves to be presented for it leads to
conclusions concerning the functioning of
the fort and the nearby sites.
WHEEL-MADE VESSELS
A numerous category from both the fort and
settlement was the tableware. These high-
quality, thin-walled wheel-made vessels are
all attributable to the 6th century.
The thin-walled cups and bowls are red-
slipped on the outside and inside [Fig. 2:1-
11}, more rarely white-slipped [Fig. 2:12-
13}, and polished. The decoration consists
of dark brown lines under the rim and
sometimes on the body, or else horizontal
relief lines executed prior to firing.
Plates are also red-slipped and polished,
mostly without decoration [Fig. 3}; one
piece [Fig. 3:3} has a white-painted
ornament around the rim. Despite the
fragmentariness of this collection, parallels


are easily found in the ceramic material
from Old Dongola (Godlewski 1991: 11-
114, 117, Figs 5, 8; Pluskota 1991: 41-45)
and the Fourth Cataract (Pluskota 2005b:
125-126, Figs 1,5).
Two fragments of vessel bases bear
stamped decoration, unfortunately frag-
mentarily preserved [Fig. 1}. Some frag-
ments are painted with a geometric
ornament [Fig. 4}.
Amphorae constitute a numerous group.
These are mainly small sherds from the
body, handles and neck, belonging to
different types and including imports. Two
early examples merit attention [Fig. 3:1, 2},
as well as a neck and handle [Fig. 3, right}



Fig. 4. Surface finds of painted sherds from
the fort at Merowe Sheriq
(Photo W. Godlewski)


Fig. 3. Amphorae from Merowe Sheriq (sherds Msh.1.018 and Msh. 1.026 in photo)
(Photo W. Godlewski)

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