DOI issue:
Egypt
DOI article:Kulicka, Emanuela: The islamic graveyard on Kom el-Dikka in Alexandria: excavations in the 2006/2007 field season
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42093#0055
ALEXANDRIA
EGYPT
THE ISLAMIC GRAVEYARD
ON ROM EL-DIKKA IN ALEXANDRIA
EXCAVATIONS IN THE 2006/2007 FIELD SEASON
Emanuela Kulicka
In the 2006/2007 field season, the
investigation of the Islamic graveyard on
Kom el-Dikka was continued in sectors E
and H. Work began in December 2006 with
the exploration of two phases of the
cemetery in Sector E (which covers the
extent of the Theatre Portico): the so-called
Upper Necropolis, which dates to the turn
of the 11th and early 12th century, and the
Middle Necropolis, which is assigned to the
turn of the 9th and 10th century. With the
start of 2007 fieldwork commenced in a
zone 6 m wide and 32 m long, located to the
east of auditoria G through M in Sector H
(for a plan of the site with the marked
sectors, see Majcherek 2007: Fig. 1 on 23).
SECTOR E — UPPER NECROPOLIS
The current work (the sector has been
under exploration since 2002, cf.
Majcherek, Kol^taj 2003: 20-23; 2004:
27-29) uncovered another five graves from
the latest phase of the graveyard: E 70, E 71,
E 72, E 73 and E 74 [Fig. 1}. The tombs
were raised directly on top of Middle
Necropolis tomb superstructures and made
use of the earlier masonry in their
construction. There were no subterranean
structures and the bones in the simple earth
graves have disintegrated completely.
Three of these burials, E 71, E 72 and E
73, had surviving superstructures constru-
cted of vertically positioned limestone slabs,
all measuring in the whereabouts of 2.10 by
1.20 m. This kind of superstructure is
apparently the oldest of the types known
from the Upper Necropolis. It is frequently
found in damaged condition, having more
elaborate tomb markers either added on or
on top. The case is exemplified by E 71 and
E 72, the superstructures of which were
destroyed in part by those of graves E 70
and E 74 built later next to them.
The marker of grave E 70 was construct-
ed of small (1.5 x 1.5 x 1.5 cm) regularly
dressed stone blocks following a rectangular
outline 2.00 m by 1.30 m. Both this border
and the floor inside the marker were
plastered as one and the mihrab decoration
patterned in plaster on a framework made
partly of baked bricks. This in itself is a
rarity — limestone is much the more
popular building material being easily
accessible. The other superstructure, that of
E 74, has not been preserved, but it should
be presumed that it resembled the described
one, either with or without the plaster
ornament on it.
Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean 19, Reports 2007
49
EGYPT
THE ISLAMIC GRAVEYARD
ON ROM EL-DIKKA IN ALEXANDRIA
EXCAVATIONS IN THE 2006/2007 FIELD SEASON
Emanuela Kulicka
In the 2006/2007 field season, the
investigation of the Islamic graveyard on
Kom el-Dikka was continued in sectors E
and H. Work began in December 2006 with
the exploration of two phases of the
cemetery in Sector E (which covers the
extent of the Theatre Portico): the so-called
Upper Necropolis, which dates to the turn
of the 11th and early 12th century, and the
Middle Necropolis, which is assigned to the
turn of the 9th and 10th century. With the
start of 2007 fieldwork commenced in a
zone 6 m wide and 32 m long, located to the
east of auditoria G through M in Sector H
(for a plan of the site with the marked
sectors, see Majcherek 2007: Fig. 1 on 23).
SECTOR E — UPPER NECROPOLIS
The current work (the sector has been
under exploration since 2002, cf.
Majcherek, Kol^taj 2003: 20-23; 2004:
27-29) uncovered another five graves from
the latest phase of the graveyard: E 70, E 71,
E 72, E 73 and E 74 [Fig. 1}. The tombs
were raised directly on top of Middle
Necropolis tomb superstructures and made
use of the earlier masonry in their
construction. There were no subterranean
structures and the bones in the simple earth
graves have disintegrated completely.
Three of these burials, E 71, E 72 and E
73, had surviving superstructures constru-
cted of vertically positioned limestone slabs,
all measuring in the whereabouts of 2.10 by
1.20 m. This kind of superstructure is
apparently the oldest of the types known
from the Upper Necropolis. It is frequently
found in damaged condition, having more
elaborate tomb markers either added on or
on top. The case is exemplified by E 71 and
E 72, the superstructures of which were
destroyed in part by those of graves E 70
and E 74 built later next to them.
The marker of grave E 70 was construct-
ed of small (1.5 x 1.5 x 1.5 cm) regularly
dressed stone blocks following a rectangular
outline 2.00 m by 1.30 m. Both this border
and the floor inside the marker were
plastered as one and the mihrab decoration
patterned in plaster on a framework made
partly of baked bricks. This in itself is a
rarity — limestone is much the more
popular building material being easily
accessible. The other superstructure, that of
E 74, has not been preserved, but it should
be presumed that it resembled the described
one, either with or without the plaster
ornament on it.
Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean 19, Reports 2007
49