Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (19.2007(2010))

ALEXANDRIA

EGYPT

SECTOR H — UPPER NECROPOLIS

The trench excavated in the spring of2007 in
Sector H (6 x 32 m) runs longitudinally to
the west of auditoria G through M [Fig. 7\.
The layer corresponding to the Upper
Necropolis (from 12.13 to 12.77 m a.s.l.)
contained a total of fifteen burials, H 60 to
H 74, damaged to the extent that only
incomplete burial chambers remained.
Hence, it is difficult to determine the type
they belonged to. Most of the chambers were
filled with earth and rubble. On principle,
each contained one or two skeletons, any
primary burial being pushed to the western
end of a chamber. The sole exception was
tomb H 69 were the bones of the earlier
burial had been pushed to the eastern end
and not as usual to where the head rested.
Tombs investigated in this part of the
Upper Necropolis appear to fall into two
distinct sizes as far as the subterranean
chamber is concerned. The inside
dimensions of the smaller chambers were
0.40 by 1.80 m, the bigger ones 0.80 by

2.10 m. The smaller chambers were
constructed of roughly dressed oblong
stones averaging 0.10 by 0.30 m in size
(H 60, H 61, H 62, H 64, H 65, H 68,
H 70, H 71, H 72). As far as can be
observed (sections of no more than a single
course of stones were preserved on the
southern and northern sides), the
bondwork in these walls was fairly
irregular. The bigger chambers made use of
small but well dressed cubic blocks,
measuring 15 by 15 by 15 cm. The inside
walls in these cases (H 63, H 66, H 67,
H 69, H 73, H 74) were plastered smooth.
The chambers of graves H 67, H 68,
H 69 and H 73 preserved a fragmentary roof
of limestone slabs. In the case of H 73, it was
a gable roof. In turn, tomb H 74 appears to
have had an access hole as suggested by the
ledges constructed to hold the trapdoor.
Not a hint remains of the superstructures
of these tombs. It has to be assumed based
on the results of previous excavations in the


Fig 7. Upper Necropolis in Sector H
(Plan E. Kulicka)

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Polish Archaeology in rhe Mediterranean 19, Reports 2007