Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (19.2007(2010))

MARINA EL-ALAMEIN

EGYPT

GLASS FROM HOUSES 1 AND 2
IN MARINA EL-ALAMEIN
Renata Kucharczyk

Excavations preceding conservation works in
Houses 1 and 2 in Marina el-Alamein
unearthed considerable quantities of glass
fragments (for the work, see above, report by
S. Medeksza et alii in this volume). Both
buildings were apparently occupied for a
long time as evidenced by associated dateable
finds. The recorded glass material represents
well-known types, ranging in date from the
1st to the mid 5th century AD. This builds
on to the body of evidence for continued
habitation of the central part of the town
into the 4th and 5th centuries despite the
apparent overwhelming destruction and
abandonment of most of the buildings
excavated so far in Marina by the end of the
3rd century (see Daszewski et alii 2007: 84).
Of great interest is the assemblage
originating from House 1, particularly from
the eastern of the two cisterns sunk below
the courtyard. It yielded a sizable group of
objects from the late 4th to mid 5th
centuries. This is in direct contrast to the
limited number of similarly dated finds
from the western cistern. House 2 yielded
only a small quantity of glass, originating
mostly from the fill.
The glass assemblage from the eastern
tank is consistent in date with the associated
pottery finds dated to the late 4th to mid-
5th century AD. Most of the recorded
forms belong to imported amphorae LRA 2
and LRA 3, as well as LRA 4. A profuse
presence of Aswan-made costrels was also
noted. Well-dated imported tableware,
namely African Red Slip bowls (forms 60,

61 and 67) and Cypriot Red Slip (form 1),
complete the assemblage and provide sound
chronological brackets.
Undecorated free-blown wares intended
for domestic consumption account for a
major part of this assemblage. Utilitarian
household containers and storage vessels in
the form of jugs, flagons and large bottles
appeared in significant numbers, similarly
to conical lamps.
Toilets flasks and bottles for perfumes,
ointments and the like were also observed in
a variety of types and sizes. Next came a
wide range of tableware (beakers, deep
bowls and shallow dishes) for serving
liquids and foodstuffs. All the vessels are
represented mainly by bases, fragments of
necks and rims.
Only a few decorated shards were
recorded. The methods of embellishment
comprise indents, incisions, simple applied
elements such as threads and blobs in
contrasting colors and a few odd examples
of wheel-cut and wheel-abraded motifs,
plus an occasional mould-blown ornament.
The small number of luxury glass is still
surprising. Some of the gaming pieces and
jewellery were formed by the non-blowing
technique.
Most vessels were made of noticeably
poor-quality bluish-green glass with
bubbles and impurities, commonly used for
household wares; yellow and green glass has
also been recorded. Uniform, advanced,
black and flaking weathering and iridescence
conceals the actual color and wall thickness

114

Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean 19, Reports 2007