Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (19.2007(2010))

MARINA EL-ALAMEIN

EGYPT

GLASS FROM THE EASTERN CISTERN IN HOUSE 1

As said in the introduction, the eastern of the
two cisterns in the courtyard of Elouse 1
yielded an important assemblage of glass
finds representing several well-known types
current from the 1st through the mid 5th
century AD. They are comparable to
examples found at Kom el-Dikka.
The bulk of the Early Roman assemblage
is made up of different types of bottles. Toilet
receptacles include the following:
— unguentaria, mostly types with conical
body and thick base [Fig. 2:1-2]. This shape
had been already attested at the site in 2nd
century AD context (cf. Kucharczyk 2005:
96-98, Fig. 3:1-3 and references);

— neck made of decolorized glass(second
half of 1 st to 2nd century AD) [Fig. 2:3];
— part of a childlike face with knobby hair at
the side of the face, and a roughly square base,
possibly double-faced (2nd to 3rd century
AD, not illustrated);
Flasks and jugs used in bathing or as
tableware are represented in this assemblage
by different types of bases alone:
— Thickened bases with characteristic small
pulled out “toes”, irregular in shape and
height, sometime barely projecting. None of
these bases have a pontil scar [Fig. 2:5-6'.
They are characterized by poor workmanship,
the quality much worse compared to the


Fig. 2. Glassfragments from the eastern cistern in House 1

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Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean 19, Reports 2007