Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (19.2007(2010))

BANGANARTI

SUDAN

BANGANARTI
ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATION
OL THE SITE IN 2007
Bogdan T. Zurawski

In 2007, the season lastedfrom January 5 to February 25. The archaeological part of the
program included testing of the structures ofthe Lower Church at Banganarti (eight trial
pits uncovering more murals) and large-scale excavation of the outerfortifications aimed at
a general reconstruction of the layout and chronology in relation to the churches and other
structures intra muros. This was coupled with air photography of the outer fortifications
and the site surroundings. Newly excavated parts of the curtain wall were surveyed
topographically. The topographer also took time to prepare a contour map, which includes
the Nile paleochannel [Fig. 1 '].
The conservation effort was centered on taking down the murals of the Anastasis’ and
‘St. Sisinnios trampling afemale demon’from the Lower Church and general conservation
of the plastered walls, both inside and outside the church (see below, Appendix B). Modern
roofing over the western part of the church complex was introduced to protect murals and
graffiti recorded in the previous season. Work also proceeded on preparing the building of
the Raphaelion for covering with a 1:1 replica of the vaulting (central dome included)
constructed of iron piping. This framework model (designed by architect P. Malec in 2004)
will be installed over the actual roof made of corrugated steel sheets riveted to a welded iron
frame.
In addition to the regular work, the team excavated a probe on the central kom at Selib,
a site nine kilometers upriver from Banganarti, and undertook salvage excavations of
a post-Meroitic tumulus found by local clay diggers in Tanqasi village.
1 The mission was headed by Dr. Bogdan T. Zurawski, archaeologist, and comprised: Dr. Tomasz St^pnik; Mariusz
Drzewiecki, Magdalena Wozniak, Elzbieta Szewczyk (pottery documentation), archaeologists; Anna Blaszczyk,
archaeologist-documentalist; Dr. Magdalena Laptas, iconologist; Dorota Moryto-Naumiuk, Lucyna Piekacz,
conservators. After completing their work withthe mission at Shemkhiya, the team from the Fourth Cataract: Roman
Lopaciuk, topographer; Anastazja Stupko, archaeologist-documentalist; Magdalena Wlodarska, Alicja Plqskowska,
archaeologists, joined the mission. The National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums was represented by
El Montser Dafaala Mohammed Elamin, conservator.

Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean 19, Reports 2007

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