DOI article:
Barański, Marek: Excavations at the basilica site at el-Ashmunein/Hermopolis Magna in 1987-1990
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26426#0023
During three seasons of work the Polish-Egyptian Mission
prcpared the architectural documentation and started on the
preservation of the monument. 3 In the course of work some trial
pits and trenches, as well as the exploration of the area north of
the basilica complcx were carried out. The excavations enabled us
to establish an archaeological context for the monument (Fig. 1).
The building of the church caused the area beneath the basilica to
be artificially raised c. 1 m above the Hellenistic and Roman strata.
Exploration of the northem area, between the church and Antinoe
street, exposed foundations of rooms and shops, presumably
opening onto the street. Part of the foundations remained intact,
other fragments were dismantled in search of building stone
(mainly limestone) and only a few sandstone blocks were left.
These blocks bearing hammered cartouches of Akhenaton were
presumably brought from Tell Amama and later reused in the
basilica complex. Our research indicated that this part of the
complex was founded in much shallower trenches than the church
itself. Presumably this part of the complex was added to an already
existing building. We consider this to be the second phase of
development of the basilica complex, slightly later than the
construction of the church. Close to the foundations of the northem
transept the remains of a well of an earlier date were found. The
well had been partly destroyed and its shaft filled in and closed up
at the time of the construction of the basilica. Exploration of the
upper part of the fill brought very interesting evidence of pottery
sherds and coins from the end of the 5 th century A.D. and this date
could be connected with the construction of the church. Another
trench located close to the northeastem comer of the basilica
complex confirmed that this part of the street portico, lying east of
the Tetrastyle, was never completed. A section through the street
3 Reports from Ashmunein, vol. 1, Warsaw 1989, vol. 2, Warsaw 1992; M.
Baranski, Preserving the Christian Basilica of El-Ashmunein, BIFAO 90, 1990, pp.
41-9.
21
prcpared the architectural documentation and started on the
preservation of the monument. 3 In the course of work some trial
pits and trenches, as well as the exploration of the area north of
the basilica complcx were carried out. The excavations enabled us
to establish an archaeological context for the monument (Fig. 1).
The building of the church caused the area beneath the basilica to
be artificially raised c. 1 m above the Hellenistic and Roman strata.
Exploration of the northem area, between the church and Antinoe
street, exposed foundations of rooms and shops, presumably
opening onto the street. Part of the foundations remained intact,
other fragments were dismantled in search of building stone
(mainly limestone) and only a few sandstone blocks were left.
These blocks bearing hammered cartouches of Akhenaton were
presumably brought from Tell Amama and later reused in the
basilica complex. Our research indicated that this part of the
complex was founded in much shallower trenches than the church
itself. Presumably this part of the complex was added to an already
existing building. We consider this to be the second phase of
development of the basilica complex, slightly later than the
construction of the church. Close to the foundations of the northem
transept the remains of a well of an earlier date were found. The
well had been partly destroyed and its shaft filled in and closed up
at the time of the construction of the basilica. Exploration of the
upper part of the fill brought very interesting evidence of pottery
sherds and coins from the end of the 5 th century A.D. and this date
could be connected with the construction of the church. Another
trench located close to the northeastem comer of the basilica
complex confirmed that this part of the street portico, lying east of
the Tetrastyle, was never completed. A section through the street
3 Reports from Ashmunein, vol. 1, Warsaw 1989, vol. 2, Warsaw 1992; M.
Baranski, Preserving the Christian Basilica of El-Ashmunein, BIFAO 90, 1990, pp.
41-9.
21