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#0024
clearly showed a foundation trench filled with debris and pottery
sherds and deposits connected with the construction of a water
channel which ran along the street and was built after the
completion of the Tetrastyle.
The excavations also brought to light evidence concerning
Hellenistic strata. The Alexandria University excavations exposed
a fragment of the foundations of a big building and remains of two
stoas constructed on either end. During the present research, in a
trench dug at the crossing of the basilica’s nave and transept, the
third corner of this big building was found. This discovery enabled
us to prepare a theoretical reconstruction of the original plan of
this Hellenistic building. Further research under the northem part
of thc church revealed remnants of two small altars which formed,
together with two Doric stoas and a gate, part of an architectural
complex of Hellenistic date. Excavations revealed as well the
remains of mudbrick structures of unknown purpose.
Thc survey of basilica remains brought to light an inscription
of Nectancbo II, presumably from a granite naos from the Toth
temple 4, and evidcnce of two other Ptolemaic buildings: a temple
devoted to the royal cult of Ptolemy III and a building constructed
by Ptoiemy VII and later adapted by Claudius. Both constructions
were dismantled in the Christian era. The lower part of a Hathoric
capital found during present excavations presumably came from
one of these buildings. These discoveries enlarged the list of
Hellenistic constructions known from Hermopolis Magna. It is
difficult to say whether these remains belonged to constructions
erected on the site or were they transported from other places, but
the first possibility seems more likely, since earlier structures on
the site had to be demolished before the basilica could be built
here.
4 Z. Szafrariski, A. Makramallach, A new Inscription of Nectanebo II from
Ashmunein, CM 112, 1989, pp. 65-6.
22
sherds and deposits connected with the construction of a water
channel which ran along the street and was built after the
completion of the Tetrastyle.
The excavations also brought to light evidence concerning
Hellenistic strata. The Alexandria University excavations exposed
a fragment of the foundations of a big building and remains of two
stoas constructed on either end. During the present research, in a
trench dug at the crossing of the basilica’s nave and transept, the
third corner of this big building was found. This discovery enabled
us to prepare a theoretical reconstruction of the original plan of
this Hellenistic building. Further research under the northem part
of thc church revealed remnants of two small altars which formed,
together with two Doric stoas and a gate, part of an architectural
complex of Hellenistic date. Excavations revealed as well the
remains of mudbrick structures of unknown purpose.
Thc survey of basilica remains brought to light an inscription
of Nectancbo II, presumably from a granite naos from the Toth
temple 4, and evidcnce of two other Ptolemaic buildings: a temple
devoted to the royal cult of Ptolemy III and a building constructed
by Ptoiemy VII and later adapted by Claudius. Both constructions
were dismantled in the Christian era. The lower part of a Hathoric
capital found during present excavations presumably came from
one of these buildings. These discoveries enlarged the list of
Hellenistic constructions known from Hermopolis Magna. It is
difficult to say whether these remains belonged to constructions
erected on the site or were they transported from other places, but
the first possibility seems more likely, since earlier structures on
the site had to be demolished before the basilica could be built
here.
4 Z. Szafrariski, A. Makramallach, A new Inscription of Nectanebo II from
Ashmunein, CM 112, 1989, pp. 65-6.
22