DOI Artikel:
Dobrowolski, Jarosław: Polish-Egyptian restoration project at Marina/el-Alamein in 1991
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26426#0043
a single family. They were discovered in 1987 and explored in this
and subsequent seasons. 4 The demands of an envisaged restoration
were kept in mind all through the exploration.
Tomb TIB was dated to the beginning of the 1 st century A.
D, TIC appears to be at least one generation later. Tomb TIB was
built over an oblong rock-hewn pit covered with roughly cut stone
slabs (Fig. 2, 1B.LS1). The pit contained the earliest burial in this
grave. The tomb built over it comprised two chambers. The
northem one (1B.LN) containing a corpse, laid originally inside a
wooden casket in a shallow rock-cut pit was definitely closed by
the time of construction . The southem chamber (1B.LS), where
other bodies were later deposited, had a side opening closed with
a stone slab. (This pattem was rather typical for the necropolis of
Marina el-Alamein: five similar double or tripartite tombs have
already been located, in all cases the earliest burial was set in a
chamber closed by the time of construction.) The lower part of this
tomb, containing the chambers, formed a stepped base supporting
a huge pillar approximately 4.5 m high. The pillar was decorated
with comer pilasters. 5 The capitals were of much simplified form,
typical of the site (cf. Fig. 2). They supported a simplified
entablature featuring an elaborate comice. The pillar was topped
with a two-stepped pedestal, most probably originally surmounted
with a statue. Of this, alas, no traces remain. 6
4 W. A. Daszewski et al., Excavations at Marina el-Alamein 1987-88,
MDAIK 46, 1990, p. 15-51; id„ Marina 1990, PAMII, 1989-90, (1991), pp. 31-
7.
5 The shape of this tomb was not exceptional: very similar blocks were
found reused in walls of side rooms of mausoleum S6 in the westem part of the
cemetery.
6 Many sculptures and fragments were found nearby (cf. Daszewski 1990,
Pl. 14), but they cannot be ascribed to particular tombs. In the ruins of nearby
houses some fragments of bronze statues were found by the Egyptian mission.
41
and subsequent seasons. 4 The demands of an envisaged restoration
were kept in mind all through the exploration.
Tomb TIB was dated to the beginning of the 1 st century A.
D, TIC appears to be at least one generation later. Tomb TIB was
built over an oblong rock-hewn pit covered with roughly cut stone
slabs (Fig. 2, 1B.LS1). The pit contained the earliest burial in this
grave. The tomb built over it comprised two chambers. The
northem one (1B.LN) containing a corpse, laid originally inside a
wooden casket in a shallow rock-cut pit was definitely closed by
the time of construction . The southem chamber (1B.LS), where
other bodies were later deposited, had a side opening closed with
a stone slab. (This pattem was rather typical for the necropolis of
Marina el-Alamein: five similar double or tripartite tombs have
already been located, in all cases the earliest burial was set in a
chamber closed by the time of construction.) The lower part of this
tomb, containing the chambers, formed a stepped base supporting
a huge pillar approximately 4.5 m high. The pillar was decorated
with comer pilasters. 5 The capitals were of much simplified form,
typical of the site (cf. Fig. 2). They supported a simplified
entablature featuring an elaborate comice. The pillar was topped
with a two-stepped pedestal, most probably originally surmounted
with a statue. Of this, alas, no traces remain. 6
4 W. A. Daszewski et al., Excavations at Marina el-Alamein 1987-88,
MDAIK 46, 1990, p. 15-51; id„ Marina 1990, PAMII, 1989-90, (1991), pp. 31-
7.
5 The shape of this tomb was not exceptional: very similar blocks were
found reused in walls of side rooms of mausoleum S6 in the westem part of the
cemetery.
6 Many sculptures and fragments were found nearby (cf. Daszewski 1990,
Pl. 14), but they cannot be ascribed to particular tombs. In the ruins of nearby
houses some fragments of bronze statues were found by the Egyptian mission.
41