DOI article:
Majcherek, Grzegorz: Alexandria 1994: archaeological excavations
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26424#0015
two separate houses were cleared (/ocf 1 and 2 were excavated
already in 1973). Of particular interest is house A, occupying the
eastern part of the trench (Fig.l). The entire available surface of
a large /oc.3 was cleared, the rest having been destroyed by the
wall of the theatre. The room measuring originally some 6 x 6 m,
seemed to be the principal, sumptuously decorated chamber of the
house. It was accessible from the north through a tripartite entrance
formed by two columns and framed with large pilasters. The
interior decoration comprised pairs of engaged columns placed
along the walls and similar double engaged columns (Harzsaulen)
posted in the corners opposite the entrance, giving an overall
impression of a pseudo-peristyle arrangement. Several,
fragmentary preserved capitals, cornices and architraves permitted
a reliable theoretical reconstruction of the hall. The style of
decoration indicates that the hall and supposedly the whole edifice
was built at the end of the 1st century B.C. or the beginning of the
1st century A.D. at the latest.
The floor of the hall was decorated with a mosaic-like
pavement. The central part was made of multicolored marble tiles
arranged in a geometrical design: a combination of squares,
triangles and lozenges. Ample space along the walls was paved
with smaller irregular pieces of stones in typical
This gave the general effect of a T-shaped floor design, suggesting
a rather than occMV or perhaps a combination of both.
The opened on a courtyard which has not been
fully excavated yet. Again, it was paved in the opMJ
technique save for a small area in front of the entrance, which was
made of larger marble tiles set in geometrical pattern. Next to the
western wall of the courtyard a small rectangular pedestal of reused
blocks was unearthed. It apparently served religious purposes as
evidenced by several <zx-w/A<?.y found nearby: a finely sculptured
marble hand, a foot imprint carved in a limestone slab as well as
a small but accurate model of a shrine or temple. Below the
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already in 1973). Of particular interest is house A, occupying the
eastern part of the trench (Fig.l). The entire available surface of
a large /oc.3 was cleared, the rest having been destroyed by the
wall of the theatre. The room measuring originally some 6 x 6 m,
seemed to be the principal, sumptuously decorated chamber of the
house. It was accessible from the north through a tripartite entrance
formed by two columns and framed with large pilasters. The
interior decoration comprised pairs of engaged columns placed
along the walls and similar double engaged columns (Harzsaulen)
posted in the corners opposite the entrance, giving an overall
impression of a pseudo-peristyle arrangement. Several,
fragmentary preserved capitals, cornices and architraves permitted
a reliable theoretical reconstruction of the hall. The style of
decoration indicates that the hall and supposedly the whole edifice
was built at the end of the 1st century B.C. or the beginning of the
1st century A.D. at the latest.
The floor of the hall was decorated with a mosaic-like
pavement. The central part was made of multicolored marble tiles
arranged in a geometrical design: a combination of squares,
triangles and lozenges. Ample space along the walls was paved
with smaller irregular pieces of stones in typical
This gave the general effect of a T-shaped floor design, suggesting
a rather than occMV or perhaps a combination of both.
The opened on a courtyard which has not been
fully excavated yet. Again, it was paved in the opMJ
technique save for a small area in front of the entrance, which was
made of larger marble tiles set in geometrical pattern. Next to the
western wall of the courtyard a small rectangular pedestal of reused
blocks was unearthed. It apparently served religious purposes as
evidenced by several <zx-w/A<?.y found nearby: a finely sculptured
marble hand, a foot imprint carved in a limestone slab as well as
a small but accurate model of a shrine or temple. Below the
13