DOI issue:
Egypt
DOI article:Godlewski, Włodzimierz: Excavations 1995
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26390#0088
KOM - SITE D
This year the exploration of site D was limited to the
northern part of the 1. Building D (I.BD) and the western section
of the developed II Building D (II.DB); architectural stratigraphy
studies were continued in II.DB. During the excavation of rooms
D.22 and D.24, several parchment cards were uncovered; the texts
were Coptic with the exception of one card in both Greek and
Coptic, which was probably part of a Like the cards
found in 1993, these texts surely come from the destroyed
monastery library. The Coptic texts can be given a general date in
the 9th-10^ century. The two codex covers made stiff with a thick
layer of strongly packed papyrus sheets, most probably with earlier
texts, presumably also originate from this library. It proved
impossible to separate the sheets under held conditions.
The pottery discovered with the texts comes from the 10^-
12^ century and includes tableware, amphorae and even some
large, painted storage vessels.
Architectural research confirms the earlier hypothesis as to
the presence of two towers: I DB and II.DB on site D in the early
stages of its occupation. The first had a monolithic structure of the
lower part and was accessible on the first floor level by a
drawbridge from II.DB, where there was a staircase. The II.DB
tower was subsequently developed to the east and west; the units
spreading presumably upon two floors. The original tower was
turned into a habitation complex. The defensive character of the
northern tower (I.DB) was respected and it was left as a
freestanding building. The complete excavation of the western part
of the habitation complex is yet to be completed.
86
This year the exploration of site D was limited to the
northern part of the 1. Building D (I.BD) and the western section
of the developed II Building D (II.DB); architectural stratigraphy
studies were continued in II.DB. During the excavation of rooms
D.22 and D.24, several parchment cards were uncovered; the texts
were Coptic with the exception of one card in both Greek and
Coptic, which was probably part of a Like the cards
found in 1993, these texts surely come from the destroyed
monastery library. The Coptic texts can be given a general date in
the 9th-10^ century. The two codex covers made stiff with a thick
layer of strongly packed papyrus sheets, most probably with earlier
texts, presumably also originate from this library. It proved
impossible to separate the sheets under held conditions.
The pottery discovered with the texts comes from the 10^-
12^ century and includes tableware, amphorae and even some
large, painted storage vessels.
Architectural research confirms the earlier hypothesis as to
the presence of two towers: I DB and II.DB on site D in the early
stages of its occupation. The first had a monolithic structure of the
lower part and was accessible on the first floor level by a
drawbridge from II.DB, where there was a staircase. The II.DB
tower was subsequently developed to the east and west; the units
spreading presumably upon two floors. The original tower was
turned into a habitation complex. The defensive character of the
northern tower (I.DB) was respected and it was left as a
freestanding building. The complete excavation of the western part
of the habitation complex is yet to be completed.
86