TELL EL-GHABA, NORTH SINAI: 2010 EXCAVATION SEASON
Adriana Chauvin*
Introduction
Excavations at Tell el-Ghaba. Area I (1995-1999)
Tell el-Ghaba is an archaeological site located in the north coastal plain of the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, about 15 km east of El-Qantara. It lies along a natural corridor between the Eastern Lagoon and the swamps of the Mediterranean coast. Its geographic coordinates are 30° 57’ 50” North and 32º 25’ 23” East (Figure 1).
Excavations in Area I, located in the SE part of the site, were initiated in 1995 under the direction of Eduardo Crivelli,4 who established the stratigraphy of the area, defining six occupational levels.5 In this section, we will briefly summarize those stages because Area I is strictly adjacent to the area excavated in the 2010 Season. Area VIII is the continuation of Area I and they are both arbitrarily separated by the central axis of the site in a North-South direction (Plate I).
Located in what was the eastern border of the Nile Delta, the settlement benefited from the proximity to the Pelusiac branch, which brought life to the Eastern Delta until the first centuries of our era.1 When this watercourse silted up, the landscape changed and mobile sand dunes along with desert vegetation of tamarisk and other shrubs appeared.2
Level I The first occupants of this sector of Tell el-Ghaba were fishermen, who settled on clay-sandy sediments deposited in a lacustrian or very low fluvial energy environment. A pavement formed with potsherds (L0365) was uncovered. Finds, such as domestic pottery, some lead weights for fishing nets, few faience beads and a beetle,6 suggest a domestic setting. No sound buildings were found in this Level, although there are various fireplaces (L0370, L0372 and L0373) associated with a stratum (L0369) composed entirely by fish remains.7
However, since the launch of the Al-Salaam Canal (Peace Canal), an irrigation project carried out by the government of Egypt in the last decade of the Twentieth century, the landscape has undergone significant changes. Interestingly, the Peace Canal has restored the region with, at least, part of its Delta features. Currently, the surrounding area of Tell el-Ghaba is devoted to the production of horticultural crops, mango tree plantations and cattle grazing activities. From an anthropological point of view, this change has significantly altered the mobility circuits of the Bedouin groups occupying the territory between El-Qantara and El Arish and, unlike what happened ten years ago, those circuits are now visible in the landscape. In terms of preservation, the proximity of nomadic groups and undoubtedly of peasants has definitely damaged the area, since the site is now much more exposed to clandestine operations than before.
Level II Building A and Structure G signal the second occupational stage of Area I. Building A was an ephemeral construction of rectangular layout, NNE-SSW oriented; only the foundation trenches of this building were preserved (L0101, L0102 = L0353, L0319P).8 In the fill (L0356) of the southern trench, seventeen tubular pieces of pottery (which may have been looms or net weights), two ceramic jugs and a pumice stone sharpener were found.9 At a 1.5 m distance to the SE was the access doorway, recognizable by the fitting and top of a door socket, both made of limestone and in usage position.
Chronologically, Tell el- Ghaba has been occupied from the Third Intermediate Period to the beginning of the early Saite Period. The typological ceramic allocation was the main chronological indicator.3
The construction had at least two rooms and the presence of various fireplaces in several points of the floor suggests 4. Initially, a surface survey was conducted, establishing a 5 x 5 m unit grid oriented to the magnetic north. In successive seasons other areas were excavated, designating the layers with Roman numerals. 5. Crivelli, this volume; Crivelli 2005: 50. 6. For net weights see Kohen, Cione 2006: 137-148. 7. Crivelli 2005: 50-51; Crivelli, Kohen, Chauvin 2002: 834. 8. Crivelli, this volume; 2005: 54. 9. Kohen 2006: 113-132; Crivelli, Kohen, Lupo 2012: 205-219.
* Museo de Prehistoria y Arqueología de Cantabria (Spain). adriana.
[email protected]. 1. Stanley, Bernasconi, Jorstad 2008: 451-462. 2. Crivelli 2005: 50-377; 2006: 11-31; Crivelli, Kohen, Chauvin 2002: 833-842; Pereyra, Zingarelli 2002: 853-863. 3. Fuscaldo 2005: 8-9; Silvia Lupo, in this volume.
95
chauvin2.indd 95
28/06/15 21:47
Tell el-Ghaba III
Figure 1. Location Map of Tell el-Ghaba, in the Eastern Delta. To the right, Tell el-Ghaba and nearby archaeological sites (modified from Valbelle et al 1992: fig. 1)
96
chauvin2.indd 96
28/06/15 21:47
Adriana Chauvin: Tell el-Ghaba, North Sinai: 2010 Excavation Season
Figure 2. View of Area VIII (NE direction). Foreground:The five grids opened during the 2010 Season; background: the two grids excavated in Area VIII in 1999 and Area I. The stake on the right indicates the division between the areas; to the E, Area I and, to the W, Area VIII (Argentine Archaeological Mission Archive)
that the areas of activity changed over time. It is worth noting that fishing continued to be extremely important and that this was a season-conditioned activity.10 Building A was destroyed by a fire as suggested by the oxidisation observed on the floor (L0040) and in the trench fills. Subcircular imprints of approximately 1 cm diameter noticed in the oxidisation of the fill indicate that the walls were made of upright reeds or rushes, as those currently found in Bedouin constructions.
Building A.13 It measures about 15 x 10 m and has seven rooms, one of which was a magazine (L0084) where storage vessels were found.14 It has an external sedimentary area of mudbricks and it is associated with two houseware ovens. At a certain stage, the building was refurbished, as suggested by the reconstruction of some walls.15 Level V Following the destruction of Building B, industrial installations were erected in Area I as the presence of drainage channels used for the discharge of slag and fused material seem to indicate.16 Other structures found in this level may be associated with domestic activities.
Structure G (L0275) is formed by a sub-circular floor surrounded by concentric trenches and various pits, some of which seem to have been used to contain vessels. Building A and Structure G are considered contemporaneous.11
After the multiplication of workshop installations, an important functional transformation seems to have taken place in Area I. Deep trenches or ditches were dug cutting across walls, structures and undifferentiated fills. As many of them crisscross at right angles and no bricks were found, it is possible that they were part of flimsy structures.
Level III This third stage is characterized by the burning and abandonment of Building A as indicated by the abovementioned oxidisation of the fill and by a carbonous and laminated layer (L0289) that includes sherds in angular position (L0289). Human frequentation, if any, was scarce.12
Level VI Most part of the site is sealed by a final layer of variable thickness that settles on an unconformity on the underlying
Level IV Building B was a mudbrick construction without foundations erected above L0289 (Level III) that covered
13. Crivelli, this volume; 2005: 80. 14. Crivelli, this volume; 2005: 85. 15. Crivelli, this volume; 2005: 85-86; Crivelli, Kohen, Chauvin 2002: 835-836. 16. Crivelli, this volume; 2005: 130-131.
10. Van Neer 1994:17-25. 11. Crivelli, this volume; 2005: 53-79; Crivelli, Kohen, Chauvin 2002: 834. 12. Crivelli, this volume; 2005: 80-84; Crivelli, Kohen, Chauvin 2002: 834.
97
chauvin2.indd 97
28/06/15 21:47
Tell el-Ghaba III
Figure 3. Harris Matrix of Area VIII. Simplified version including only the strata mentioned in this study
The stratigraphy of Area VIII
level. For the most part, it shows a contact zone of strong oxidisation, suggesting a burning. This layer (L0001) of strongly carbonous sediment is highly rich in finds.17
Based on Harris method,21 every single stratum was given a unique number to define relationships that would later allow us to link the excavated areas. The only case in which a number already assigned was used was that of L0001 because it is a widely recognized and excavated stratum. To enable a better understanding of the stratigraphy of the area, we have produced a simplified version of Harris Matrix (Figure 3) that includes the strata mentioned above.
New excavations (2010) The excavation of Area VIII (Plate I) was conducted in April 2010. As the stratigraphy had already been documented, an extensive excavation work was prioritized in order to elucidate the full extension of the industrial sector discovered in Area I (see above) and to confirm the existence of Building K, detected in the geophysical survey of 1999.18
The destruction of the site Below the surface sediment of clean sand is L0001, extensively characterized in previous works as well as in this one.22
According to Harris method, five unit grids of 5 x 5 m each were excavated, leaving a baulk of 0.50 m on all four sides (Figure 2) to document the stratigraphy.19
In Area VIII, L0001 maintains all its characteristics. It is a highly organic stratum, rich in salt. In some areas, it shows signs of severe burning (the discordant contact with the underlying level is often oxidised). The most distinguishing feature in this part of the site is that this level is not as thick as in other areas, and that it tends to become thinner when moving towards the west, becoming virtually nonexistent in square AX/40.
Unlike excavations in Area I, excavations in Area VIII did not reach the bottom of the stratigraphy. Thus, the levels will be described according to the order in which the layers were uncovered, i.e. from top to bottom, from the most modern to the oldest level. For consistency, the stratigraphic studies carried out in 1999 on AZ/41 and AZ/42 will be included here as these two squares were part of Area VIII and corresponded to the work performed in the last days of the 1999 Excavation Season. During the 2010 Excavation Season, 72 m2 were opened, identifying the conflagration and abandonment levels of the site (Level VI) as well as the occupations of an industrial sector (Level V) and those defined by the retrieval of a new mudbrick construction: Building K (Level IV).20
This stratum was interpreted as a level of violent destruction of the site; although it should be pointed out that there is some evidence of subsequent activities, as documented by the remains of small fireplaces mostly used for cooking. In general, fish remains are abundant in this area. In addition to a large number of potsherds, the retrieval of a wdjat in faience is worth mentioning.
17. Crivelli, this volume; 2005: 144; 2006: 21; Crivelli, Kohen, Chauvin 2002: 835-836. 18. Trench 2006: 15-16. 19. Harris 1991. 20. Trench 2006: 15-16.
21. 1991. 22. Crivelli 2005: 144; 2006: 21; Crivelli, Kohen, Chauvin 2002: 835-836.
98
chauvin2.indd 98
28/06/15 21:47
Adriana Chauvin: Tell el-Ghaba, North Sinai: 2010 Excavation Season
Figure 4. L0395 structure: rim of the ceramic vessel contained in the oven. Square AY/42; Figure 5. Archaeologist Eva Calomino cautiously digging L0395 structure. Square AY/42 , (Argentine Archaeological Mission Archive)
The last occupational levels at Tell el-Ghaba
with sherds.
Just below L0001 lies L0397, a sandy clay level cut by a system of small channels (L0398). The material associated with this level includes several combustion structures, traces of well-defined oxidisation and a circular pit that could have been a post hole – hypothesis to be tested as no specific content or architectural element suggesting that purpose was found. The most relevant structure encountered in this level is L0395 (Figures 4 and 5), an oven with a layer of hardened clay that gave rise to a huge vessel that later collapsed, pouring its ashes forward. Consequently, it was documented in the southern section. It is approximately 120 x 90 cm. The contents are not clear to the naked eye and they surely deserve a more detailed analysis. Fish remains, potsherds from large vessels and mudbrick fragments were recovered. Because of its size, the oven seems to have been suitable for other than domestic purposes though no slag was found. Further analyses of the sediments contained in the oven will provide a better understanding.23
Figure 6. One of the limestone vessels that configures context L0381, excavated in the 1999 Season. Inside, the base of another ceramic vessel can be seen. Square AZ/41 (Argentine Archaeological Mission Archive)
Another structure worth mentioning is the channel system (L0398) linked to combustion structures. We want to lay emphasis on the fact that one channel is not connected to the others, at least in theory, and that it was numbered separately (L0406) for two reasons: 1) it does not seem to be associated with the other channels and, 2) it has a straight and constant width of about 22 cm, it ends abruptly and is filled by an entirely oxidised sediment. Another characteristic of the channel is that it goes into section S (Figure 7), reminding us of the ditches that gave rise to the foundation trench of Building A found in older levels.24 If confirmed, then a letter, as in the case of the other buildings, should be assigned. At the moment, we prefer keeping it at a hypothesis stage. It is very likely that domestic structures will appear in this level because of the so many structural features found, such as ovens, along with limestone vessels and sets of ceramic vessels.
Structures L0402 and L0404 are associated with the oven (L0395). They are two circular pits of about 4850 cm in diameter with walls covered with a clay layer hardened by heating. They may be interpreted as emptied storage structures or even drainage disposal structures. Inside the oven, a layer of fine ash, domestic potsherds and fish remains were documented. The base is made of hardened clay locally known as muna, which appears in archaeological sites and is often associated with fireplaces or holding elements of medium to large vessels. Another outstanding feature of this level is the occurrence of large ceramic and limestone vessels. L0381 consists of a set of limestone vessels. One of them contains the base of a ceramic vessel (Figure 6) while the other is a deep vessel with consolidated sediment formed by salt. An interesting detail is that they were both in usage position and levelled
24. Crivelli 2005: 54; 2006: 17-19; Crivelli, Kohen, Chauvin 2002: 834835.
23. Chauvin 2010: 189.
99
chauvin2.indd 99
28/06/15 21:47
Tell el-Ghaba III
Figure 7. L0406 still containing oxidization imprints of the fill and L0398, the set of channels, already emptied. Square AY/41 (Argentine Archaeological Mission Archive)
Below L0397, a widely extended stratum (L0431) was encountered. However, we were unable to define how wide it is, as we only dug down deep in squares AX/40 and AX/41. This new level is very clayey and contains some mudbricks or fragments thereof, chaotically distributed. It was interpreted as a level of decay of the walls of Building K. Because of its very own nature, this level is not very rich in objects, although a wdjat in faience (Figure 8) was found. Another good deal of features, such as domestic hearths and sets of vessels are associated with this level, although these structures seem flimsier than those discussed above and belong to a later period in time (remember that we are moving from the most modern to the oldest structures). Building K Figure 8. Wdjat in faience found in L0431
As we move westward, in squares AX, the levels become compacted. Immediately below L0001, levels linked to mudbricks either from destruction strata, including fragmented bricks (L0431), or from true walls were found. Due to lack of time the floor of the room was not uncovered. However, it seems clear that we have located Building K, which, as mentioned above, had been detected during the geomagnetic survey.25
The walls have a double course of mudbricks laid mostly as headers, except for one wall where the bricks have been laid as stretchers. Three rows are preserved and no floor has been detected. The average size is 20 x 40 x 7 cm. The L0410 wall may still preserve part of the foundation, as the innermost course is somewhat wider (Figures 9 and 10).
25. Trench 2006.
100
chauvin2.indd 100
28/06/15 21:47
Adriana Chauvin: Tell el-Ghaba, North Sinai: 2010 Excavation Season
Figure 9. Square AX/40. Walls and hearths can be observed (Argentine Archaeological Mission Archive)
Figure 10. Square AX/40. Detail of the L0439 wall (Argentine Archaeological Mission Archive)
101
chauvin2.indd 101
28/06/15 21:47
Figure 11. Current Bedouin camp, located approximately 500 m to the east of Tell el-Ghaba. Rectangular buildings made of reeds (Photo Eduardo Crivelli)
The walls are associated with, at least, one oven, L0434 (Figure 10). Despite not being excavated yet, the oven has some distinguishing characteristics: it is very big, it has a protective wall and it has been associated with a piece of deformed vessel, probably because it had been inadequately placed on the oven. All this signals the hypothesis that the oven has been used to fire pottery.
another. Dwelling constructions seem to have been erected with perishable materials, as it is currently documented in the Bedouin camps (Figures 11and 12).
Conclusions All in all, we have confirmed the presence of mudbrick Building K that seems to have been contemporary to Building B in Area I. Just as in that case, Building K has at least one associated oven that may have been used to fire pottery. When Building K collapsed, this part of the site was only used occasionally, mainly to carry out season conditioned activities, probably associated with fishing. The presence of domestic pottery, remains of fish consumption and hearths signal this hypothesis. Figure 12. Recently abandoned Bedouin camp, located approximately 200 m north of Tell el-Ghaba. The fitting of the door has been abandoned, probably to be recovered in subsequent camp reoccupations. It is similar to the fitting associated with the access doorway of Building A (Area I), with its walls made of reeds (Photo Eduardo Crivelli)
Later, although there is not enough evidence to assert how much time later, the use of Building K became more systematic as proved by the construction of real combustion structures and, probably, of storage ones, such as vessels fixed with muna or potsherds on to the floor in pits, and of channels that connected these structures to one 102
chauvin2.indd 102
28/06/15 21:47
Adriana Chauvin: Tell el-Ghaba, North Sinai: 2010 Excavation Season Acknowledgements
Finally, the violent episode (L0001) described above put an end to the history of Tell el-Ghaba. However, we must lay emphasis on the fact that the place continued to be visited, probably sporadically, as proved by the many structures, such as the relatively prepared hearths found above L0001.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Egyptian authorities, Mohammed Abd el-Samie, Director of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of the North Sinai Area and Mr. Ahmed Abd-ellatif, Inspector of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt. Their kindness and concern greatly facilitated our work. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to all members of the Argentine Archaeological Mission, especially to its director, Silvia Lupo and to Claudia Kohen for their invaluable support and critical reading of this manuscript. A special mention goes to archaeologists Eva Calomino and Agustina Scaro for their joyful mood and good work. Also, to the Egyptian workers, mostly Bedouins, for their hard work in the field and valuable contribution to the recovery of archaeological materials, work always done with professionalism and joy. To all of them, my warmest thanks.
Final note: The Geophysical Survey During the 2010 Excavation Season, a comprehensive magnetic survey of the site was conducted under the direction of Tomasz Herbich (Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology, Polish Academy of Sciences). The surveyed area covered an area of 65,600 m2. The results of this study facilitated the location of new buildings and documentation of the approximate boundaries of the site. Such results are available in this work.26
26. Herbich 2010, this volume.
103
chauvin2.indd 103
28/06/15 21:47
chauvin2.indd 104
28/06/15 21:47
