Tenth International Congress of Egyptologists Abstracts of Papers

XICE – Abstract of Papers
divided into the western and eastern sectors, where Buildings C, D, L and M were
located. Building C lies in the western sector and is almost square-shaped, forming
casemates. Surveys of the casemates indicate the absence of floors and what remains
constitutes the basement of such structure. The lower levels of this building reveal the
existence of a possible foundation deposit where locally made and imported pottery
and a baboon statuette and a flutist’s head were retrieved, both of faience. The
Egyptian pottery comprising numerous bowls, storage jars, juglets and bakery trays
are manufactured in Nile clay, Marl A4 and Marl F. The imported pottery is
represented by vessels from the Levant, Cyprus and the Aegean.
In the eastern sector, the lower levels are represented by sand and coal layered
stratum on top of which lies Building M. This was considered the earliest occupation
level of this sector and is still not completely excavated. A foundation deposit was
also detected here, where three fired clay doughnut-shaped loom-weights similar to
those from Building A in Area I, as well as some Egyptian vessels and a Levantine
amphora were retrieved. The Egyptian pottery of this structure included bowls, jars
and storage jars in Nile clay and Marl F, whereas the imported pottery only consisted
of amphorae sherds from the Levant and Cyprus. Building L, made up of five rooms,
was built on top of it, and is considered the second occupation level of this sector
whose excavation is still incomplete. Building L was reached through the excavations
of the casemates of Building D constructed over it. In this sector, the third occupation
level is represented by a clayish sediment especially composed of mud bricks
fragments covering the floors of Rooms L-4 and L-5, which shows the abandonment
of this part of the Building L. Room 5 had possibly served as storage place, since a
group of big storage jars made of local clay were found here. Various vessels such as
bowls, jars, storage jars and bakery trays in Nile clay and vessels in Marl A4 and Marl
F were unearthed from all these rooms. The imported pottery consisted of bowls,
juglets and amphorae from the Levant, Cyprus and the Aegean. Later on, this part of
the building became an activity area where hearths appeared to be associated with
numerous ceramic sherds. Building D, with casemated rooms, and corresponding to
the fourth occupation level was subsequently erected on this sector. Several studies of
these casemates revealed that they constituted the building foundation, that there was
an absence of floors and resulted in the unearthing of Building L, described above.
The study of the pottery allows us to answer questions related to chronology,
function, distribution, production, and social and political organization as well as
provides important information on the technical aspects of its manufacturing and
decorative patterns. It also contributes to the knowledge of the management of
resources and uses of the space and it also enables us to infer what kind of exchange
relationships existed with other areas. The ceramic material from Area II does not
differ from that retrieved from the buildings located in Area I. Fabric, morphology
and designs do not suffer important changes from bottom to top layers. The great
quantity of Egyptian pottery, especially storage jars, lids, bakery trays and bowls, and
the minor presence of imported pottery in comparison with Area I of Tell el-Ghaba,
point to a different function of these buildings especially Building L, where a deposit
of vessels was found. Tell el-Ghaba was located by the Egyptian state and included
deposits of state supplies and those products locally produced. Area II seems to
accomplish the storage function for people living contemporaneously in Building B in
Area I.
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