The sixth season of work at Tell el-Borg was conducted between 12 March and 20 April, 2006. The project operated in cooperation with the North Sinai Inspectorate, Dr. Mohamad Abdul Sammie, director, and Mr. Ramadan Helmy being our inspector. We enjoyed living and working at the Sinai Archaeological Centre at Qantara Sharq, Mr. Rifaat Gindy director. Without the assistance and help of these officials of the Supreme Council for Antiquities, we would not have been able to complete our work. Furthermore, this project is sponsored by the American Research Center in Egypt, whose support was greatly appreciated. The work was divided into four areas this season: Magnetometer Survey, Excavations, Recording and Conservation.


Magnetometer Survey
    The MAGNETOMETER SURVEY was conducted by Dr. Tomasz Herbich of the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Archaeology in Warsaw. Three months are required to process the data from the survey. Presently we only have preliminary results. Therefore we shall give details on these results final report.

Excavations
    Excavations took place primarily in Field V, area 1 -- the area east of the canal where the Ramesside Period fort was located. During the 2004 and 2005 seasons we uncovered the remains of the destroyed gate area. Work continued here in an effort to complete clearance of the destruction debris. Hundreds of fragments of granite and limestone were recovered, and evidence of intentional destruction and burning were documented. A good number of inscribed pieces were recovered, although considerable matching and study is required. Excavations and magnetometer survey did not yield any signs of the moat in front of the fort that would have adjoined the gate.
    Work continued in Field V, area 2 where in 2005 we discovered the remains of the moat that was a part of the defense system of this fort. It measured 6.4 meters wide at the top and exceeded 2.5 meters in depth. A total of 17 meters of the moat were uncovered last year. We thought that as much as 40 additional meters remained to be cleared before reaching the area of the canal. We were disappointed to discover that only 7 meters survived in a westerly direction and NO TRACE was found east of the starting point opened in 2005. It appears that for reasons that remain unclear that the moat was simply never completed, although there was evidence in the area west of the point were the constructed moat ended that the trench for the moat had been dug, but had not been lined with stone and mud-brick. From the stone foundations of the mud-brick moat a number of inscribed objects were uncovered. A SMALL STELA dedicated to the Asiatic gods Resheph and Astarte was among the blocks.
    During the course of clearance of the moat in 2005, a group of animal burials were uncovered in the moat. As it was late in the season, it was decided to wait until the present season to excavate them with the supervision of an osteological expert. DR. SALIMA IKRAM of the American University in Cairo supervised this excavation (March 26-27th). An additional equid was discovered this season, bringing the total to four. She preliminarily believes that two are horses and two are donkeys. No burial objects were found in association with the skeletons. The animals were unceremoniously tossed into the moat.
    We returned to Field VI, area 2 to complete clearance of what we thought has an ancient garbage pit associated with the residential area. This pit had produced considerable amounts of pottery and several stamp seals and stamped jar handles. Interpreting this feature was difficult as there was evidence that a pit had been dug during the military occupation of the site in recent history. This season it became clear from the presence of a number of in situ bricks that a TOMB had been the original structure. It probably dates to the early 18th Dynasty as at a later date a pit was cut into it and used for garbage. This point contained hundreds of sherds and other objects that could be dated to the late 18th and early 19th Dynasties.
    In an effort to see the back (western) walls of moat of the Ramesside fort had survived (west of the canal), some clearance took place in Field IV. In the course of this work, a small cache of GOLD OBJECTS was discovered. Two large pieces of a bowl, and a number of smaller pieces were found, along with three earrings. In all 34, mostly small, pieces were recovered.

Recording
    Photography and drawing of objects were continued this season. We continued entering data in our INFRA data-base.

Conservation
    Conservation of limestone objects continued. Inscribed blocks were desalinized in water until safe levels of salt was achieved. Efforts were made to match inscribed limestone and granite pieces. Pottery vessels were treated likewise. Assembling reconstructable POTTERY and CLAY COFFINS also occupied the energies of our staff.

James K. Hoffmeier- Project Director  

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