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:: Tell el-Borg: Project Summary ::
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Three Seasons of Excavations at Tell el-Borg, North Sinai
By the Trinity International University Mission
James K. Hoffmeier, Director
1998
While conducting a geological and archaeological survey in the Qantara-Baluza region in North Sinai, Dr. Stephen Moshier (Geologist) and I were informed of the recent discovery of a new site, Tell el-Borg, but were unable to visit it.
1999
At the invitation of Dr. Mohamed Abd el-Maksoud, we visited Tell el-Borg to investigate the feasibility of excavating the site. Immediately we noticed that a canal branch had already severed the east end of the site – sherds were visible on the mounds of debris from the canal’s excavations. Roads also had been laid over the site, and trenches had been excavated for pipelines. Above all, the site had been occupied by both Israeli and Egyptian forces between 1967 and the 1980s. Their bunkers, trenches, sandbags and bricks littered the site. There were also many signs of recent robbing by local thieves.
We were able to collect a variety of potsherds and stone implements on the surface. We identified a number of examples of New Kingdom ceramics, including some “blue painted Amarna ware,” black painted Theban ware and Cypriote milk bowl. No late period wares were found, nor were any from the Greco-Roman period. Hence it was clear that this was a New Kingdom site. As a consequence of these finds, and Dr. Abd el-Maksoud’s urging, we applied for the concession to excavate, which was subsequently granted.
2000
We began surveying the site in January 2000 in order to produce a site map. During the surveying, I discovered several inscribed limestone blocks from a New Kingdom temple on the debris heap along the canal about 400 meters south of the main site. One contained a cartouche of Thut(mose), probably Thutmose III. Clearly these blocks had been churned up when the canal was excavated a few years earlier.
March-April we conducted excavations in the area where the blocks were discovered (Field I) and found around 30 blocks and fragments, several of which were inscribed. We realized that we had part of a battle scene with a chariot, and one block had a partial cartouche of Ramesses II. Field II, on the south side of the tell revealed what we believe was a temple area. Poorly preserved mud-brick walls surrounded the area, within which a large pink granite block (II, 3) weighing an estimated 4-5 tons was uncovered, but it contained no inscriptions.
We investigated a robber hole in Field II and found that it led to a series of descending steps made of reused limestone talatat (01-094). It apparently cut through late 18th Dynasty levels as a stamped jar handles with the prenomen of Smenekhkare and Tutankhamun were discovered.
Field III produced a number of tombs, including two large tombs which contained pottery (Tomb 1 pots) from the late 18th through early 19th Dynasties. The tombs had been plundered in antiquity and again within the months before our arrival.
A chance surface find by the canal bridge by Lyla Brock, Assistant Director and artist, provided the first clue about the military nature of Tell el-Borg. It was a small limestone block (TBO X 27), measuring 13.5 X 11 X 5 cm, is trapezoidal in shape, and contains three complete lines of text which read:
1. s3 c3 ’Imn, ’Imn hc nht
2. n Wsr-m3ct-rc Stp.n.rc, di cnh mi Rc dt
3. ir.n t3i-hcw, Hc.
1. The Great Company (of) Amun, “Amun appears gloriously and victorious
2. for Usimare Setepenre, given life like Re forever”
3. Made by the Weapon-bearer, Kha‘.
Subsequently, mud-brick walls were discovered on the south side of the main road that runs by Tell el-Borg. Measuring 3.8 meters wide, the wall stretched around 20 meters in length in a N-S direction, and 32 meters section which ran in a E-W direction from the wall’s corner. A moat was found along the eastern face of the E-W wall. Clearly we had discovered one of the forts along the “Ways of Horus.”
2001
Work continued in the cemetery area, revealing a large two-chambered tomb that had been completely robbed. No complete vessels were found like those in Tombs 1 and 2 from the 2000 season. However, a sherd containing pre-nomen of Amenhotep II was found in the back chamber.
Work continued in Field II where a limestone stepped structure which had been discovered the previous years was completely cleared. The steps descended into a pit lined with rough limestone blocks. It likely dates to the Ramesside period. Its function remains uncertain, but it may have been a well of some sort.
In Field III, a large, two chambered tomb (tomb4a) was discovered. A stone was set in the entrance. The area was heavily disturbed, but some human remains and small funerary objects were recovered.
Subsequently, our geology team discovered that between the tell (Field II) and across the road (Field IV) there ran an ancient branch of the Nile. This is likely a New Kingdom tributary of the Pelusiac.
More of the moat associated Wall D in Field IV was uncovered, and to our surprise, we discovered that the inner and outer walls of the moat were laid on a foundation of fired (red) bricks, nine courses high (P-TBF 01-172). Careful excavation and study of the associated pottery makes it clear that this can only be a New Kingdom, structure.
2002
Further excavations on the debris heaps from the canal excavations in Field I. We discovered nine more inscribed limestone blocks, including part of the royal titulary of Ramesses II from door posts. Part of a chariot wheel probably is a part of the chariot body discovered in 2000.
Field IV continued to be excavated and a 20 meter section of the moat was entirely cleared. It had become clear in the 2001 season that the moat did not belong to the walls discovered in 2000 (Walls C & D), but belonged to the earliest fort at the site, probably dating to the time of Thutmose III. Walls C & D belong to the second fort which we provisionally date to the late 18th Dynasty, post Amarna. We learned that in Field IV the two forts overlapped stratigraphically. The remainder of the earlier fort with the fired-brick moat (P-TBF 02-091) was constructed west of Field IV, and the second fort was laid east. In order to test this hypothesis, we excavated in Field V (P-TBF 02-111), on the other side of the irrigation canal from Field IV. There we uncovered the fortification walls, including the N-E corner. This distance between the N-E and S-W corners is 106 meters. The two other corners were destroyed when the canal was cut through the site a few years earlier. By having the two outside corners, we determined that the fort originally covered around 5600 square meters.
In Field III, excavations continued in the cemetery. A half dozen small, tombs were uncovered. One had a partially intact clay coffin in it (P-TBF 02-056). Near this tomb a stamp seal faience ring with the name of Queen Tiye was discovered, probably left behind by the robbers. Scores of coffin fragments (P-TBOX 60) have been collected and we are working to conserve and restore of these coffins for the Qantara museum.
We utilized the services of a paleo-zoologist, Dr. Michelle Loyet of the Univesity of Illinois, to study the faunal remains from Tell el-Borg. And our anthropologist, Scott Haddow of University College, London, continues to study the human remains.
Publication Plans:
1. A brief report has already appeared in Egyptian Archaeology 20 Spring 2002) pp. 18-20.
2. A full report on the first two seasons will be published in a forthcoming issue of Journal of Egyptian Archaeology. Dr. Mohamed Abd el-Maksoud is a collaborator in this article.
3. Plans are underway for the publication of a volume Tell el-Borg I. Art work and architectural drawings are already underway for this.
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