[Centre for Egyptological Studies of the RAS]

Archaeology

Deir el-Banat

Report on the second season of archaeological
and anthropological survey at Dair El-Banat

From the 9th till 23rd of November 2003 The Centre for Egyptological Studies of RAS along with the Institute for Bioarchaeology conducted the second season archaeological and anthropological survey at the site Dair al-Banât (Fayoum).

Members of the mission:

Dr. Galina A. Belova – Director;
Dr. Alexei A. Krol – second field director;
Mrs. Rania Ahmed el-Said – inspector of SCA;
Dr. Svetlana B. Boruzkaya – physical anthropology;
Mr. Sergei V. Ivanov – archaeology;
Mr. Andrei M. Maurer – photography;
Mr. Ibrahim Ragab Ahmed – inspector of SCA;
Mr. Ashraf Senussi – pottery analysis;
Dr., Prof. Sergei V. Vassiliev – physical anthropology;
Dr. Roxie Walker – X-ray of mummies kept in Kom Aushim museum.

For this season we had four aims: 1) continuation of anthological analysis of human remains coming from the southern necropolis; 2) pottery analysis; 3) study of the material collected by Egyptian archaeologists in 1995; 4) x-raying of three mummies found at Deir el-Banat and nowadays kept in the Kom Aushim Museum.

Anthropological survey

During the season 157 sculls or their fragments, 3 collar-bones, 3 scapulae, 19 humerus, 13 ulnae, 9 radii, 7 sacrum, 9 pelvic-bones, 35 femurs and 18 shin-bones were studied. The bones belonged to individuals of the both genders. The bones of post-cranial skeleton, with the exception of two thighbones, belonged to the adults of 18–55. No bones post-cranial skeletons, which would belong to the juveniles or the aged, were revealed.

Facial reconstruction of a young man of 16–18 years old

The average age within the group (lifetime) amounts to 25,1; the percentage of infantile mortality is 12, 1%; the percentage correlation of male and female population is 43,5% to 56,5%. The increased mortality within a group can be marked in the intervals between 20-25, 25-30 and 35–40 years. The studied material didn't contain sculls of the new-borns and the juveniles of the first two years of life; besides sculls and remains of the aged people are not represented in the sampling.

The study of sculls' pathologies leads to the following results: there were noted frequent cases of paradantosis in different age. It is often entailed with loss of teeth and even with reduction of alveolar appendix. The cases of porosis of hard plate and the upper wall of eye-socket (Cribra orbitalia) are also often; two individuals suffered from affection of the cavities of lachrymal gland in both eye-sockets. Most likely that the population buried in this cemetery suffered from inflammation of middle ear, porosis of the tympanum part of temporal and around external acoustic duct is evident at a large number of sculls. In one case, fistulae of external acoustic duct were revealed. There is one case of enamel hypoplasia (as a sign of malnutrition), one case of probable cyst of upper jaw with perforation to maxillary sinus, several cases of osteomata on different cranial bones, several cases of caries. The scull of one individual (female) is marked with an oval dent on the right parietal bone; no signs of inflammation is found. Finally, one male scull of 40-45 years, is marked with a perforation on the left parietal bone, which is, in our opinion, the result of trepanation of the skull. The same scull has an unusual tympanum part of the temporal that twisted outside and sags parallel to the mastoid.

Thus it is possible to say that the population of this part of Fayoum suffered from anemia, inflammation of ear, dental deceases and paradantosis. These sicknesses might result of lack of certain elements in diet (iron, iodine, etc.); and probably of strong winds, which effected ears. Other deceases are also possible.

On post-cranial skeletons, the following pathologies were found: almost total liability to osteoporosis of differently aged individuals; the extent of porosis is variable. There were only a few bones, which were not affected by this disease. The degree of porosis affection augments with age, that is natural process. But the endemics of the disease leads to the conclusion about the lack of calcium in diet, or insufficiency of thyroid gland resulting from shortage of iodide in water or food. Probably, there were other reasons of the decease.

There are several cases of weak periostitis (mostly of femurs); one case of strange strong osteolisis in the form of a big round hole at the back side of scapula (it is possible that we deal with a deformation being a result of some kind pressure on this part of the bone, which took place in childhood); one case of growth of ulna (with a small periostitis); one case of growth of femur (entailed with a strong periostitis); the shape of one femur indicates that the individual suffered from child rachitis; one case of grinding of the area above patella.

In general we would like to notice that the studied population has a few pathologies. The muscular relief of hands is developed normally. The muscular relief of legs pointed out on the high importance of the walking at the process of economical activity.

Pottery analysis

During the second season of the (RIEC) to Deir El-Banat the pottery work concentrated on the pottery shards group which were collected from the surface of three sites, the northern necropolis, the convent and the southern necropolis.

From all the collected shards about 100 shards has been descried, draw and cataloged. As was expected the bulk of shards were made of Nile silt, some of all are slipped by red color but majority of Nile silt fabric are in plain surface of reddish brown color, however the other fabric are rare but indicate a varity of fabric, some of all are Egyptian ware such as the red slip Aswan ware and gray marl ware, the other are imported such as one shard of red slipped pink Cypriot ware.

It seem to be that the pottery collected from the three sites are contemporary and rang in date from the late V century AD to the end of VII century AD or later as some late Coptic- early Islamic shards was collected from the site, with bulk of material date to the VII century AD, however a carefully analyzing and comparing of the types with the contemporary published references proved that there is an earlier context at Deir El-Banat date to the late Egyptian dynastic period to he early Ptolemaic.

Few shards of water jugs made of gray marl ware (Qena ware) collected from the southern cemetery date to XVIII–XIX century AD indicating an existing of modern human activity in the necropolis probably for plundering.

Fragment of a crtonage made of re-used papyrus

Work in the magazine

During this season there were also studied the finds discovered by Egyptian archaeologists in 1995 and being kept in the magazine at Deir El-Malak. These objects include species of Coptic textiles; Graeco-Roman coffins; terracotta figurines; cartonages made of re-used papyri. Altogether 48 items were described, catalogued and photographed.

X-raying mummies

X-raying the mummies

In April 2004, Dr. Roxi Walker made an x-ray of three mummies found at Deir el-Banat in 1995 and now kept in the Kom Aushim Museum. The forthcoming developing and deciphering of the films will give information on age and pathalogies of the deceased.

G. Belova, A. Krol

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