BULLETIN

DE LA

SOCIÉTÉ D'ARCHÉOLOGIE COPTE

TOME XXXIII
(1994)

LE CAIRE

(1994)
 REPORT ON THE EXCAVATIONS AT ABU MINA IN
SPRING 1993
BY

PETER GROSSMANN, JACEK KO CIUK, MOHAMED ABDAL-AZIZ

NEGM, AND CHRISTOPH URICHER

The seasonal work at Abu Mina lasted from March 27 to June 22, 1993.
The Permanent Committee of the Egyptian Antiquities Organization
(E.A.O.) kindly granted permission for the excavation in its session of
February 11, 1993. Members of the team were A.L. Chronz (Bonn), J.
Engemann (Bonn), P. Grossmann (Cairo), J. Ko ciuk (Wrocław), M. Petzolt
(Wurzburg), W. Ptak (Wrocław), Chr. Uricher (Karlsruhe), and as a guest S.
Schaten (Munster). The Inspectors M.H. Abd al-Hamid and A. Ismail
Ahmad (both Alexandria) joined the mission as representatives of the
E.A.O. 1 . Furthermore 51 well trained workmen from Quft under the
command of Rais Amir Kamil were engaged. The restauration work was
carried out by two masons from Quft.
As in the preceeding seasons work was devoted to several buildings. Main
efforts were again concentrated on the city-wall and the medieval settlement. In
the Great Basilica the remapping of the plan was going on with new results to be
published in our next report. In the so-called "Ostraca-House" further parts of
the inner peristyle (PL XIIa) and a group of rooms in the south-west corner
came to light. Excavations in the middle section of great peristyle -complex,
which we like to interprete as the xenodochium for humiliores, between the
two large peristyles, one of the two neccessary, inner latrines was unearthed
which was connected, as we expected, exclusively to the eastern peristyle (Pl.
XIIb).

1
At the same time the mission enjoyed weekly visits from Chief Inspector M. Abdal-Aziz
(Alexandria).
92 P. GROSSMANN, J. KO CIUK, M.A.A. NEGM, & C. URICHER BSAC XXXIII 1994

Fig. 1. North gate (actual state)

1. New observations on the fortification wall

a. The Northern Gate: The Northern gate of Abu Mina was first
discovered and partly excavated by H. Jaritz in 1985 2. H. Jaritz recognized
three gateways and an inner portico facing the inner part of the town. The
wall sections between the passageways were on their outer side decorated
with pilasters, the one flanking the central main passage with engaged
columns. Outwardly projecting towers were not observed, and it seems that
they were never built.
In spring 1993 the excavations were resumed to carry out several
restauration projects. The gate was excavated to its full extent, revealing that
the western passageway was totally robbed by stone seekers.
The building to the west, which apparently represents the guards'
quarters, is a rectangular structure and its layout is strictly perpendicular to
the axis of the gate (fig. 1). It is composed of two rows of rooms, of which the
first one facing the area behind the inner portico of the gate is more a kind of

2
see H. JARITZ in: 12. Vorli. Bericht. AA 1991, 465-67 fig. 6f.
 EXCAVATIONS AT ABU MINA 93

open hall than a sequence of rooms. There are two sections, both separated by
a wide arch. A similar arch was constructed at the southern end but this was
later walled up with sundried bricks. To the east the southern section has a
large opening with two columns in antis while the northern section opens with
an ordinary door to the inner part of the portico, mentioned above. The second
row of rooms has, from south to north, a small rectangular chamber, a staircase,
and a slightly longer room extending as far as the city wall (Pl. XIIIb). The
latter room is accessible only from the first room via a narrow passage behind
the stairs. Its western side is closed not by a stonewall, but by a wall of sundried
bricks.
The colonnaded portico follows from the southern end of the first row of
rooms, leading directly to the center of the town. The front side shows
continuously alternating T-shaped pillars and pairs of columns, while the rear
wall is a continuously straight wall interrupted only occasionally on its back
side by some small buttresses.
Surprisingly the opposite eastern side of the street did not have such a
colonnaded portico. There is not even a guard house here. The reason for this
absence might be seen in the date of the building, about the end of the 6th or
the beginning of the 7th century. In A.D. 619 Egypt was conquered by the
Persians who occupeid the country for at least two decades 3. During this
conquest Abu Mina was destroyed, as shown by numerous mounds of
destruction layers throughout the town. There are thus good grounds for
assuming, that there was not enough time to complete the street. (P.Gr.)

b. Further observations on the western city-wall and the south-western gate:

The visible strip of the north-western fortification wall ends a few meters
beyond the western city gate 4. No further traces are visible above
ground-level. The rest of the wall was completely robbed by stone seekers.
What remained was only the foundation trench of the former wall. During the
operations of the 1991 season, using the method of soil electrical-resistivity
sensing along the southern margin of the town, a long section of the

3
On the date of the Persian conquest see R. ALTHEIM -STIEHL, The Sasanians in Egypt
-some evidence of historical interest, BSAC 31,1992, 1-10; as well as ID., Wurde Alexandreia im
Juni 619 n.Chr. durch die Perser erobert? Tyche 6, 1991, 3-16; ID ., Zur zeitlichen Bestimmung
der sasanidischen Eroberung Ägyptens, MOYCIKOC ANHP (= Festschrift für M. Wegner,
Bonn 1992) 5-8.
4
see H. J ARITZ , AA (in press)
94 P. GROSSMANN, J. KO CIUK, M.A A. NEGM, & C. URICHER BSAC XXXIII 1994

foundation trench of the southern wall over a distance of more than 460 m was
confidently located5. In spring 1993, with the same method, the remaining gap of
ca. 625 m was closed6 (fig. 2). But during the last season the difficulties were
considerably greater than before, since the traceable remains lay much deeper
(roughly 1,9m) than at the southern side of the town 7 and in large areas the
original ground surface was disturbed by bedouin farmers and passing tractors
which exerted high pressure on the ground. At one position where the recent
accumulation of excavation debris prevented us from using soil resistivity
methods, we had to return to traditional excavation methods.
The new section of the wall continues from the western gate in a south-
western direction very closely outside the westernmost building remains of the
town, until it arrives at its westernmost point where it turns sharply to the
south-east. We are strongly convinced that a tower, similar to the one at the
north-western corner of the town, is located here. After a distance of about
180m it makes another sharp turn, this time to the south, where after a while it
meets the place where the geophysical prospection of 1991 came to an end. In this
inwardly directed corner remains of a third city gate were found. This gate is,
however, the simplest structure discovered until now in Abu Mina. It consists of
two thicker wall sections placed in a parallel position at the ends of the two city
walls which meet in this corner. Both thicker walls are bound together at their
eastern ends with a thinner wall which apparently represents the foundation of
the threshold of the gate. Its length of about 7,5m is, however, too wide to
represent only one passageway. It might thus contain two passages separated
from each other by a stronger central pillar.
Beside these archaeological results an important observation concerning the
applicability of the method itself was made. We noticed a considerable difference
between the average soil resistivity in areas outside and inside the town 8 . This
could probably be explained by the fact that the higher concentration of
organic deposits inside the town resulted in better soil conductivity. Therefore
the method can be used not only to trace real

5
BSAC 32, 1993, 74ff. fig. 2.
6
Including a 125m long section at the east of the eastern end of the part surveyed in 1991.
7
To overcome this problem the four-level 'Schlumberger array' was used. For the field work a
PKE-8 Resistivity Meter was again offered by the Institute of History of Architecture of the
Technical University of Wroclaw. The measurements and daily interpretation of the results were
executed by. W. Ptak.
8
On average 10-20 Omm inside, while outside we noticed usually more than 75 Omm.
 EXCAVATIONS AT ABU MINA 95

architectural remains (buildings, walls, etc.) but also to delimit margins of

lengthy occupation. (P.Gr. & J.K.)

Fig. 3. Window in the western wall of the Hall-building, section and plan

2. The Hall-building to the west of the Great Xenodochium

Some new operations were carried out this season in the building
between the Great Xenodochium and the Peristyle House, north-west of the
Pilgrimage Square 9 . One of the results to be noted is that the building
consisted of two main phases already in its late antique period (fig. 4).
The first phase shows portions of a two aisled 10 hall, of which the western
wall and a section of the inner colonnade survived. Its actual north wall is,
however, interrupted from the west wall and belongs thus to the second main
phase. The arch above the western street and the reinforcements at the
plinth11 were added later. Another earlier structure can be seen in the wall
that runs north-south at the south-east corner of the complex. It follows an
older street along the partition wall of the Great Xenodochium 12, which itself
dates back to a period probably prior to the foundation of the Pilgrimage
Square. Some underground channels are even earlier in origin.

9
On earlier investigations in this building see CM. KAUFMANN, 2. Ber. 21ff. P. GROSSMANN,
MDAIK 36, 1980, 213ff. J. KOSCIUK , MDAIK 40,1984,139ff.
i0
GROSSMANN loc.cit. 215 fig. 4, 213.
11
These reinforcements correspond with those at the western wall of the Baptistry, see
MDAIK 20, 1965, 136.
12
See GROSSMANN, MDAIK 26,1970, fig. I; J. KOSCIUK, MDAIK 40, 1984, fig. 6.
96 P. GROSSMANN, J. KO CIUK, M.A.A. NEGM, & C. URICHER BSAC XXXIII 1994

Fig. 4. Hall-building to the west of the Great Xenodochium

 EXCAVATIONS AT ABU MINA 97

The surviving columns of this hall are made of limestone. Their stylobate
lies roughly 90 cm below the foundations of the walls of the second main
phase.
The western exterior wall13 contains two well preserved windows close to
its northern end. Both are placed relatively high in the wall 14. The northern
one was carefully examined (fig. 3) and appeared to be almost exactly square
in shape, measuring 62 x 62 cm, which corresponds closely to the height of
two courses of stones. The lintel consists of two stone-blocks supported by a
set of thin wooden planks. The frame of the window had two longer
horizontal boards, laid in prepared holes in the lower and upper corners of
the jambs, while the vertical boards were placed between them in a way that
their rear sides correspond roughly with the jambs of the window. Of the
latter, however, only two vertical strips of plaster are detectable, representing
the fillings of the remaining space behind these vertical side boards 15. All
traces of wood show remains of plastering on the outer sides. There are,
however, no indications for pivot sockets and bolt slots. Thus the window
seems to have been equipped with a lattice-work, thus forming a fenestra
clatrata16, that served only for ventilation.
From the second, main period of the late antique complex considerably
more walls are preserved. Some of them are still partially hidden beneath
medieval houses17. The northern part of the building comprises of two groups
of rooms 18, of which the four northernmost rooms are arranged as double
units accessible from both the east and west19. The six other rooms of this
northern part were originally accessible only from the east, while the actual
western doors belong to a later date. The area between this part of the

13
C.M. KAUFMANN, 3. Bericht fig. 50; as both windows were afterwards blocked, only the
southern one is visible in this photograph. The windows are well preserved and are the only
examples of their kind discovered so far in Abu Mina.
14
see R. HERBIG , Fensterstudien an antiken Wohnbauten in Italien, RM 44, 1929, 260-321,
spec. 262.
15
E.M. Husselman, Karanis excavations of the University of Michigan in Egypt 1928-1935.
Topography and Architecture (Ann Arbor 1979) 44ff. Pl. 61-63.
16
HERBIG loc.cit. 289.
17
e.g. J. KOSCIUK, AA 1991, fig. 8; the ruins of the medieval house PH 14 are placed over the
most southernly part of the late antique complex.
18
GROSSMANN, MDAIK 36,1980, 215.
19
A similar arrangement can be seen in the northern rooms of the neighbouring Peristyle -House,
P. GROSSMANN, MDAIK 26,1970,59ff. fig. 2.
Fig. 2. The city wall, results of 1991 and 1993 seasons
98 P. GROSSMANN, J. KO CIUK, M.A.A. NEGM, & C. URICHER BSAC XXXIII 1994

western doors belong to a later date. The area between this part of the
building and the Great Xenodochium might have been occupied by an inner
courtyard, of which a wall with the beginning of an arch is still preserved. It
has an entrance with three outer steps, on the south of which was later added
a prothyron.
The southern part of the second period complex is dominated by a
peristyle. Between this and the northern part of the building two rooms were
originally placed, separated from the peristyle by the colonnade of the first
period with partially walled up intercolumnia. Later the western room was
subdivided into two unequal smaller units. The eastern room was a small
court, as shown by the arrangement and equal thickness of its pavement
which still exists. The two columns of the above mentioned prothyron stand
upon this pavement.
The inner court of the peristyle was surrounded by porticoes on three
sides, which were later subdivided into several differently shaped rooms. The
way in which the western portico is separated from the porticoes to the north
and south is unusual. The colonnades probably consisted of marble columns.
One marble shaft still lies under the eastern wall of the medieval house PH
1420. Several bases of marble were found in situ. Some of them are placed
upon blocks of limestone forming thus substitutes for pedestals. The main
entrances into the peristyle are situated at the eastern and western ends. The
western entrance from the street still shows traces of the doorjambs and bolt
slots in the threshold. Other passages lead from the peristyle to the adjoining
units at the northern and southern sides.
The walls of the late antique building consist of uniform stonework, like
at the other houses in the neighbourhood21. They differ only in their thickness,
which apparently corresponds to the individual loads they had to carry.
In several rooms of the complex installations for the use of water were
found. In the above mentioned small court is an underground cistern
intended to be filled with rain-water, of which parts of the necessary channel
are still extant. Along this channel and beside the cistern as well as in one of
the western side rooms of the peristyle remains of basins are visible. The
installation of six small circular basins (Pl. XIIIa) in the room to the west of

20
K OSCIUK , AA 1991, fig. 8,
21
G ROSSMANN , MDAIK 36,1980, 215f.
Fig. 5. The western part of the medieval settlement
 EXCAVATIONS AT ABU MINA 99

distributed and combined with small channels in such a way that the three
basins on either side are linked to form a kind of chain whose ends open into
a big underground amphora. The latter was obviously destined to receive the
contents of all six basins, but did not have any outlet of its own. Directly over
the upper mouth of the amphora and above the two channels of t he line of
basins is a square impression which indicates the position of a water-pump or
something similar at this point.
The whole structure is a later addition as is shown by the niches cut into the
wall next to the three eastern basins. Although it is o bvious, that a
workshop to which this equipment belongs has something to do with water, its
exact purpose could not be established. In a fullonica22 for washing or dying, a
number of relatively equal basins would have been needed, but the usual
character of those does not correspond well with our examples. Further
excavations in the neighbouring rooms may produce additional observations
which might help to explain the purpose of these installations. (Chr. Ur.)

4. Further observations on the later medieval settlement

a. The western part of the medieval settlement: During the last season our
survey of the remains of the medieval settlement in Abu Mina was finally
brought to an end. The main walls of nearly 30 new houses, most of them
farms23, were cleared and their confines as well as details of their interior
arrangements were mapped on the general plan (fig. 5). The whole medieval
settlement forms thus a very elongated, oval area measuring roughly 450m
from east to west and 250m from north to south. The eastern-most and the
central areas were already described in earlier reports 24. The newly cleared
western part did not change very much our understanding of the lay-out of

22
Cf. R.J. FORBES, Studies in ancient Technology. IV (Leiden 1964) 82ff. H. BLUMNER,
Technologie und Terminologie der Gewerbe und Kunste bei Griechen und Romern. I (Leipzig
1912) 170ff. fig. 68f.
23
Some of them have surprisingly large inner courts, reaching in the case of house SA 18
more than 780 sqm.
24
Preliminary reports on the medieval settlement at Abu Mina are published in: MDAIK 22,
1967, 216-17; ibid. 26, 1970, 61-63; ibid. 38,1982,139-41; ibid. 40,1984,139-47; AA 1991,468-73;
BSAC 30, 1991, 69-70; ibid. 31, 1992, 38-41; ibid. 32, 1993, 81-84; and J. KOSCIUK, Some early
medieval houses in Abu Mina (Egypt), in: Actes du IVe congres international d'Etudes Copies,
Louvain-la-Neuve 1988 I (Louvain-la-Neuve 1992) 158-67; id., Typological observations on early
medieval houses in Abu Mina, in: Atti VI congresso intemazionale di Egittologia, Torino 1-8
settembre 1991, I (Turin 1992) 375-382; ID ., The last phase of the Abu Mina Settlement, in:
Akten des 12. internattonalen Kongresses fur Christliche Archaologie, Bonn 1992 (in press).
100 P. GROSSMANN, J. KO CIUK, M.A.A. NEGM, & C. URICHER BSAC XXXIII 1994

the medieval settlement. The ecclesiastical life was concentrated in the

eastern part, while in the western section mainly farm houses were erected.
Between both areas lay the market place.
The 'main' street starts on the north-western margin of the village
between the houses WA 25 and WA 28 and turns at first for about 30m to
the south. This section of the street is very irregular and to a certain degree
not more than the free space left between the houses when they were built.
Only later, as it turns to the east are efforts noticeable to shape the street in
a more urban manner. The free gap between the houses SA 19 and SA 20
was closed by a bent wall. Further to the east the front walls of the houses
SA 10,12, 15, and 16 as well as WA 13 and 14 were arranged in a wide
curve, following not only the street direction but apparently also the
irregularities of the terrain. After turning to the north-east and passing a
small hill, the 'main' street reaches the market place between the shops
MP 13 and MP 16. From there two branches lead to the east, one to the
square to the north of the church, the other to the area of the former
Southern Hemicyclium to the south of the church.

Fig. 6. The "mill", stone-plan

At the south-west corner of the market place a building (MP 17) with an
animal powered device was discovered (fig. 7; Pl. XIVa). It consists of two
rooms.The bigger one (170), measuring roughly 5,1 by 5,3m,is entered from
 EXCAVATIONS AT ABU MINA 101

the north. The smaller one (171) is attached to its southern side, but no traces
of an access from room 170 are visible. This arrangement and the size of the
building are quite similar to that of the bakery WA 11 25. However, in room
171 an annular depression was found, occupying the whole width of the room
and filled with compact animal dung. In the centre, inside a flat hole, are
several irregularly distributed stones. Further, impressions of stones were
found at the bottom of the hole. Altogether they form a kind of foundation
upon which an animal driven device was placed. It might have been a sort of
mill, but incisions26 preserved on some of the foundation stones (fig. 6,A) are
not very typical for such a kind of device.

b. The farm complex south-west of the Southern Hemicyclium: About 150m

south-west of the Southern Hemicyclium an isolated group of farm-like
houses27 was uncovered (fig. 7). It is composed of five houses, arranged in
such a way that the outer walls of the houses and the perimeter walls of their
courts formed a kind of enclosure, apparently strengthened by three or four
towers. Since the entrances of the individual houses are each arranged in
sharp 90 degree turns 28, the whole had the character of a fortified farm
compound.
So far only a surface survey has been carried out, and this did not produce
many details of the interior arrangement, but the general lay-out is already
clear29. With the exception of FF 3 all the houses have two courts, thus
then-average sizes (ca. 360 sqm) correspond with those of the bigger farm
houses. The size of house FF 3 with a single court falls into the category of
ordinary farm houses. In house FF 2 two separate living units were detected.
Since it was observed already that the presence of two courts is characteristic
of multihousehold units30, the discovery of further secondary living units can be
expected in the other houses with two courts. These elements are, however,
the only similarities with the houses in the main area of the settlement. The
described arrangement of the entrances, the presence of towers and the
25
Cf. BSAC 32,1993, 84 fig. 5.
26
Probably to receive wooden beams.
27
Houses FF 1-7.
28
Clearly in the houses FF 1. 3 and 6, where they were fully examined.
29
H o us e F F 4 comp ri s es o nly a si ngl e ro om , acces sib l e di r ect ly fr om th e st r eet , an d i s
therefore excluded from the actual description.
30
K OSCIUK , Typological observations .. (supra n. 23) 377.
102 P. GROSSMANN, J. KO CIUK, M.A.A. NEGM, & C. URICHER BSAC XXXIII 1994

different distribution of the rooms forming more complicated and compact

designs, all point to the possibility of a distinct housing tradition, and might
even belong even to a different population. It is further observable that the
whole complex lies in a very isolated location, obviously avoiding any relation
with other houses and their street pattern. (J.K.)

5. On the Domed House

During the course of the 1989 excavation season in the western part of
Abu Mina, in the neighborhood of the small complex with the church and the
baptistry31, a small house was unearthed which according to the shape of its
main room was called the "domed house" (fig. 8). It comprises a rectangular
residential building in front of which there is a small trapezoid court for
everyday and household activities.
The main entrance lies on the south side. It is richly appointed with a
prothyron as is frequently the case in the northern coastal region of Egypt,
although virtually unknown in Upper Egyptian houses32. It leads at first into a
small chamber opening onto the inner court of the house and furnished along
its western side with a sitting bench (kline). The court (Pl. XVa) has the oven
on its right (eastern) side as well as the superstructure of the underground
cistern33, and a small basin in front of it for regular washing. Further to the
south-east, hidden behind the side wall of the entrance chamber a latrine is
placed. To the right of the entrance chamber is a small rectangular room,
probably for the guard or the slaves. On the north side of the court lies a
medium-sized room of slightly irregular shape, opening onto the court with
two columns in antis (Pl. XlVb). It is comparable with the ala of the Roman
house, probably serving as a kind of loggia and occasional eating place.
Originally it extended further to the east, but is now walled up here and a
mastaba is placed on this side. In the north-western corner of the loggia a
secondary entrance into the house-complex is extant. To the west of the
loggia is the entrance to the stairs which lead up to the second floor of the
main building.

31
cf. MA. NEGM, Recent discoveries at Abu Mina, BSAC 32,1993,128ff.
see F. LUCKHARD, Das Privathaus im ptolemaischen und romischen Agypten, Diss. Bonn
1914 (Giessen 1914) 54ff.
32
Such cisterns are present in virtually every house at Abu Mina and its neighborhood, see
already P. Grossmann, Arch.Anz. 1967, 464.
EXCAVATIONS AT ABU MINA 103

Fig. 7. Fortified farm complex

104 P. GROSSMANN, J. KO CIUK, M.A.A. NEGM, & C. URICHER BSAC XXXIII
1994

Fig. 8. Groundplan of the so-called "Domed House"

The ground floor of the main part of the house is accessible directly from
the court. Through a door in the south-west corner one enters the main living
room. It is almost exactly square in plan (6.15 x 6.20m). Its ceiling consisted of
a sailing vault, which, however, collapsed. But, in all corners the low springers
of the vault are still clearly detectable 34. Along the western wall, opposite the
entrance, the floor is slightly elevated by about 0.15m at a depth of about
0.80m. Probably mattresses were to be laid out here to create comfortable
sitting places for the owners of the house and his guests. There are also
several niches distributed fairly regularly along the walls.
At the western end of the north wall a door leads into a small side
chamber which is of a completely different shape. It is only a quarter the size
of the last room and has three large, tall niches in the eastern and western
walls, and two narrow windows (Pl. XVb). The one in the east gives onto the
staircase which probably points to the fact that the staircase did not have a
roof of its own, otherwise there would not have been enough light for that
window. Below this window, in the very corner of the room a remarkably low
and narrow passage leads to the area below the stairs. (M.A.-A.N.)

34
The same kind of ceiling for similar rooms is very widespread in the region of Abu
Mina.
PLXII
P. GROSSMANN, J. KO CIUK, M.A.A, NEGM & C. URICHER BSAC XXXIII 1994

a. South-west corner of the peristyle in the "Ostraca-House" (Neg. DAI L102397)

b. Latrine of the great peristyle-complex (Neg. DAI L102412)

PLXIII
P. GROSSMANN, J. KO CIUK, M.A.A, NEGM & C. URICHER BSAC XXXIII 1994

a. Installation of circular basins beside the small court

b. Guards' quarter of the northern gate (Neg. DAI L102297)

PL XIV
P. GROSSMANN, J. KO CIUK, M.A.A. NEGM & C. URICHER BSAC XXXIII1994

a. The "mill", view from the east (Neg. DAI L102380)

b. View into the eastern side chamber of the court (Neg. DAI L76183)
PL XV
P. GROSSMANN, J. KO CIUK, M.A.A. NEGM & C. URICHER BSAC XXXIII 1994

a. View from the north into the court (Neg. DAI L76167)

b. Eastern wall with niches of the small north-western corner room (Neg. DAI L76190)