Religia a współczesne stosunki międzynarodowe

Praca recenzowana / peer-reviewed pape

Tell el-Retaba 2017. Third Intermediate Period Settlement

One of the current projects of the Polish- Slovak Archaeological Mission in Tell el-Retaba is the exploration of a large area of the Third Intermediate Period settlement. During the 2017 season several houses belonging to this settlement were partly excavated. House {2147}, in which several phases of occupation could be distinguished, was particularly interesting. This house yielded an unusually rich set of small finds, including a bronze forked butt of a spear, and a set of lead fishing-net sinker

Two houses from the Third Intermediate Period settlement at Tell el-Retaba: a case study of activity-area analysis

In 2019, the Polish–Slovak Archaeological Mission in Tell el-Retaba continued the excavation of a Third Intermediate Period settlement in Area 9. The paper presents two houses, {1095} and {3111}, in detail. Activity-area analysis is employed to determine the main occupations of the inhabitants in successive phases. The analysis is based on the archaeological assemblage recorded from these features, including small finds, pottery, and installationse

Preliminary report on engineering properties and environmental resistance of ancient mud bricks from tell el-retaba archaeological site in the nile delta

The archaeological site Tell el-Retaba in north-eastern Egypt, about 35 km to the west of Ismailia city, is located in the middle of Wadi Tumilat, a shallow valley running from the Nile Delta to the Bitter Lakes, along which flows the Suez Canal. In ancient times the valley was a route between Egypt and Syro-Palestine, strongly fortified in the New Kingdom times (16th–11th century BC). Mud bricks were analyzed from two parts of the Wall 1 (core of grey-brown bricks and inner extension of green bricks) in a fortress which existed during the Ramesses II times. Grain-size composition of the studied bricks was almost identical in both parts of the wall, suggesting the same source material for a production of brick. However, significant differences were observed in physical and mechanical properties (uni-axial compressive strength) in both types of bricks. Bricks from the core had lower bulk density, higher porosity and soak faster, whereas their resistance parameters were much lower than those of the bricks from the inner extension. The reason for such large differences in brick properties was a technology of their production, particularly proportion of components, water volume added during brick formation or density degree. Brick preparation and in consequence, physical-mechanical properties had direct influence on preservation of defensive structures during environmental changes related to changes of groundwater and surface water levels or of precipitation. Ancient Egyptians responsible for construction works in mud brick structures of the fortress must have had good knowledge and experience. This could be observed particularly for the heaviest and most important construction element that is the defensive wall, founded on well-densified deposits. It was also testified by higher resistance of green bricks from the inner extensions, which probably originated slightly later and were intended to reinforce a weaker core built of grey-brown bricks

Tell el-Retaba, season 2016

Excavations of the Polish–Slovak Archaeological Mission in Tell el-Retaba in 2016 were continued in the western part of the site, uncovering remains of domestic and funerary structures from the Second Intermediate Period in Area 4. Houses from the first half of the Eighteenth Dynasty were also investigated in this area. In Area 9, several houses from the Third Intermediate Period were explored and, for the first time, also substantial remains of a Late Period settlement, including at least one “tower house”

Preliminary back-analysis of the height of mud brick fortifications based on geoarchaeological data at tell El-Retaba site in Egypt

The Tell el-Retaba archaeological site is located at Wadi Tumilat, a shallow valley running from the Nile Delta to the Bitter Lakes. In ancient times, a route connecting Egypt with Syria-Palestine ran across the site. In the 13th century BC, during the rule of Ramesses II, a fortress surrounded by “Wall 1” was erected and in times of Ramesses III in the 12th century BC, a larger fortress surrounded by “Wall 2” and “Wall 3” was constructed. Using the finite element method (FEM) and ZSoil 2D&3D software, the wall heights were modelled and their soil-structure interaction was analysed. Strength of the wall depended on size and strength of bricks and mortar, brickwork, wall shape and foundation. Ancient builders using mud bricks must have known from practical experience the essentials of a wall construction, in which the height to width ratio was at 1.75 to 1.85. Moreover, they must have related the engineering properties of the material with the height of the construction and its purpose. The width to height ratio must have been used and related by ancient Egyptians to the ground resistance. Modelling has shown that, at wall width of 5 m, the foundation would have lost its stability at wall height of 13–14 m and bricks from the lower part of the wall would be destroyed. According to the undertaken assumptions, in order to retain stability, the wall height must have been limited to about 8–9 m

Tell el-Retaba, season 2012/ Appendix: Tell el-Retaba 2012. Preliminary report on archaeobotanical investigations

The sixth season of fieldwork of the Tell el-Retaba Archaeological Mission has brought a number of significant results. For the first time remains of a Hyksos settlement (beside the previously known cemetery) were uncovered. Exploration of a large, regularly planned building, divided into a number of standardized flats, brought new evidence for the reconstruction of the function and organization of a strongly fortified town, which existed on the site during the Twentieth Dynasty. Remains of a Third Intermediate Period settlement showed that after the New Kingdom there was a clear change in the settlement pattern in Tell el-Retaba