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cEzbet Rushdi,
temple and settlement of the Middle Kingdom (R/I, str.
a – f)
by Ernst Czerny |
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cEzbet Rushdi is a small village about 1
km north-east of Tell el-Dabca. In the 1950ies,
the Egyptian Archaeologist Shehata Adam discovered a temple
in the fields east of the village [1].
In 1996, the Austrian Archaeological Institute decided
to re-excavate that temple. Within 2 seasons, 24 squares
were investigated. The temple structures, consisting of
thick mud-brick walls, were clearly recognisable and a
new accurate map of the temple could be produced [2].
The temple comprises a central sanctuary with two adjoining
lateral chapels and a forecourt, surrounded by a huge
enclosure wall. A corridor between this wall and the central
structure most probably points to a staircase leading
to the roof. Possibly in a second construction phase,
the forecourt was filled up with two lateral structures,
probably storerooms. The central part of the court seems
to have been equipped with surrounding colonnades rather
than changed into a hypostyl, since instead of a middle
column a central water basin was found. The whole structure
was surrounded by an outer enclosure wall which, on the
front, shows a much greater thickness, indicating perhaps
a Pylon-like appearance. Even later, a secondary sanctuary
was introduced in the north-western corner of the outer
forecourt, with a bent cult-axis (pic.
1, pic.
2). |
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It was a major surprise to discover that
the temple walls cut into some older structures which
stretch beneath it, apparently a kind of domestic structure
or settlement. Considering the finds, mostly pottery,
it became clear that both the temple and the settlement
belong to the 12th dynasty. This excluded a dating of
the temple at the beginning of that dynasty, as had previously
been done. However, there is strong evidence that the
temple was dedicated to the "Ka" cult of the
deceased king Amenemhet I (see, e.g., the fragment of a limestone-slab with Amenemhat
I’s Horus-name, pic. 3). Clear evidence for
the precise dating of the temple’s foundation has
yet to be found. |
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The most recent pottery found inside the
temple and its adjoining buildings clearly show the typical
style of late 12th dynasty. However, compared to the pottery
of str. F/I-d/2 at Tell el-Dabca, it contained surprisingly
few canaanite imports.
All layers above the temple have been destroyed by recent
agriculture, but several pits, cutting from today’s
surface into the temple walls and floors thus destroying
them, contain pottery of the middle to late 13th
dynasty. Therefore, it seems that the cult in the temple
came to an end towards the end of the 12th
dynasty, but that only during the late 13th
dynasty were the ruined structures no longer cared for.
In one of these secondary pits filled with pottery of
the middle-13th dynasty, a sealing was found
mentioning the name and title of a mayor of Avaris called
"Jmnjj-snb" (pic.
4). |
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This is one of the earliest records of
"Hwt-wcart" (Avaris), and the only one hitherto
found in an excavation at the archaeological site of Tell
el-Dabca [3].
The settlement beneath the temple, which had been destroyed
by it, seems not to be much older than the temple itself.
Apparently, it continues to exist outside of the temple
enclosure. This settlement, which has been excavated only
to a very small extent, consists of a sequence of layers,
the deepest of which stretching directly above the gezirah.
With the course of time the buildings show considerable
enlargements and modifications. The sequence of layers,
from the oldest walls to the level from which the foundation
trenches of the temple walls cut into the ground, has
a thickness of approximately 70 to 90 cm. Most houses
consist of 3 central rooms surrounded by secondary structures
such as silos, storerooms or stables (pic.
5). Generally, two houses join one another, thus forming
east-west oriented blocks arranged in rows. |
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The finds from the settlement mainly consist
of pottery, flint implements and animal bones. Pottery
was found in very large quantities, both sherds and complete
vessels. However, the variety of shapes is rather restricted
and the production seems to have been of great uniformity.
The most common type, literally
present in each of the contexts, are hemispherical cups
made of fine Nile clay fabric (pic.
6/1; pic.7),
), typical of the Middle Kingdom. Just as common are large
so called beer bottles with a simple rim of coarse Nile
clay fabric, in most cases hopelessly fragmented (pic.
6/11, 6/12).
Red-washed, carinated, footed, cups have also been found
regularly, although they are considerably less common
than the hemispherical cups (pic.
6/2;
pic. 8). Apart from these, fine ceramics show a few
special types which are only rarely found: bowls with
an incurved rim (pic.
7), small carinated cups (pic.
6/4), red washed hemispherical bowls of different
sizes with an incised decoration of horizontal grooves
below the rim (pic.
6/5, pic.
6/6) and red-washed jugs with a handle and a flat
base.
Sherds of coarse Nile clay fabric belonged almost exclusively
to container vessels. Beside these, there are large dishes
(Fig.
6/7) and large carinated bowls, which are always red-washed
and often decorated with incised horizontal or wavy grooves
(Fig.
6/8).
Rare special types are large beakers, large ring stands,
and a few types of pottery with special functions such
as large backing trays, bread moulds, large hemispherical
bowls with an incised groove decoration below the rim,
and spinning bowls.
"Marl C" fabric was almost exclusively used
for the production of large containers, conventionally
called "zirs". These are always hand-made with
a wheel-made rim of a very standard shape (pic.
6/10). In a few isolated cases, some small container
vessels found. Just as rare are large Vases with stepped
rims.
Upper Egyptian "Marl A" clay is also present.
Some sherds with an incised criss-cross decoration correspond
to a well known upper Egyptian type. Beside these, several
examples of beautifully burnished sherds, including some
rims, have been found as well as a complete vessel of
the same fabric. For this kind of vase, a few parallels
from Upper Egypt also exist.
Together with this Egyptian pottery, a few sherds of imported
foreign vessels have been discovered. Within the stratified
layers of the settlement, fragments of Minoan amphorae
[4] were found, belonging to at least two different
vessels, but coming from the same building complex. Also,
in slightly larger quantities, some fragments of Canaanite
MB IIA pottery, so called "Levantine painted ware"
were present [5]. |
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It is difficult to establish the beginning
of the settlement with certainty. It is fairly certain
that its foundation could not have happened before the
second half of the reign of Senwosret I, or possibly under
the early Amenemhat II. The destruction of the settlement
and its replacement by the temple and its adjoining structures
may be dated to the early years of Senwosret III. |
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[1] Shehata Adam, ASAE 56 (1959), 207-226
[2] Manfred Bietak et.al., Ä&L 8 (1998), 15, Fig. 4.
[3] Ernst Czerny, Ä&L 11 (2001), 13-26)
[4] Ernst Czerny, Ä&L 8 (1998), 46, Fig. 21
[5] Tine Bagh, Ä&L 8 (1998), 47-49 |
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Bibliography:
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Adam S.
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| Report on the Excavations of the Department of
Antiquities at cEzbet Rushdi, ASAE 56 (1959), 207-226. |
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| Bietak M., Dorner J., Czerny E.,
Bagh T. |
| Der Tempel und die Siedlung des Mittleren Reiches
bei cEzbet Ruschdi, Grabungsvorbericht 1996, Ä&L
8 (1998), 9-49. |
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Czerny E.
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| Ein früher Beleg für hwt-wcrt
auf einem Siegelabdruck aus Tell el-Dabca,
Ä&L 11 (2001), 13-26. |
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| Egyptian Pottery from Tell el-Dabca as a
context for early MB IIA Painted Ware, in: M. Bietak
(ed.), The Middle Bronze Age in the Levant, CChEM
3, Wien 2002. |
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