72024522 Eastern Desert Ware From Marsa Nakari and Wadi Sikait

Eastern Desert Ware from Marsa Nakari and Wadi Sikait Author(s): Hans Barnard Source: Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt, Vol. 42 (2005/2006), pp. 131-146 Published by: American Research Center in Egypt Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27651805 . Accessed: 05/04/2011 08:30 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use. Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at . http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=arce. . Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission. JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

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Eastern

from Marsa

Desert Ware

and Wadi Hans

Nakari

Sikait

Barnard

(EDW) refers to a recently identified corpus of hand-made that have been described at many sites in the Eastern Desert, between the Nile and Eastern Desert Ware

ceramic

vessels

Sea, in southern Egypt and in northern Sudan (Fig. I).1 Most sherds are from small cups and bowls, with thin walls, that have frequently been burnished and are often decorated with incised proportionally or impressed patterns in sometimes remarkably asymmetric patterns. Of the 47 EDW sherds pre the Red

sented here, 9 were found by the Northern Arizona University excavations at Marsa Nakari (possibly con the Greco-Roman harbor Nechesia), on the Red Sea coast,2 and 38 by the University of Delaware

servation,

excavation

and

survey

project

in

the Mons

Smaragdus

area,

the main

source

of

the

gem

stone beryl (emerald) in the Roman Empire.3 The first comprehensive description of EDW, although not by its current name, derived from the rescue excavations of the cemeteries inWadi Qitna and Kalabsha South, just west of the Nile Valley and now lost under the water of Lake Nasser.4 Sherds with comparable technological features, forms and decorative motifs have ley, including: Kalabsha

identified, often in retrospect, at several sites in the Nile Val Sayala,6 Wadi al-Arab,7 Qasr Ibrim,8 and much further south also

since been

North,5

1 H.

"Eastern Desert Ware, a short introduction," Sudan & Nubia 6 (2002), 53-57. H. Barnard, "Sire, il n'y a pas de Barnard, of historical and archaeological data," in J. C. M. Starkey, ed., People of theRed Sea. Proceedings of the Blemmyes. A re-evaluation Red Sea Project II, held in the British Museum, number 3. BAR International October 2004. Society for Arabian Studies Monographs Series 1395 (Oxford, 2005), 23-40. H. Barnard, "Eastern Desert Ware. Fine pottery from an arid wasteland," Egyptian Archaeol from Sayala and K. E Faull, "New data on the Eastern Desert Ware (Spring 2006), 29-30. H. Barnard, A. N. Dooley, in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna," and A. A. Magid, 15 (2006), 49-64. H. Barnard (Lower Nubia) ?gypten und Levante "Eastern Desert Ware from Tabot 10 (in press). H. Barnard and links to the north," Arch?ologie du Nil Moyen (Sudan). More P. J. Rose, "Eastern Desert Ware in S. E. Sidebotham from Berenike and Kab Marfu'a," and W. Z. Wendrich, eds., Berenike 1999-2000. and the survey of theEgyptian Eastern Desert, Report of the 1999 and 2000 excavation in Berenike, Siket and Wadi Kalalat ogy 28

in press). H. Barnard and E. Strouhal, Sikait (Los Angeles, "Wadi Qitna revisited," Annals of the H. Barnard, L. A. Pintozzi, and R. S. Tomber, "The enigma of Kab 25 (2004), 29-55. S. E. Sidebotham, Marfu'a: 16,1 (January/February 2005), 24-26. gems in Egypt's Eastern Desert," Minerva precious " 2 "A preliminary 38 (2001), 77-88. J. A. Seeger, report on the 1999 field season at Marsa Nakari JARCE 3 L. B. C. and E. S. E. Side S. "Emerald Rivard, Foster, Sidebotham, 2002), 36-41. J. city," Archaeology 55,3 (May-June on at A. M. Hense, fieldwork Sikait and J. A. Harrell, botham, H. M. Nouwens, (Eastern report "Preliminary archaeological Desert of Egypt), and environs: 2002-2003," Sahara 15 (2004), 7-30, esp. figs. 27-28. 4 E. Strouhal, Wadi Qitna and Kalabsha-South and 195-200, Tabs. 31-34, Pis. 66-70. Barnard 1984), esp. 157-77, (Prague, "Wadi Qitna revisited? Strouhal, 5 von Khor-Dehmit bis Bet el-Wali H. Ricke, Ausgrabungen 1967), esp. 46-70, Tafs. 23-28. (Chicago, b et al., F. A. Bedawi, Die R?mische Gr?berfelder von Sayala-Nubien (Vienna, 1976), esp. 29-31, Abb. 12, Taf. 28/fig. 2. Barnard "Eastern Desert Ware from Sayala? K. Kromer, R?mische Weinstuben in Sayala (Unternubien) (Vienna, 1967), esp. 96-99, Abb. 30/

including the beryl mines N?prstek Museum Prague

inWadi

et al., "Eastern Desert Ware from Sayala." 31, Tafs. 16/fig. 2, 32, 34/3, 37-35. Barnard 7 W. B. Emery and L. P. Kirwan, The excavations and survey between Wadi es-Sebua and Adindan 1929-31 (Cairo, 1935), esp. 117-22, figs. 89, 94/1, 99/5, 103/13. 8 P. J. Rose, The aftermath of theRoman frontier in Lower Nubia Ph.D.-thesis University of Cambridge, Darwin (Unpublished et al., "Eastern Desert Ware from Sayala" 161-62, fig. 9. 1992), esp. 161-62, figs. 7/75-78. Barnard College, 4-5,

131

JARCE 42 (2005-2006)

132

al-Tereif,9 and Kurgus.10 East of the Nile, in the Eastern Desert as well as on the Red Sea coast, similar sherds have been found in, among others, Bir Minih,n Berenike,12 a number of tombs scat tered in theWadi Alaqi area,13 several sites with an unknown function,14 and also in Tabot,15 much further to the south (Fig. I).16 Two other sherds that may or may not be EDW were excavated at a

Wadi

at Bir Abraq may also be EDW, post-Meroitic cemetery at Gabati (Sudan).17 Some of the sherds found to were as judged from published thought by the surveyors of that site drawings,18 although they as some later I EDW sherds that tentatively identified belong to the Pan-Grave culture. Similarly, to the C-Horizon associated with be b.c.e.). This illustrates the diffi (2300-1500 appeared securely 'Neolithic' characteristics. and diverse with almost of this small of corpus culty identifying exemplars on the analysis of associated sherds and other datable finds such as coins,19 and radiocarbon dates,20 the peak of the production of EDW seems to have been during the 4th-6th centuries C.E., as the 3rd, and as late as the 8th century c.E. The name EDW although itmay have occurred as early

Based

was

initially chosen because

appearance

of

the

sherds,

of the distribution

vis-?-vis

technology,

of the finds, in combination

decorations

and

vessel

shape

with the fabric and

(table

2), which

render

the an

origin in the Nile Valley unlikely. 9

in D. A. Welsby and J. R. Anderson, H.-?. Nordstr?m, eds., Sudan, Ancient Treasures. An exhibition "Pottery Production," 2004), 248-73, (London, esp. 269, cat. no. 255. ofRecent Discoveries from the Sudan National Museum 10 et al., "Eastern Desert Ware from Sayala," 60-61, fig. 9. Barnard and Strouhal, "Wadi Qitna revisited," 46-47, fig. 8. Barnard 11 on the fieldwork at Bir Minih, and G. Lass?nyi, U. Luft, A. Alm?sy, M. A. Farkas, I. Furka, Z. Horv?th "Preliminary report Arabian Desert," MDAIK 58 (2002), 373-90, 7/10-13. 384, esp. fig. 12 Barnard and Rose, "Eastern Desert Ware from Berenike and Kab Marfu'a." J.W. Hayes, "Summary of pottery and glass finds," in S. E. Sidebotham and W. Z. Wendrich, eds., Berenike 1994. Preliminary report of the 1994 excavations at Berenike (Egyptian Red Sea

coast) and the survey of theEastern Desert (Leiden, and W. Z. Wendrich, eds., Berenike 1995. Preliminary

"The pottery," in S. E. Sidebotham 33-36, esp. fig. 13. J.W. Hayes, sur report of the 1995 excavations at Berenike (Egyptian Red Sea coast) and the 6-19. P. J. Rose, sherds," in 153, figs. 6-15/1-6, "Report on the handmade 1994. Preliminary report of the 1994 excavations at Berenike (Egyptian Red Sea 1995),

1996), 147-78, esp. vey of theEastern Desert (Leiden, S. E. Sidebotham and W. Z. Wendrich, eds., Berenike "Berenike: Roman S. E. Sidebotham and W. Z. Wendrich, coast) and the survey of the Eastern Desert (Leiden, 1995), 41-43. and W. Z. and India," Egyptian Archaeology 8 (1996), 15-18, esp. 16-17. S. E. Sidebotham gateway to Arabia Egypt's maritime und Indien," Antike Welt 32,3 (2001), 251-63, "Berenike, Roms Tor am Roten Meer nach Arabien Wendrich, esp. 256-57, Abb.

and W. Z. Wendrich, "The pottery," in S. E. Sidebotham eds., Berenike 1996. Report of the 1996 excavations at "The pot 1998), 163-80, esp. 170. R. S. Tomber, (Egyptian Red Sea coast) and the survey of theEastern Desert (Leiden, at Berenike excavations Berenike and the in S. E. Sidebotham and W. Z. 1997. the 1997 eds., Wendrich, survey Report of of the tery," 1999), 123-59, esp. 152, fig. 5-15/75. Egyptian Eastern Desert, including excavations at Shenshef (Leiden, 13 a "Nubian Desert K. Sadr, A. Castaglioni, and A. Castaglioni, view," Arch?ologie du Nil Moyen 7 archaeology: preliminary (1995), 203-35, esp. 210-21, figs. 10, 11, 25. 14 S. E. Sidebotham, late Roman in the Eastern Desert,"/ZL4 88 (2002), H. Barnard, and G. Pyke, "Five enigmatic settlements et al., "The Enigma ofKab Marfu'a." 187-225, esp. figs. 20, 23. Sidebotham 15 The license to excavate the site of Tabot was issued by the Department of Antiquities and National Museums, Khartoum, 14. R. S. Tomber,

Berenike

Sudan, mittee

to Dr. Anwar Abdel-Magid. for Development Research

carried out by the license holder of the Norwegian Council (NUFU) license holder authorized Project). The

Test-excavations, and Education

in 1994-95, were sponsored by the Com of Universities within the framework of

to study and publish their Sudan Program Hans Barnard the (Phase II: Archaeology pottery from Tabot. 16 in the Barnard and Magid, "Eastern Desert Ware from Tabot." A. A. Magid, R. H. Pierce, and K. Krzywinski, "Test excavation southern Red Sea Hills cultural linkages to the north," Arch?ologie du Nil Moyen 7 (1995), 165-70, (Sudan): esp. pi. V. A. A. 1 "Ancient way stations in the southern Red Sea Hills: a new discovery," Sudan Notes and Records 2 (new series) (1998), Magid, in the southern Red Sea Hills, Sudan," in S. Wenig, "The site of Tabot. An old waystation 12. A. A. Magid, ed., Neueste Feldfor 2004), 155-72, esp. fig. 6. schungen im Sudan und inEritrea. Akten des Symposiums vom 13 bis 14 Oktober 1999 in Berlin (Wiesbaden, 17 L. M. V. Smith, "The post-Meroitic and medieval ed., Gabati. A Meroitic, Post-Meroitic and Medi pottery," in D. N. Edwards, eval Cemetery in Central Sudan. Volume 1 (London, 1998), 178-93, esp. figs. 6.27-6.30. 18 in the Eastern Desert, K. Sadr, "Preliminary reconnaissance southeast Egypt," in C. Bonnet report on an archaeological (ed.), Etude Nubiennes. Actes du Vile congr?s international d'?tudes nubiennes, 3-8 septembre 1990. Volume II (Neuchatel, 1994), 8 10, esp. 9. 19 "Wadi Qitna and Kalabsha South" 265. Strouhal, 20 "The site of Tabot" 157-59. Sadr et al., "Nubian Desert archaeology" 212, 227. Magid,

Eastern

Desert

Ware

1. Map of southeast Fig. mentioned in the text.

Egypt

from Marsa

and

northeast

Nakari

Sudan

and Wadi

showing

133

Sikait

the location

of

sites

(16x), four characteristic EDW fabrics have been identified, as well as one Using low magnification catch-all category for the many variations on these, all distinctively different from the fabrics repre sented in the Vienna System.21 EDW-1 comprises a rusty-red to orange matrix with abundant, poorly sorted mineral inclusions (Fig. 2, left). EDW-2 is very similar, but has some reduced organic material

rendering the matrix, but usually not the surfaces, very dark to black.22 Other similar fabrics could not readily be assigned to either EDW-1 or EDW-2, but most likely belong to the same ware type; 21 D. Arnold and J. Bourriau, eds., An Introduction toAncient Egyptian Pottery. Deutsches Kairo Sonderschrift 17 (Mainz am Rhein, 1993). 22 "Eastern Desert Ware from Tabot." Barnard and Magid,

Arch?ologisches

Institut Abteilung

134

JARCE 42 (2005-2006)

Fig. 2. Eastern Desert Ware fabric type1 (EDW-1). On the leftafresh break ofEDW 79fromWadi Sikait at lowmagni

(the scale is in mm), showing a rusty-red fabric fication the thin-section of EDW 150 from Tabot right petrologic ous iron-oxide, inclusions quartz and feldspar angular

numerous On (mostly quartz). poorly sorted, white inclusions numer in crossed polarized WOx magnification), (at showing light in a reddish clay matrix.

with

these were identified as 'unclassified' (Table 1). A few sherds, among which EDW 81 and 260 (Figs. 4 small shiny flakes, probably mica, best visible on the surfaces; the fabric of and 5), had additional these has been labeled EDW-3. A final fabric, so far only observed in sherds found in the Nile Valley, contained crushed pottery (grog) and was labeled EDW-4. A few EDW sherds were apparently made

in the Vienna System, or from a unique paste, identified as clay ('silt', LhLH^), well described 1 and of the latter were found in theMons Smaragdus area. In pet 'atypical' (Table catalogue). Many most in typical EDW fabrics were shown to be angular of the mineral inclusions rologic thin-sections, or quartz feldspar (Fig. 2, right), although rounded fragments of limestone and sandstone were also seen. Chemical research of the same fabrics by laser ablation and inductively coupled plasma mass of Nile

in several geologically different spectrometry (LA-ICP/MS),23 suggests that EDW was probably made most all outside the Nile These corroborate the assumption that the areas, likely findings Valley.24 vessels were probably primarily made and used in the Eastern Desert.

of the dearth of archaeological data from the region and the scarce as well as ambiguous the that made and used EDW are prudently labeled 'Eastern Desert sources,25 people Dwellers'. They are assumed to have been pastoral nomads, much like the inhabitants of the desert can be expected or otherwise to have left sherds of the pottery that they produced today,26 and Because

historical

23 This

research

Ablation

was

on the GBC ICP-MS, with attached New Wave LUV Laser Optimass Orthogonal Time-of-Flight at Califor in the Institute for Research and Society (IIRMES) Materials, Environments, by Integrated Institute of Archaeology and the Cotsen (USA) and sponsored Long Beach by Dr. Hector NefF (IIRMES) done

owned

System, nia State University, at UCLA. 24 A very brief discussion of these findings can be found in Barnard and Strouhal, "Wadi Qitna revisited? 25 = = Barnard, "Sire, il n'y a pas de Blemmyes? S. M. Burstein, "Trogodytes Blemmyes Beja? The misuse of ancient ethnography" in H. Barnard in the Old and in theNew World (Los Angeles, and W. Z. Wendrich, eds., The Archaeology ofMobility. Nomads 2008), Textual Sources for theHistory of theMiddle Nile 250-63. T. Eide, T. H?gg, R. H. Pierce, and L. T?r?k, Fontes Historiae Nubiorum. 1998). Region between theEighth Century BC and the Sixth Century AD. Volume III. From theFirst to the Sixth Century AD (Bergen, R. T. Updegraff, "The Blemmyes inW. Haase and H. Temporini, 26H. "Geneeskunst Barnard, Geneeskunde 144 (2000), 39-41

History of theBeja the Interpretation

I. The Rise of the Blemmyes and the Roman Withdrawal from Nubia under Diocletian," der r?mischen Welt. Volume II (Berlin and New York, 1972), 44-97. eds., Aufstieg und Niedergang voor door armoede [Medicine gei'nspireerd inspired by poverty]," Nederlands Tijdschrift (in Dutch with an English abstract). G. M. Murray, Sons of Ismael (London, 1935). A. Paul, A

to Agents. Tribes of the Sudan "From Objects 1954). W. Z. Wendrich, (Cambridge, of the Past," in Barnard and Wendrich, eds., The Archaeology ofMobility, 509-42.

The Ababda

Nomads

and

Eastern and subsequently

obtained, cult.

Desert

in

Only

places

Nakari

an

provided

that

infrastructure

porarily, possibly after they found some sort of employment, in small

among

quantities

pottery

and several of these, both were

Sayala

135

Sikait

settlements

allowed

of

places

detection

suggested

been

temporary

tem

and are now found were

accumulation

and in the desert, have yielded EDW. The to have

diffi

to settle

the nomads

sherds accumulated

Other

elsewhere.27

produced

in the Nile Valley

to desert

close

and Wadi

thinly scattered over a large area, which makes

discarded, outsiders

where

from Marsa

Ware

graves

in

cemeteries of

settlements

no

desert

it is remarkable that no helping with the harvest in the Nile Valley.28 From this perspective EDW has (yet) been found in Daraheib, which was a major settlement almost in the center of its distribution area, or in the settlements directly west of there, inWadi Alaqi.29

mads

As

to be the only reliable

the retrieved EDW may prove

Desert

51

Dwellers,

All

(GC/MS).30

spectrometry used

probably

were

sherds

for

at

food

tested

the shape of the vessels

vessels

and,

were

and

once,

residues

combined

to have preserved not

itmust

appearance,

or ethnic marker.32

source of information about

using

exclusively at

the

for water

used

same

gas

time

have

the Eastern

that they were

or

as

grave

likely employed been

mass

chromatography

lipids, indicating

EDW was most

(mostly cups and bowls),

its remarkable

given

organic

sherds appeared

least

Given

for

an

goods.31

as serving

obvious

cultural

The residues from theMons Smaragdus area appeared from higher status food sources (richer in animal products) than those from coastal sites, such as Berenike and Marsa Nakari. This may be related to the overall differences between the state run harbors and the privately owned beryl

mines.

characterizing EDW have been incised or impressed in the surface of the vessels before they were fired. Where visible, the vessels appear to have been decorated from left to a to when the This work for vessel would be the easiest way right, holding right-handed upright. potter, fixing the pot with the left hand while working with the right in a way that does not block the Most

of the decorations

view on the just finished parts of the decoration. The design was evidently not 'sketched', as many are in size to fill the available space. Many pat repeating patterns irregular and differ considerably terns

boids,

are

deliberately

triangles,

and

asymmetric

waves,

X's,

zigzags,

and

there

is a

'running

large

(a

dogs'

in motifs,

variation series

of

including

interlocking

rhom

circles,

'S'-shapes,

see

EDW

232 and 239) as well as more figurative suns, birds, and fish.33 After the decoration was finished, the patterns were often emphasized by applying a red slip to part of the vessel, often spilling over the rim into the inside, or by filling the lines of the decoration with a white substance, possibly lime putty. None of the tools used by the production of EDW have ever been found, but some can be inferred from the marks that they left. Rarely used is the 'hollow probe', leaving an impressed circle, which

has been 27 H.

identified as part of an animal bone.34 More

Barnard,

"Suggestions

ology ofMobility, 413-40. 28 Ricke, "Ausgrabungen" 29Alf. Castiglioni, Ang.

for a Cha?ne Op?ratoire

of Nomadic

widely

employed

Pottery Sherds,"

in Barnard

was

an instrument with a

and Wendrich,

eds., The Archae

33-35.

Das Goldland der Pharaonen (Mainz, 1995). K. Sadr, Alf. Castiglioni, andj. Vercouter, in the Nubian Desert," Sahara 6 (1994), 69-75. Sadr et al., "Nubian Desert archae and G. Negro, Castiglioni, "Archaeology ology" 203-10. 30 This research was done on the Micromass-Waters GCT GC EI/CI Time-of-Flight instrument purchased by the Pasarow Castiglioni

Ang.

Mass

The NPI-Semel of Psy Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior and The Department Spectrometry Laboratory; of California, Los Angeles Sciences; University 0078299, (USA) through NSF grant number CHE chiatry and Biobehavioral and was sponsored at UCLA. and the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology by Dr. Kym Faull (Pasarow Laboratory) 31 to Archaeological See H. Barnard, A. N. Dooley, and K. F. Faull, "An Introduction Gas Chro Lipid Analysis by Combined Mass Spectrometry in H. Barnard and J.W. Eerkens, eds., Theory and Practice of Archaeological Residue (GC/MS)," matography Analysis. British et al., Barnard 32 Barnard, 33 Strouhal, 34 Strouhal,

for an introduction 2007), 42-60, Archaeological Reports International Series 1650 (London, "Eastern Desert Ware from Sayala," for a very brief discussion of our findings. a Cha?ne "Suggestions for Op?ratoire? "Wadi Qitna "Wadi Qitna

and Kalabsha

South?

and Kalabsha

South?

165, figs. 125, 127-30. 157.

to the method,

and

136

JARCE 42 (2005-2006)

Fig. 3. Photographs showing the thornsat the base of a date-palmfrond (a), threeof the thornsused in the experiments(b), and a piece of decoratedplasticine (c), cffigs. 4191 and 51146.

incisions (Table 1, Figs 4 and 5). One item triangular point, leaving impressed triangles or V-shaped more or less readily available in Egypt that would leave such marks is the thorn of the date-palm first blades at the base of the {Phoenix dactylifera, cU^). Such thorns are actually the underdeveloped

large, feather-shaped leaf of the date-palm (Fig. 3). As part of my experiments to reproduce EDW,35 I showed that such thorns can leave marks as visible on, for instance, EDW 91 and 146 (Figs. 3-5). The thorns of Acacia nilotica or A. raddiana (.Luiui),which occur regularly throughout the region in which EDW has been found, may have produced the marks attributed to a 'round point' (Table 1), although such marks are obviously less distinctive. The same is true for the tool identified as a 'chisel', which

was probably a knife or a blade. The use of date-palm thorns on EDW

is interesting. As palm fronds are often used as fuel by potters in the Nile Valley, their triangular thorns are readily available to them. The use of palm thorns to apply decoration on pottery from the Nile Valley is rarely attested after the C-Horizon, with its cen ter in Lower Nubia, and there is no evidence to suggest a continuous tradition over 1800 years, nor of a revival of this culture in the early centuries C.E. In the desert there are very few palm trees and the use of palm thorns is indicative of contact with the Nile Valley. The origin of Eastern Desert Ware in the Nile Valley, however, is not concurrent with the results of the analysis of the fabric. Itmust be

assumed

that either clay was brought into the Nile Valley, or that palm thorns were taken into the latter seems the more likely option; especially as such thorns may primarily have served

desert. The 35

Barnard,

"Suggestions for

a Cha?ne Op?ratoire?

Eastern 1. Overview

Table Sikait

of

in the catalogue.

Desert

some

Fabric

of and

Ware

from Marsa

the characteristics tools

are

of

Nakari the EDW

in the

discussed

text;

and Wadi sherds

from Marsa

the parallels

137

Sikait

are

Nakari

and Wadi in the

specified

catalogue

Fabrics

EDW-1

7 sherds: EDW 76, 79, 82, 89, 90, 238 and 244

EDW-2

5 sherds: EDW 67, 83, 91, 237 and 246

EDW-3

3 sherds: EDW 81, 249 and 260

unclassified

23 sherds: EDW 68-75, 77, 78, 80, 84, 86-88, 230, 232, 236, 241-243, 248 and 261

atypical

9 sherds: EDW 85, 231, 233, 235, 239, 240, 245, 247 and 250 Tools

12 sherds: EDW 69, 75, 76, 79, 80, 82, 87, 91, 230, 233, 237 and 246

triangular round

2 sherds: EDW 74 and 78

hollow

EDW 231

chisel

30 sherds: EDW 67, 68, 70, 71, 73, 77, 81, 83-86, 88-90, 231, 232, 235, 236, 238-241, 243-245, 247 250 and 260 Parallels

EDW 235

Berenike

Bir Abraq?

EDW 240

Gabati?

EDW 75 and 76

Kab Marfu'a

EDW 33, 35 and 39

Kurgus

EDW 238

Sayala Tabot

EDW 249

Wadi Qitna

EDW 235

EDW 235, 240 and 249

as awls or pins. Many dwellings

of

made

of the current inhabitants of the Eastern Desert

rugs

and

mats

over

a

wooden

dome-shaped

live, at least part of the time, in

frame.

These

are made

mats

of

split

palm fronds (Phoenix dactylifera or Hyphaene thebaica, fJJ), to which these desert dwellers obviously have access, held in place with wooden pegs not unlike palm thorns.36 Such mat-dwellings ) (cA>^ texts while Strabo reports, in the first in various Middle and Late Kingdom appear to be mentioned century

C.E.,

that

the nomads

in the desert

live

in

dwellings

made

of

interwoven

split

pieces

of

palm

leafs.37

The discovery of EDW in theMons Smaragdus area is noteworthy as Olympiodorus, writing in the 5th century c.E. on his diplomatic visit to the Dodecaschoinos (the northern part of Lower Nubia, one states that in his of the needed 1), permission Fig. day king of the Blemmyes, who used the title to in visit the mines the The occurrence of EDW in Berenike desert.38 ?aaiAicjKoc ('little king'), beryl coincided

with

the presence

of a desert

3() "From Objects toAgents? Wendrich, 37 A. A. Magid, "History of the Nomadic

eds., The Archaeology ofMobility, 441-64. 3H Eide et al., Fontes Historiae Nubiorum,

oriented

Architecture 1127, 1150

group,

of the Hadendowa

(n. 777). H.

Barnard,

the identity of which

in Northeast

Sudan,"

has

so far escaped

in Barnard

"Sire, il n'y a pas de Blemmyes?

and Wendrich,

138

JARCE 42 (2005-2006)

definition,39 although the Blemmyes from the historical sources have been suggested.40 Also at Be to be suitable for the produc renike, the thin clay deposits on the desert surface were demonstrated tion of pottery,41 although this in no way proofs that such actually took place there. Apart from suitable clay, water and fuel would have had to be brought in from far inland. More likely, EDW was

in the desert whenever the need occurred or the opportunity presented itself. Its users may produced well turn out not to be a homogenous in group, nor to coincide with any of the groups mentioned sources.

the historical

42

That

tual analysis,43 and can be tradantur

abesse

capita

mouths

ore

these

sources

are

to be

with

interpreted

some

care

illustrated by a remark of Pliny the Elder when

et oculi

and eyes being attached

pectori

(the

adfixis'

'Blemmyes

are

to their chests,' Natural History

is evident

he wrote to have

reported

from

tex

that 'Blemmyes no

heads,

their

5, 46).44

Acknowledgments Sincere

thanks for their help Sandrine Marqui?, Sidebotham, Institute of Archaeology

Cotsen H.

in preparing this article are due to John and Valerie Seeger, Steve Hector Neff, Kym Faull and, of course, the Anwar Abdel-Magid, at UCLA and Willeke Wendrich. All illustrations were prepared by

Barnard.

Catalogue This

catalogue

format:

EDW-number.

of Eastern Desert Ware Context

and

date.

found Weight

inMarsa and

sell color and treatment of the inside and the outside

average

Nakari

and Wadi

thickness

of

of the vessel. Method

Sikait has the

the following

recovered

and direction

sherd.

Mun

of decora

tion. Munsell color and classification of the fabric. Rim diameter and preserved radius (estimated vessel equivalent). Classification of the form and the decoration of the vessel (Table 2), including the motif. Remarks, including the type of molecular (ICP-MS or GC/MS). prevalent analysis performed Possible

parallels.

Marsa

Nakari

EDW

(Fig. 4, top)

67-Marsa

thickness 3.4 mm.

Nakari; MN02-07 [008]; Late Roman (3rd-6th century ce.). Weight 8 g. Average Color and treatment inside 10R 4/3; smoothed. Color and treatment outside

2.5YR 4/2; burnished. Decoration (direction unknown) with chisel, filled in. Color break punctuated 2.5Y R3/1; fabric EDW-2. Form H 0; lay-out D 0 (rhomboids). Body sherd, too little remains for certain classification (ICP-MS and GC/MS).

39

S. E. Sidebotham

and W. Z. Wendrich, in Sidebotham and Wendrich, eds., summary and conclusion," "Interpretative 1996. Report of the 1996, 451-53. S. E. Sidebotham and W. Z. Wendrich, in summary and conclusion," "Interpretative Sidebotham and Wendrich, eds., Berenike 1997, 451-54. 40 and Wendrich, Rose, "Berenike, Roms Tor am Roten Meer? But see Barnard, "Report on the handmade sherds? Sidebotham

Berenike

"Sire, il n'y a pas de Blemmyes? 41 A. van As and L. F. H. C.Jacobs, and Wendrich. eds., Berenike 1994, Ab. "Archaeo-ceramological survey," in Sidebotham 42 R. S. Bagnall, R. T. J. Cappers, S. E. Sidebotham, Barnard, "Sire, il n'y a pas de Blemmyes? W. Z. Wendrich, J. A. Harrell, and R. S. Tomber, "Berenike crossroads. The eds., Excavating Asian integration of information," inN. Yoffee and B. L. Crowell, 15-66 (a revised version of an earlier article in the History. Interdisciplinary Studies in Archaeology and History (Tucson, 2006), 46,

1 [2003],

46-87). = = "Trogodytes Blemmyes Beja?" 44 "The n. 126. Barnard, Updegraff, Blemmyes," 64,

JESHO 43

Burstein,

"Sire, il n'y a pas de Blemmyes?

34.

Eastern

Table according after

from Marsa

Desert Ware

of

2. Overview

to form

and

Unknown

0 Cup

Exclusively

3

Multiple,

horizontal

Narrow,

4

Vertical

with metopes

5

Vertical

without

6

Beak-spouted

6

Horizontal

7

Tubular-spouted

7

Continuous

10 Other

Average

band

single

Miniature

Goblet

9 Dish 9

Nakari; 4.9

rim

2

8 Ladle 8

thickness

on

Bowl

4

68-Marsa

decoration

Unknown/No

1

3 Jar/pot

2

EDW

(D-classification), Strouhal 2004

and

D-classification

1

5

mm.

10

[008]; Late Roman

MN02-07 Color

Sikait

of EDW

decoration

Barnard

by

H-classification 0

and Wadi

the classification

(H-classification) 1984, modified

Strouhal

Nakari

and

treatment

inside

and

bands

metopes vertical

diagonal

Unarticulated/Asymmetric

Zoomorphic Other

(3rd-6th

unknown.

century C.E.). Weight

unknown.

Color

and

treatment

outside

10R

4/4; smoothed. Decoration (direction unknown) with chisel. Color break 10R 2.5/1; fab punctuated ric unclassified. Form H 0; lay-out D 0 (rhomboids). Body sherd, too little remains for certain classi

fication.

Surfaces

EDW

very

69-Marsa thickness

Average

Nakari; 5.9

treatment

worn,

mm.

MN02-07 Color

and

and

original

[008]; Late treatment

color

Roman inside

uncertain.

unknown.

(3rd-6th century C.E.). Weight unknown.

Color

and

treatment

outside

4/4; burnished. Decoration impressed (direction unknown) with triangular tool. Color 2.5/1; fabric unclassified. Form H 0; lay-out D 0 (waves). Body sherd, too little remains surfaces

classification;

EDW

very

worn,

treatment

and

original

color

break

10R

10R

for certain

uncertain.

[012]; Late Roman (3rd-6th century C.E.). Weight unknown. treatment and inside 10R 4/6; wiped. Color and treatment outside

70?Marsa

MN02-07

Nakari; thickness 6.3 mm. Color Average 2.5YR 5/6; smoothed. Decoration impressed 3/1; fabric unclassified. Form H 0; lay-out D

(direction unknown) with chisel. Color break 2.5YR 0 (spirals). Body sherd, too little remains for certain

classification.

EDW

71-Marsa

Nakari; MN02-07 [012]; Late Roman (3rd-6th century C.E.). Weight unknown. mm. treatment thickness 5.3 Color and 10R inside 4/6; burnished, red slip. Color and treat Average ment outside 10R 4/6; burnished, red slip. Decoration impressed (direction unknown) with chisel. Rim diameter 11 cm. (4% preserved). Color break 10R 2.5/1; fabric unclassified. Form H 1; lay-out D 0 (lines). Possible parallel EDW 248 (Wadi Sikait). EDW 72?Marsa Nakari; MN02-07 [011]; Late Roman thickness

Average

outside

EDW

mm.

Color

10R 5/6; burnished.

unclassified. ration

4.9

Form

H

1; lay-out

and

treatment

Rim diameter D

0. Surfaces

inside

(3rd-6th 2.5YR

12 cm. (5% preserved). very worn,

treatment

unknown.

century C.E.). Weight smoothed.

5/6;

Color and

Color

break

original

and

2.5YR

color

treatment

2.5/1; fabric

uncertain,

deco

lost.

73-Marsa Nakari; MN02-07 [011]; Late Roman (3rd-6th century c). Weight unknown. Average thickness 3.4 mm. Color and treatment inside 5YR 5/4; burnished. Color and treatment outside 5YR

140

JARCE 42 (2005-2006)

4/3; burnished. Decoration impressed (direction unknown) with chisel. Color break 5YR 4/1; Fabric unclassified. Form H 0; lay-out D 0 (lines). Body sherd, too little remains for certain classification. EDW 74-Marsa Nakari; MN02-07 (3rd-6th century C.E.). Weight unknown. [011]; Late Roman mm. treatment inside unknown. Color and treatment outside 10R 4/6; Color and Average thickness 4.6 burnished.

unclassified. very

Decoration Form H treatment

worn,

incised (direction unknown) with round point. Color break 10R 2.5/1; Fabric 0; lay-out D 0. Body sherd, too little remains for certain classification; surfaces and

original

color

uncertain.

Nakari; MN02-07 [011]; Late Roman (3rd-6th century C.E.). Weight 6 g. Average thickness 3.8 mm. Color and treatment inside 2.5YR 4/3; burnished, red slip. Color and treatment outside 2.5YR 4/4; burnished, red slip. Decoration incised, impressed (direction unknown) with trian cm. Rim filled in. diameter 12 (9% preserved). Color break 10YR 3/1; fabric unclassified. gular tool, EDW

75-Marsa

1; lay-out D 3 (triangles, waves). Red slip spills over on inside rim (ICP-MS " sible parallel Gabati Tl/42c (Smith, Post-meroitic pottery" 191, fig. 6.30).

Form H

Wadi

and GC/MS).

Pos

Sikait surface finds (Fig. 4, bottom)

17 g. Average thickness 5.9 mm. Sikait; surface find (3rd-6th century C.E.). Weight treatment inside 2.5YR 4/3; burnished, mottled. Color and treatment outside 10R 4/6; incised (direction unknown) with triangular tool. Rim diam burnished, mottled, red slip. Decoration eter 10 cm. (19% preserved). Color break 5YR 3/1; fabric EDW-1. Form H Id; lay-out D 5 (waves). " ICP-MS and GC/MS. Possible parallel Gabati Tl/42c (Smith, "Post-meroiticpottery 191, fig. 6.30). EDW 77?Wadi 16 g. Average thickness 6.9 mm. Sikait; surface find (3rd-6th century c.e.). Weight Color and treatment inside 5YR 4/3; untreated. Color and treatment outside 2.5YR 5/6; burnished. Decoration incised (direction unknown) with chisel. Rim diameter 18 cm. (4% preserved). Color EDW

Color

76?Wadi

and

break 2.5YR 4/1; fabric unclassified. Form H 2b; lay-out D 3 (waves). Carefully squared rim. Surfaces very worn, treatment and original color uncertain (ICP-MS and GC/MS). EDW 78?Wadi 17 g. Average thickness 5.2 mm. Sikait; surface find (3rd-6th century C.E.). Weight

Color

and

Decoration

treatment

grill decoration; H Id; lay-out D7 EDW 79?Wadi Color

and

5/4; wiped. Color and treatment outside 7.5YR 6/4; smoothed. to left (from right) with round point. Base of a conical cup (H Id) with incised diameter 6 cm. (28% preserved). Color break 5YR 5/4; fabric unclassified. Form ICP-MS and GC/MS. (grille). inside 2.5YR

incised

11 g. Average thickness 7.1 mm. Sikait; surface find (3rd-6th century C.E.). Weight treatment inside 2.5YR 5/3; wiped. Color and treatment outside 10R 4/3; burnished,

red slip. Decoration incised (direction unknown) with triangular tool. Color break 5YR 6/4; fabric EDW-1. Form H 0; lay-out D 0 (circles, waves). Body sherd, too little remains for certain classification (ICP-MS). EDW 80?Wadi thickness 5.6 mm. Sikait; surface find (3rd-6th century c.e.). Weight 7 g. Average

Color

and treatment inside 7.5YR 5/3; smoothed.

Color

Decoration

and treatment outside with

(direction unknown) impressed, punctuated triangular 7.5YR 5/1; fabric unclassified. Form H 0; lay-out D 0 (circles, triangles). Body for

certain

classification;

surfaces

very

worn,

treatment

and

original

7.5YR 6/4; smoothed. in. Color break

tool, filled

color

sherd, too little remains

uncertain

(ICP-MS).

11 g. Average thickness 6.2 mm. Sikait; surface find (3rd-6th century C.E.). Weight Color and treatment inside 10YR 3/1; smoothed, burnt. Color and treatment outside 5YR 5/6, smoothed. Decoration incised (direction unknown) with chisel. Color break 10YR 3/1; fabric EDW-3. EDW

81?Wadi

Form H 0; lay-out D 0 (lines). Body sherd, too little remains for certain classification (ICP-MS). EDW 82?Wadi Sikait; surface find (3rd-6th century C.E.). Weight 24 g. Average thickness 6.8 mm. Color and treatment inside 2.5YR 5/4, burnished, red slip. Color and treatment outside 2.5YR 5/4,

Eastern

Desert

from Marsa

Ware

Nakari

and Wadi

70

67 r^

I

71

J/ 73 0 cm.

74 5

72

V7

7

75HT

\^9\

70

873?

7

90 0 cm. 91 4. Eastern Desert Ware F?g. Eastern Desert Ware 76-91, EDW

83

thefull

141

Sikait

preserved

67-75,

^\ excavated

7

5

?0 MBW

at Marsa

in Wadi Sikait surface finds decoration is represented.

Nakari (in

and (ancient Nechesiaf), theMons area). Of Smaragdus

JARCE 42 (2005-2006)

142

burnished, mottled, red slip. Decoration impressed (decoration unknown) with triangular tool. Color break 2.5YR 4/1; fabric EDW-1. Form H 0; lay-out D 0 (lines, X-motif). Body sherd, too little remains for certain classification (ICP-MS and GC/MS). EDW 83?Wadi Sikait; surface find (3rd-6th century C.E.). Weight 53 g. Average thickness 4.4 mm. Color and treatment inside 5YR 5/6; smoothed, red slip. Color and treatment outside 5YR 6/6; bur nished, red slip. Decoration (direction unknown) with chisel, filled in. impressed, incised, punctuated Base of a conical cup (H Id) with incised X-motif; diameter 7 cm. (76% preserved). Color break 5YR Form H

3/1; fabric EDW-2. and GC/MS).

Id; lay-out D 5 (lines, X-motif). Red

slip spills over on inside rim (ICP/MS

thickness 7.3 mm. 12 g. Average Sikait; surface find (3rd-6th century c.E.) Weight treatment 10R 4/4; outside red slip. Color and Color and treatment inside 10R 4/3, burnished, break 10R 4/1; chisel. Color with red slip. Decoration burnished, (direction unknown) impressed fabric unclassified. Form H 0; lay-out D 0 (spirals, waves). Body sherd, too little remains for certain EDW

84?Wadi

(ICP-MS and GC/MS). thickness EDW 85?Wadi Sikait; surface find (3rd-6th century c.E.). Weight 9 g. Average red slip. Color and treatment outside Color and treatment inside 10R 5/6; burnished, red slip. Decoration burnished, impressed (direction unknown) with chisel. Color break numerous fabric with oval, relatively large organic inclusions. Form H 0; lay-out D atypical classification

4.2 mm. 10R 5/6; 10R 5/2; 0 (lines,

spirals). Body sherd, too little remains for certain classification (ICP-MS and GC/MS). EDW 86?Wadi Sikait; surface find (3rd-6th century c.E.). Weight 20 g. Average thickness 6.8 mm. Color and treatment inside 10R 3/1; burnished, burnt. Color and treatment outside 10R 4/3; bur cm. (4% preserved). nished. Decoration impressed (direction unknown) with chisel. Rim diameter 21

10R 3/1; fabric unclassified. Form H 2c; lay-out D 3 (spirals, waves). ICP-MS and GC/MS. 14 g. Average thickness 6.5 mm. Sikait; surface find (3rd-6th century c.E.). Weight Color and treatment inside 10R 5/6; wiped. Color and treatment outside 10R 5/6; smoothed, mot cm. tled. Decoration impressed, incised (direction unknown) with triangular tool. Rim diameter 7 break

Color

EDW

87?Wadi

Color

(12% preserved). GC/MS. EDW

break

10R 5/6; fabric unclassified.

Form H

7; lay-out D

8 (lines, triangles).

Sikait; surface find (3rd-6th century c.E.). Weight 20 g. Average thickness 6.3 mm. treatment inside 10R 5/6; smoothed. Color and treatment outside 10R 3/3, burnished. incised, punctuated (direction unknown) with chisel. Color break 10R 5/4; fabric unclas

88?Wadi

Color

and

Decoration

sified. Form H 0; lay-out D 0 (lines, triangles). Body sherd, too little remains for certain classification (ICP-MS). EDW 89?Wadi 19 g. Average thickness 7.1 mm. Sikait; surface find (3rd-6th century c.E.). Weight Color and treatment inside 2.5YR 5/4; burnished. Color and treatment outside 2.5YR 5/6; bur nished. Decoration impressed (direction unknown) with chisel. Color break 10R 5/6; fabric EDW-1. Form

H

0;

lay-out

D

0

(spirals,

waves).

Body

sherd,

too

little

remains

for

certain

classification.

19 g. Average thickness 5.1 mm. Sikait; surface find (3rd-6th century c.E.). Weight Color and treatment inside 7.5R 2.5/1; smoothed, burnt. Color and treatment outside 2.5YR 5/6; 17 cm. smoothed, mottled. Decoration impressed (direction unknown) with chisel. Rim diameter Color break 2.5YR 5/6; fabric EDW-1. Form H 3; lay-out D 5 (X-motif, zig-zag). (9% preserved). EDW

ICP-MS

90?Wadi

and GC/MS.

Sikait; surface find (3rd-6th century c.E.). Weight 33 g. Average thickness 5.2 mm. treatment inside 10YR 5/3; wiped. Color and treatment outside 10R 4/4; burnished, red incised, punctuated (direction unknown) with triangular tool, filled in. Rim diameter slip. Decoration 18 cm. (5% preserved). Color break 5YR 3/1; fabric EDW-2. Form H 2a; lay-out D 7 (running dog, EDW

Color

91?Wadi

and

triangles). Red

slip spills over on inside rim (ICP-MS

and GC/MS).

Eastern Wadi

Desert Ware

from Marsa

Nakari

and Wadi

143

Sikait

Sikait (Fig. 5)

Sikait; SK03-9 [016] pb#055 (5th century c.e.). Weight 24 g. Average thickness 7.3 mm. Color and treatment inside 2.5YR 5/4; wiped. Color and treatment outside 10R 6/4; red slip, smoothed. Decoration impressed, incised (direction unknown) with triangular tool. Color break EDW

230-Wadi

Form H 0; lay-out D 0 (triangles, waves).

2.5YR 6/4; fabric unclassified. for

certain

Body

sherd, too little remains

classification.

thick (5th-6th century c.e.). Weight 6 g. Average 5/6; smoothed. Color and treatment outside 10R impressed (direction unknown) with chisel, hollow probe;

EDW

231-Wadi Sikait; SK03-10 [027] pb#083 ness 4.1 mm. Color and treatment inside 2.5YR

4/6; burnished, red slip. Decoration plastic, filled in. Color break 10R 3/1; atypical fabric with burnt organic remains, few mineral inclusions and micaceous surfaces. Form H 1; lay-out D 0 (lines). Too little remains for certain classification. EDW

Color

served). Color inside

treatment

and

tled. Decoration 6 cm.;

Sikait; SK03-9

232-Wadi

6.1 mm.

[012] pb#030

inside

(late 5th century c.e.). Weight

Color

unknown.

treatment

and

outside

53 g. Average

10R

thickness

smoothed,

5/6;

mot

(direction unknown) with chisel, filled in. Rim diameter 11 cm. (37% pre 10R 6/6; fabric unclassified. Form H 1; lay-out D 2 (lines, running dog). Height

incised break

surface

very

treatment

worn,

color

and

uncertain

also

See

(ICP-MS).

Barnard,

original " "Sire, il n'y a pas de Blemmyes" 35-37, fig. 2, and Barnard, "Fine pottery 30. thick EDW 233-Wadi 12 g. Average Sikait; SK03-6 [050] pb#113 (5th-6th century c.e.). Weight ness 3.9 mm. Color and treatment inside 2.5YR 6/6; wiped. Color and treatment outside 10R 5/6,

Decoration incised (direction unknown) with triangular tool. Base of a cup (H 1) with incised decoration; diameter 9 cm. Color break 2.5YR 4/1; atypical fabric with burnt organic remains and few mineral inclusions. Form H 1; lay-out D 0 (lines). EDW 235-Wadi Sikait; SK03-6 [041] pb#125 (4th-5th century C.E.). Weight 4 g. Average thickness 3.9 mm. Color and treatment inside 7.5R 5/8; wiped. Color and treatment outside 10R 5/6; bur

burnished.

cm. plastic, impressed, incised (direction unknown) with chisel. Rim diameter 12 fabric burnt remains and few mineral Color break 5YR with 3/1; atypical (11% preserved). organic inclusions. Form H 1; lay-out D 3 (lines, waves). Carefully squared rim. Possible parallels BE94/95-1 " 166, fig. 6-15/5); EDW 57 (Barnard and Rose "Eastern [bee] pb#67 (Hayes, "Pottery,Berenike 1995 Desert Ware from Berenike")', EDW 108 and 126 (Barnard and Magid, "Eastern Desert Ware from Tabot"); EDW 207 and 210 (Barnard and Strouhal, "Wadi Qitna revisited"). nished. Decoration

EDW 236-Wadi Sikait; SK03-6 [013] pb#110 (5th-6th century c.e.). Weight 2 g. Average thickness 4.5 mm. Color and treatment inside 2.5YR 5/6, smoothed. Color and treatment outside 2.5YR 5/6, burnished. Decoration impressed (direction unknown) with chisel, filled in. Rim diameter 9 cm. (4% preserved).

Color break 5YR 6/6; fabric unclassified.

for

classification.

certain

Form H

la; lay-out D 2 (waves). Too

little remains

EDW 237-Wadi Sikait; SK03-6 [042] pb#091 (5th-6th century c.e.). Weight 5 g. Average thickness 5.1 mm. Color and treatment inside 10R 5/6; smoothed. Color and treatment outside 10R 5/6, red incised (direction unknown) with triangular tool. Rim diameter 10 cm. (5% pre slip. Decoration served). Color

slip

spills

treatment

EDW 4.6 mm.

over and

break on

inside

original

238-Wadi Color

10R 4/4; fabric EDW-2.

and

too

rim; color

little

Form H

remains

for

1; lay-out D 7 (lines). Carefully

certain

classification;

outside

squared rim; red

surface

very

worn,

uncertain.

5 g. Average thickness Sikait; SK03-6 [021] pb#043 (5th century c.e.). Weight treatment inside 10R 5/6; smoothed. Color and treatment outside 10R 4/4; red

incised (direction unknown) with chisel, filled in. Rim diameter 10 cm. (13% pre slip. Decoration served). Color break 10R 5/8; fabric EDW-1. Form H la; lay-out D 7 (lines, waves). Red slip spills over on

inside

rim;

too

little

remains

for

certain

classification;

outside

surface

very

worn,

treatment

and

144

JARCE 42 (2005-2006)

232 233

j

^tJ

235

1

7 J

7

i 237

236

238

239

\

240 ^

7

242

1

243 m

\W

r?"

247

248

246

249

^| 250

7vw Ocm.

260 5. Eastern Desert Ware Hg. Mons area). Too Smaragdus diameter.

r

to

HEW 260 and 261, at Wadi excavated Sikait 230-233, 235-250, (in the little of the rims was EDW 231 and 241 to establish a rim of preserved

Desert

Eastern original color uncertain. fig. 9/EDW 227).

Possible

from Marsa

Ware

parallel Kurgus

Nakari

(Barnard

and Wadi

Sikait

145

et al., "Eastern Desert Ware from Sayala"

10 g. Sikait; SK03-10 [140] pb#309 & [164] pb#336 (5th-6th century c.e.). Weight out treatment thickness 3.9 mm. Color and treatment inside 5YR 5/4; smoothed. Color and

EDW

239-Wadi

Average side 10R 5/8; smoothed, red slip. Decoration impressed (direction unknown) with chisel. Rim diame ter 11 cm. (11% preserved). Color break 5YR 2.5/1; atypical fabric with burnt organic remains. Form H 1; lay-out D 3 (running dog). Red slip spills over on inside rim (ICP-MS). See also Barnard, "Sire, il y'a pas de Blemmyes," 35-37, fig. 2. 11 g. Average thick EDW 240-Wadi Sikait; SK03-8 [049] pb#105 (5th-6th century c.e.). Weight ness 6.5 mm. Color and treatment inside 2.5YR 6/4; wiped. Color and treatment outside 10R 5/6; incised (direction unknown) with chisel. Rim diameter 17 cm. (5% smoothed, red slip. Decoration inclusions. preserved). Color break 2.5YR 4/4; atypical reddish brown fabric with abundant mineral Form H 2b; lay-out D 2 (grille). Indented, carefully squared rim (ICP-MS). Possible parallels EDW 33, 155 (Barnard and Magid, 35 and 39 (Barnard and Rose, "Eastern Desert Ware from Berenike"); EDW "Eastern Desert Ware from Tabot"); possibly also Bir Abraq (Sadr, "Preliminary report," 9, fig. 3).

241-Wadi Sikait; SK03-6 [066] pb#148 (5th-6th century c.e.). Weight unknown. Average thickness 4.9 mm. Color and treatment inside 10R 5/6; wiped. Color and treatment outside 7.5R 4/6; EDW

burnished, red slip. Decoration impressed (direction unknown) with chisel. Color break 2.5YR 4/2; fabric unclassified. Form H 3; lay-out D 8 (circles, rhomboids, waves). Unusual large body sherd, clas sification remains uncertain (ICP-MS). EDW

242-Wadi

5.8 mm.

Color

21 cm. (7% preserved).

diameter rated,

12 g. Average thickness Sikait; SK03-9 [015] pb#029 (late 5th century c.e.). Weight and treatment inside unknown. Color and treatment outside 10R 3/1, burnt. Rim

may

not

color uncertain

be

EDW.

Carefully

Color

break

squared

2.5YR

rim;

inside

5/1; fabric unclassified. surface

very

worn,

Form H treatment

2b; undeco and

original

See also Barnard, "Sire, il y'a pas de Blemmyes" 35-37, fig. 2. 11 g. Average EDW 243-Wadi thick Sikait; SK03-7 [083] pb#148 (5th-6th century c.e.). Weight ness 5.5 mm. Color and treatment 7.5YR 6/4; wiped. Color and treatment outside 10R 5/6; bur cm. (4% nished, red slip. Decoration impressed (direction unknown) with chisel. Rim diameter 12 preserved). Color break 5YR 5/1; fabric unclassified. Form H le; lay-out D 8 (circles, waves). Red slip (ICP-MS).

spills over on inside rim (ICP-MS). See also Barnard 2005, pp. 35-37, fig. 2. EDW 244-Wadi Sikait; SK03-6 [042] pb#090 (5th-6th century c.e.). Weight 6 g. Average thickness 3.9 mm. Color and treatment inside 10R 5/6; smoothed. Color and treatment outside 7.5R 4/4; incised (direction unknown) with chisel. Rim diameter 8 cm. (14% burnished, red slip. Decoration preserved). Color break 10R 5/6; fabric EDW-1. Form H Id; lay-out D 6 (lines, running dog). Two, same conical cup (H Id); inside surface very worn, treatment and non-joining sherds of the original color

uncertain.

EDW 4.4 mm.

Sikait; SK03-8 [059] pb#118 (5th-6th century c.e.). Weight 6 g. Average thickness and treatment inside 5YR 3/1; burnt. Color and treatment outside 7.5R 5/6; bur red slip. Decoration impressed (direction unknown) with chisel. Color break 5YR 2.5/1; atyp 245-Wadi Color

nished, ical fabric with burnt organic for

certain

remains. Form H 0; lay-out D 0 (X-motif). Body

sherd, too little remains

classification.

EDW 246-Wadi 14 g. Average thick Sikait; SK03-7 [033] pb#201 (5th-6th century c.e.). Weight ness 4.8 mm. Color and treatment inside 10R 6/3; treatment Color and outside 10R 6/3, wiped. cm. Decoration incised Rim diameter 17 with tool. (direction unknown) wiped. impressed, triangular (8% preserved). Color break 10R 4/1; fabric EDW-2. Form H 2a; lay-outD 7 (triangles, waves). Indented rim (ICP-MS). EDW 247-Wadi 13 g. Average thickness Sikait; SK03-9 [023] pb#046 (5th century c.e.). Weight 5.8 mm. Color and treatment inside 10R 4/3, smoothed, burnt. Color and treatment outside 10R 4/3;

146

JARCE 42 (2005-2006) burnt. Decoration

impressed (direction unknown) with chisel. Rim diameter 16 cm. (10% inclusions. 4/3; atypical reddish brown fabric with abundant mineral preserved). Form H 2b; lay-out D 3 (waves). See also Barnard, "Sire, il de 2. 35-37, y'a pas Blemmyes" fig. EDW 248-Wadi thickness Sikait; SK03-9 [007] pb#014 (late 5th century c.E.). Weight 4 g. Average 5.4 mm. Color and treatment inside 2.5YR 5/4; treatment Color and 7.5R outside 5/4; wiped, wiped. red slip. Decoration incised (direction unknown) with chisel. Rim diameter 10 cm. (5% preserved). Color break 10 R3/1; fabric unclassified. Form H Id; lay-out D 3 (lines). Red slip spills over on inside rim. Possible parallel EDW 71 (Marsa Nakari). See also Barnard, "Sire, il y'a pas de Blemmyes," 35-37, 2. fig. smoothed,

Color

break 2.5YR

EDW 249-Wadi 10 g. Average thickness Sikait; SK03-9 [007] pb#014 (late 5th century c.E.). Weight 6.2 mm. Color and treatment inside 10R 5/6; smoothed, red slip. Color and treatment outside 10R 5/6; smoothed, red slip. Decoration impressed, incised (direction unknown) with chisel, filled in. Rim diameter 14 cm. (4% preserved). Color break 2.5YR 5/6; fabric EDW-3. Form H 2b; lay-out D 3 (tri ICP-MS. Possible 76251 Abb. angles, waves). 12/2, Tafel (Bedawi 1976, pp. 29-30, parallels Sayala 105 (Barnard and Magid, "Eastern 28/2); Sayala 77183 (Kromer 1967, pp. 96-99, Abb. 31/2); EDW Desert Ware from Tabot"); EDW 287 (Barnard et al., "Eastern Desert Ware 58-59, from Sayala" fig. 7). See also Barnard, "Sire, il y'a pas de Blemmyes," 35-37, fig. 2. EDW 250-Wadi 5 g. Average thickness Sikait; SK03-9 [025] pb#050 (5th century c.E.). Weight 4.5 mm. Color and treatment inside 10R 5/6; and treatment outside 10R 5/6; wiped. Color incised (direction unknown) with chisel, filled in. Rim diameter smoothed, mottled. Decoration 14 cm. (5% preserved). Color break 2.5YR 4/4; reddish brown fabric with mineral abundant atypical inclusions.

Form H

2d;

lay-out D

2 (waves).

Small hole

in the wall of the vessel

(for suspension

or

repair?). EDW 260-Wadi Sikait; SK02-1 [004] pb#007 (5th-6th century c.E.). Weight 28 g. Average thick ness 6.8 mm. Color and treatment inside 10R 5/6; treatment and Color outside 7.5R 4/2; wiped. burnished, burnt. Rim diameter 14 cm. (3% preserved). Color break 10R 5/8; fabric EDW-3. Form H 2b; undecorated, may not be EDW. EDW 261-Wadi Sikait; SK02-1 [008] pb#012 (5th-6th century c.E.). Weight 44 g. Average thick ness 6.4 mm. Color and treatment inside 10R 5/6; smoothed. Color and treatment outside 10R 3/1; incised (direction unknown) with chisel. Color break smoothed, burnt. Decoration impressed, 5YR 4/1; fabric unclassified. Form H 0; lay-out D 0 (triangles, waves). Two, non-joining body sherds of the same vessel; too little remains for certain classification (ICP-MS and GC/MS). Cotsen

Institute of Archaeology of California, Los Angeles

University