| Mapped
and described in 2003 by a team led by P Wilson. The site is a large sprawling
tell, with soft dirt on the top surface in most areas and some firmer sections,
particularly the central tell area. The sides of the tell are gently sloping,
with a low ridge on the eastern side enclosing a lower flatter area
of land. The sides have been cut by the adjacent fish farms. Two
fragments of granite grinding stones were noted lying on the site. To the
north is a series of low mounds which may have been redeposited by
excavation of the fish lakes or may represent archaeological remains. There
is no proper road to the site and it is very difficult to reach. One of
a series of extant tells along the southern edge of Lake Burullus, including
Kom el Ahmar (256, under name Qeid el-Gahsh) and Tell Ritabi (258).
Kom el Ahmar can be seen from Foqaa and Ritabi from Ahmar.
Pottery
Pottery was collected
from the surface, though it was in bad condition and not very common.
On the southern side there seemed to be proportionally more glass on the
surface. The possible dates of some of the pottery suggest that this site
had quite along life from the Late Roman through to the Islamic Period
proper and that its presence here, at the edge of Lake Burullus,
may be significant.
Diagnostic Types:
Large handle with
boss, from large amphora of some kind.
Egyptian Nile silt
amphora im.
Base of large bowl
with deliberate hole in base, also of large diameter.
Large bowl with pie-cust
rim and olive green coloured slip on surface.
Base of water jar
(?) with yellow paint on outer surface.
Tesson in foreign
ware: yellow, with large black particles, some yellow and limestone
particles.
Amphora or jar base
with button on outside.
Horizontal handle
from side of large bowl/dish.
Rim sherd painted
in cream paint with wavy line decoration.
Body sherd, painted
in purple paint on buff/light orange background paint with a stylised
eye.
Two fragments of
bowls with dark green and opaque yellow glaze (Islamic glazes such as
these could be dataed as late as 9th-15th century AD, see CCE 6
nos 234-235, Dendera survey).
Fragment of African
Red Slip bowl, bright orange and very fine ware.
Late Cypriot sigillata
fragment with incised decoration (all 5th-6th century AD).
Other Finds
Fragments of glass
beaker/lamp with blue egg-shaped decoration (Karanis late 3rd-5th AD;
Kellia 390-450 AD, after Bailey in CCE 4, 81-82).
Three bronze coins,
all corroded, but one had Arabic writing on it.
Other Comments
Despite the unpromising
nature of the site and difficulty of getting to it, Tell Fuqa had
some of the most interesting pottery and glass and would probably be worthy
of study. |
View of part of the mound in 2003
(P. Wilson)
Information collected
and site mapped on 11th and 13th September 2003 by Cook, Morley & Wilson.
No nearby village,
but on the main road north to the fishing village of Shaklubiyah.
GPS Coordinates of
Points:
Station 1 : N31º
22' 06.8", E30º 46' 59.0"
Foqaa1 : N3lº
22' 15.8", E30º 47' 04.3"
Foqaa2 : N31º
22' 04.0", E30º 47' 05.9"
Foqaa3 : N31º
22' 00.8", E30º 46' 58.0"
SoE Points:
Station 1 is SoE marker |