The PCMA Seminar will host an online workshop titled: “Results of Recent Excavations at the Blemmyan Necropolis in Berenike (Egyptian Eastern Desert)”. Over the course of 11 presentations, the team led by Dr. Mariusz Gwiazda will share the findings from their latest research season.
Abstract: “During the 2023 and 2024 excavation seasons in Berenike, extensive archaeological work continued on the Blemmyan necropolis. During these investigations, seven new chamber tombs dating to the 4th–5th centuries AD were uncovered. The interior of each of these tombs had a designated area for burials and a separate space where ritual practices were conducted. This evidence indicates the complexity of the burial customs of the indigenous population of the Eastern Desert, which inhabited Berenike at that time. Detailed results of the work in individual excavations will be presented during the workshop. For the first time, studies on selected groups of artifacts from the excavations on the necropolis will also be presented. The final part of the program includes the presentation of the results of spatial analyses on both micro and macro scales, including the analysis of object distribution and the visibility of tomb structures in the landscape.”
The seminar will be held in online form on Thursday, 13th June from 12.00 till 4.20 pm (Warsaw time, UTC+2) on Zoom.
To obtain a link, please write to: seminarium.pcma@uw.edu.pl
PROGRAM:
12:00–12:10 Mariusz Gwiazda, Introduction to the workshop and research in Berenike’s necropolis
12:10–12:15 Tomasz Herbich, Results of the magnetic survey in the northwestern necropolis
12:15–13:05 Emilia Smagur, Excavation results from trenches BE23-157, BE24-158. and BE23-159
13:05–13:15 Discussion
13:15–13:30 BREAK
13:30–13:45 Sana Chowdhry, Excavation results from trench BE24-164
13:45–14:15 Jakub Mosiejczyk, Excavation results from trenches BE23-160 and BE23-165
14:15–14:30 Mariusz Gwiazda, Excavation results from trench BE24-173
14:30–14:40 Discussion
14:40–15:00 BREAK
15:00–15:15 Alexandra Konstantinidou, Pottery finds from the N1–N2 necropolis
15:15–15:30 Iwona Zych, Overview of small finds from the Berenike necropolis
15:30–15:40 Sana Chowdhry and Kacper Żochowski, Community archaeology and social media activity in Berenike
15:40–15:50 Michał Wiktorzak, Spatial distribution of objects in the N1–N2 necropolis
15:50–16:00 Anna Fijałkowska and Oskar Graszka, Viewshed analysis of the tumuli necropolis
16:00–16:10 Mariusz Gwiazda, Summary of the workshop
16:10–16:20 Discussion
The workshop is organized in connection with Dr. Mariusz Gwiazda’s project: “Cultural, demographic and biological profiles of post-Roman (4th–6th century CE) inhabitants of the port of Berenike (Egypt), based on non-invasive, excavation and bioarchaeological studies of two urban necropolises” funded by a National Science Centre National Science Centre Poland, Sonata 17 grant 2021/43/D/HS3/00248