Early Makuria Research Project – Tanqasi excavation, the 5th season

Mahmoud El-Tayeb

The fifth season of excavations at Tanqasi Tumuli Field was conducted in a period between 8th Jan. 2023 and 28th of Feb. 2023. The objective of the study is to understand the history and development of the burial practice in the long forgotten site. Hence, in this season, further three tumuli were selected for exploration. T. 86 lies on the south-west side of the cemetery, while T. 94 lies on the central West side and T. 96 is dug on the central East part. Although all three burials were badly plundered and highly disturbed, some essential information were brought to light.

The superstructure of Tumulus 86 measures 39m in EW by 34m in NS and 1.35m in height. The round-shaped tumulus is built out of loose earth mixed with gravel and Nile silt. On its top, appears a large crater of a c. 6.5 m diameter.

Further exploration proved that the tumulus is constructed in the well-known U-Shape type, with the burial chambers cut on its three sides: South, West and East. All of them were thoroughly plundered in the past and the human skeletal remains were completely devastated. Only some pottery offerings were found.

The other two Tumuli, T. 94 and T. 96, are located at some distance of several hundred meters to the East of Tumulus 86. Both of them appear to have been subject to repeated plundering and devastation.

Fig. 1. The map of site of Tanqasi

 

Fig. 2. Tumulus 86, plan of the shaft and chambers

 

Fig. 3. Tumulus 86, before excavation (photo: J. Świda)

 

Fig. 4. Tumulus 86, U-shaped shaft during excavation (photo: J. Malinkiewicz)

 

Fig. 5. Tumulus 94, before excavation (photo: J. Malinkiewicz)

 

Fig. 6. Tumulus 94, during exploration (photo: J. Malinkiewicz)

 

Fig. 7. Tumulus 96, plan of the dromos and shaft

 

Fig. 8. Tumulus 96, beads found on the surface, left by modern plunderers (photo: J. Malinkiewicz)