Banganarti and Selib in 2011/2012 and 2013

Abstract

In the course of two seasons in 2012 and 2013 the team carried out excavations andresearch on the living quarters alongside the fortifications of Banganarti, including a large building(E.1) and eastern tower. Work on the restoration/conservation of the Upper Church progressedaccording to plan, combined with limited iconographic studies. The team also worked at the sitesof Selib and Soniyat. At Selib explorations continued at three locations. The phasing of the churchat Selib 1 was established (separate report by A. Cedro), leading to a reconstruction of the planof the earliest two buildings. A Meroitic(?) structure was investigated at Selib 3 and the Meroiticsettlement at Selib 2 continued to be investigated (separate report by R. Hajduga and K. Solarska).A tachymetric plan and magnetic map of the environs of the Kushite temple at Soniyat wasaccomplished, recording a huge building (palace?) of apparently Kushite date (Napatan ceramicforms and Egyptian imports dating from the Third Intermediate Period) to the north of the temple.A separate team undertook a reconnaissance in regions scheduled to be flooded due to new damconstruction projects in Kajbar and Shereik (Third and Fifth cataracts), staying on to record indetail a number of Makurian fortresses.

Keywords

• Banganarti
• Selib
• Soniyat
• church/temple/palace
• Meroitic settlement
• Kushite