Kom El-Dikka: Excavations 2000/2001

The archaeological campaign at the Kom el-Dikka site in Alexandria was conducted between July 2000 and the end of June 2001. The actual fieldwork lasted shorter than usual and was concluded by the end of March, the rest of the season being devoted to documentation and recording, as well as studies on finds from previous excavations. 1 ) Work was undertaken again on the Islamic pottery documentation project, initiated in 1999. 2 ) The studies and recording work (covering classification, drawing and photographing) continue to focus on the medieval glazed wares discovered in earlier excavations of the site, including Early Lead Glazes, Fayyumi, Lustre Wares, Early Sgraffito, Underglaze Painted etc., all originating from the Early Islamic (Omayyad through Ayyubid) period. Site landscaping prerequisite to the completion of the first stage of the Kom el-Dikka Preservation Project continued to take up much time and effort. To meet future landscaping requirements and to enable excavations along the line of the stylobate of the Theater Portico, some 3,000 cubic meters of modern (19th century) upper stratum soil had to be removed, pushing back the limits of the excavated area another 5-6 m. This demanding task was effectively accomplished thanks to substantial logistical assistance from the authorities of the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the Governorate of Alexandria.