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This manual is intended to accompany the training of future ceramic specialists in the Arab world. Resulting from the collaboration of four major institutions of French archaeology abroad: the Section française de la direction des Antiquités du Soudan (Sfdas), the Institut français d’Archéologie orientale (Ifao), the Institut français du Proche-Orient (Ifpo) and the Centre français de recherche de la péninsule arabique (Cefrepa), it draws on the recent work of specialists from the Nile Valley, the Near East and the Arabian Peninsula to shed light on the theoretical reflections that have enriched ceramic studies in recent decades. Providing a genuine field tool, this volume is nonetheless a skilfully illustrated collection of the contribution of ceramic studies to the understanding of human history. This is the English version of the manual. The bilingual version (English / Arabic) is available here: https://page.hn/yq8gch.

The approach adopted since the creation of the laboratory of ceramic studies at the Ifao has always been to characterise the regional groups. It could be useful to provide an update regarding the question of the production sites published to date from the Predynastic to the Arab period. The result is disappointing. The archaeological inventory presents important regional and chronological disparities and gaps (Marchand 2014; Arnold et al. 2018, pp.220-224; Marchand et al. 2018; Barahona-Mendi...

International audience

Entre 1888 et 1920, le site de Gourob, à l’entrée sud du Fayoum, a fait l’objet de quatre campagnes de fouilles, ainsi que d’actions plus ponctuelles, qui ont permis de mettre au jour les principales composantes du Nouvel Empire, à savoir une ville, un « harem », des lieux d’artisanat, des nécropoles, ainsi qu’un « fort ». Le Gurob Harem Palace Project (mission anglo-danoise) a ensuite repris le travail sur le site jusqu’en 2015. Depuis 2016, Gourob est un chantier de l’Ifao et les résultats de la campagne 2017 sont ici présentés. L’une des principales nouvelles problématiques développées dans ce cadre est celle de la présence d’un port dans l’Antiquité, bien attesté dans la documentation textuelle. C’est en ce sens que des prospections géophysiques et géoarchéologiques ont été menées à l’est du site, avec des résultats particulièrement engageants. L’étude archéologique s’est quant à elle concentrée sur la zone au nord-est du palais-harem, qui n’avait pas fait l’objet de fouilles depuis 1920, et principalement sur un bâtiment appelé « fort » par les anciens fouilleurs, datant selon eux de la Première Période intermédiaire. Les sondages effectués dans les parties nord et est de cette structure ont permis de formuler des hypothèses préliminaires quant à sa fonction, sa datation et son lien avec la rampe qui coupe son flanc est. Ces observations demanderont à être vérifiées lors des prochaines saisons. Between 1888 and 1920, the site of Gurob, located at the south entrance of the Fayum area, was the subject of four campaigns of archaeological excavations, as well as some more specific actions. This led to the discovery of the main New Kingdom component, i.e. the town, a “harim,” an industrial area, several necropolises and a “fort.” The Gurob Harem Palace Project (British-Danish team) then carried out work between 2005 and 2015. Since 2016, Gurob is an IFAO fieldwork and the results of the campaign 2017 are presented herein. One of the main new issues developed within this framework is the presence of a harbor during Antiquity, well attested in the textual documentation. Geophysical and geoarchaeological surveys have been led in this sense along the eastern edge of the site, with particularly promising results. The archaeological study focused on the area north-east of the harim-palace, which has not been excavated since 1920, and mainly on a building called “fort” by the former excavators, who dated it back to the First Intermediate Period. The trench dug in the northern and eastern sectors of this structure allowed a preliminary hypothesis to be presented concerning its function, its dating and its link with the ramp cutting through its eastern side. These observations prompt verification during the next seasons.

International audience

International audience

International audience

This article provides a brief summary of archaeological fieldwork conducted by the University of Vienna Middle Egypt Project at el-Sheikh Fadl Umm Raqaba with a special focus on one particular Late Period tomb, A2 T1. Having been discovered by Flinders Petrie in the early 20th century, this rock-cut tomb is of special interest because of a lengthy Aramaic dipinto inscription with a literary text telling the tale of the Egyptian rebel Inaros who fought against the Assyrian occupation during the 7th century BCE. The tomb was fully excavated for the first time by the Austrian mission in 2016 and 2017. Significant and substantial new evidence was uncovered including large quantities of human remains and artefacts that provide insights into the ancient occupation of the tomb as well as its dating. Importantly, the Aramaic inscription and the underlying original painted decoration of the tomb were subject to intensive new study that included first-hand confirmation of the reading of the rebel’s name as ynḥrw being the Aramaic form of the Egyptian name ’ir.t-ḥr-r.r=w (Greek Ináros). Further, the inscription and decorations were recorded with the assistance of Multispectral Imaging (MSI) technology which enabled to counterbalance degeneration and modern graffiti to enhance better reading. The first results of this new archaeological work would suggest that the tomb itself probably dates somewhat later than had been previously suggested, which, nevertheless, opens up new possibilities to explain the significance and provide an interpretation for this unusual inscription as well as for the tomb, the site and the region surrounding el-Sheikh Fadl.