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This is the continuation of Part
II in this series examining minor ruins of temples and
other monuments in the Nile Delta. For information on Abusir
(in the Delta), Tell Atrib (Arhribis), Ausim (Letopolis),
Behbeit el-Hagar, and Tell el-Dab'a, as well as a listing of
the major ruins in the Nile Delta, please see Minor Temple and
Other Ruins of the Nile Delta, Part I. For information on Ezbet
Rushdi, Tell Far'un
(Tell Fara'un), Kom el-Hisn (ancient Imu), Kom Abu Billo
(known to the Greeks as Terenuthis) and Tell el-Maskhuta near
Ismaliya,
please see part
two of the series and for information on Tell el-Retaba, Saft
el-Hinna, Samannud (Sebennytos) and Tell el-Yahudiya, see
part four.
Tell el-Muqdam (Leontopolis)
 About 10 kilometers (6.25 miles) southeast of the modern
town of Mit Ghamir on the Damietta branch of the Nile are the
several mounds that represent all that is left of ancient
Taremu (Leontopolis, or "City of the Lions"). The
ancient Egyptian name for the site means, "Land of the
Fish". The remains cover more than 30 hectares (304,260
square meters). Some Egyptologists believe that in
ancient times, this was the home of the kings who ruled during
Egypt's 23rd
Dynasty, though most now locate the capital of this period
at Thebes.
It was also a regional capital during the Greek
(Ptolemaic) Period and was probably the
center of a powerful Delta kingdom during the Third
Intermediate Period (about 1069 through 664 BC). It was also
the ancient capital of the Eleventh Lower Egyptian Nome
(province).
Leontopolis was mentioned by Strabo in his Geography
reference work, and the name appears sporadically in other
classical and coptic documents.
There was once a temple of the local lion-god, Mihos
(hence, Leontopolis, "City of the Lions") located
here, and while ruined, its location has been found on the
eastern part of the site. However, it has not been completely
investigated and the date of this temple is unknown. The
goddess Bastet,
who was considered the mother of Mihos, was probably also
worshipped in the area.
Notable were the excavations of C.C. Edgar in the area that
produced the "Treasures of Queen Kama". Her
apparently undisturbed sarcophagus provided a number of
jewelry and other items, including a grand gilded silver
pectoral with inlayed lazuli and a human headed scorpion
amulet of gold and inlayed agate. A number of bronze inlay
statues of Mihos (the lion) were also discovered in the
area.
Apparently, current excavations are being conducted at Tell
el-Muqdam by UC Berkeley under the direction of Carol A.
Redmount and Dr. Renee Friedman.. One of this group's
objectives is to document these comparatively well preserved
ruins in order to enhance our understanding of history
including the development and the character of Egyptian urbanism,
particularly in the Delta region. They also hope to gain
valuable information on the Third Intermediate Period of
Egypt's history, a time we know relatively little about, but
this focus seems to be shifting into the Persian period.
Some of the findings and discoveries of this group include:
- No discoveries have been made that date prior to the
Third Intermediate Period, when it is now believed the
cities were founded (the newer Roman city was built beside
the more ancient city).
- Of the 24 sites documented at the turn of the century,
only 9 still survive, due to the expansion of local
agricultural land.
- The site was probably originally located on the ancient
Mendesian Nile branch, which slowly migrated eastward over
a period of time, with the development of the area
expanding towards this migration.
- There is considerable evidence at the site suggesting
trade with Greece and the Levant.
- One of the remaining sites located about a kilometer
from Muqdam produced Third Intermediate Period pottery.
Unfortunately, this site has recently been turned over to
farmers for agricultural use.
- Atop the ruins were discovered a red granite torso of Ramesses
II, and a red granite block with some of his titles.
- Other surface discoveries include objects dating mainly
from the Saite Period (664-525 BC) through the Late
Roman/Coptic Period (about the 4th Century AD).
- From test excavations, a number of small items have been
discovered. These test indicate that remains date from the
Roman, Greek, Persian and Saite periods, and include
domestic, industrial, monumental and possibly cult
elements. Small items that have been discovered include erotic figurines, mostly male, a number of terra
cottas, glass, amulets, including a wadjet eye mold,
stamped jar handles originating outside of Egypt, a few
sculpture fragments and many potsherds.
- The ruins of the site extend far beyond the ground water
level. The bottom level of these layers has not yet been
completely identified, but it seem that the lowest
level may be as much as four or more meters below the water
level in places. Most of the earliest remains are, of
course, beneath this ground water level.
- According to information provided to these excavators by
locals, a cache of statues discovered here was smuggled
out of Egypt as late as the 1970s.
Some of the latest excavations have demonstrated that
during the Saite period, and especially during the Persian
period, the occupation of the site was very large and
important. A number of different districts within the area
have been identified, including an elite domestic district (Carnel
Station), a non-elite domestic district (Qasr Station) and an
industrial sector (Iuput Station). Within the domestic
districts, the excavators have identified neighborhood
fragments, including roads and houses. Apparently within this
last district was located what was probably a Greek period
bronze smelting installation.
Tell el-Qirqafa
Tell el-Qirqafa is located near the village of el-Kjhata'na
about 6 kilometers (3.75 miles) north of Faqus. It is in the eastern
Delta. There was apparently a temple located
here that dated from the Middle Kingdom sometime between the
reigns of Amenemhet
I and Senusret
III. We have not identified the deity or deities that were
worshipped in the temple, but the remains of a granite
entrance gate and a small pillared hall are known to
Egyptologists.
Recent excavations in the area have demonstrated three distinctive
strata, with the deepest dating to the late Hyksos period and
the latest to the New
Kingdom. Recent objects discovered
include, surprisingly, fragments of Minoan painted wall
plaster and some 15- scarabs, 18 of which bear royal names of
the early 8th Dynasty (First
Intermediate Period).
Tell el-Rub'a (Tell El Robee, Greek Mendes)
The remains of the ancient sixteenth nome capital Djedet,
or Per-banebdjedet (Greek Mendes), which means "House of
the Ram Lord of djedet", are located in the northern
Delta
 near the modern village of el-Simbellawein. It may have
originally been known as Enebet to the ancient Egyptians.
Known today as Tell el-Rub'a, it could have served as a royal
residence or even the capital of the 29th
Dynasty.
The site has seen several excavations, mostly by North
American groups including the University of Toronto and
Pennsylvania Statue University team led by Donald Redford.
Apparently some of the latest work of this group has focused
on an Old Kingdom necropolis estimated to contain over 9,000
interments.
Mendes was referred to in the sarcophagi Book as the Ba dwellers where Re and
Osiris met
and their Ba unified to conceive their son. Mendes was also mentioned in the geographic list
carved over the white compartment in the Karnak
temple. The area is rich in monuments and remains of
Egypt's Old Kingdom and has proven to also contain artifacts
from the predynastic eras.
Left: Mastaba tombs and houses uncovered
at Tell el-Rub'a in 1977
The worship of a ram god (Amun
Re) in this area was
ancient, and increased in importance as the god was associated
with the soul (ba) of Osiris, Re and all the other gods. Along
with a temple to this god, there were no doubt others
dedicated to a number of different deities.
Remains at the site include a Late Period (or New Kingdom)
temple enclosure probably originally built by Amasis
(Ahmosis), and later restored by Ptolemy
II Philadelphus. This architectural element is still
visible, along with a red granite naos. The naos was
originally one of four that might have been related to the
first four divine generations manifested in the ram god,
consisting of Re, Shu,
Geb and
Osiris. The naos is approximately eight meters (26 ft) tall.
Beneath the temple, the remains of an earlier temple possibly
of the Middle Kingdom have
 been discovered. Beneath the Middle
Kingdom temple, stratification remains apparently date to the First
Intermediate Period. Apparently, a fire occurred about
this time period (end of the Old Kingdom or
First Intermediate
Period). Burnt mudbrick was discovered, along with the bodies
of victims who were apparently attempting to escape the
fire.
Right: Red Granite Naos at Tell el-Rub'a
South of the Late Period temple, the remains of an Old
Kingdom Temple have also been unearthed.
While not much else is clearly visible, recent excavations
have found a number of New Kingdom monuments built by
kings such as Ramesses
II, Merenptah
and Ramesses
III. Some of these monuments may have been relocated
here after Pi-Ramesse was abandoned.
In addition to temples, Tel er-Rub'a has produced the remains
of mortuary, industrial, and residential areas.
References:
Archives
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