Excavation in Egypt at Tell el-Balamun
The citadel of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty
The south corner of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty temple enclosure at
Balamun is occupied by a the ruins of a massive mud-brick
foundation platform covering an area of 54.15 x 61.10 metres. The
construction was so closely integrated with that of the enclosure
wall that the two structures must have been contemporary.
The interior plan of the building, exhibits two equivalent sets
of compartments, arranged on either side of a central passage. This
corridor was enclosed between two massive walls, each about 3.25
metres thick, which ran the full length of the structure.
Access to the bu
ilding was gained by
means of a ramp 63.50 metres long, which approached from the
north-east and joined the face of the building 9.70m from the north
corner. The ramp had a maximum width of 8.26 metres and consisted
of two substantial retaining walls of mud brick with an earth
infill.
The whole structure was clearly intended to form the foundation
for a lofty building, probably some kind of citadel of the kind
also known from the sites of Naukratis, Dafana and Memphis. The
disposition of the internal compartments of the platform is almost
identical to that seen in the parallel from Naukratis, suggesting
that both were constructed at the same period and quite possibly
designed by the same architect.
Remains of shattered limestone blocks around the sides of the
foundation suggest that the lower parts of the exterior might have
been faced with stone, as was the exterior south corner of the
temple enclosure wall, inside which the building stood.
Images (from top):
- The south-east side of the citadel
foundation looking south-west
- The north-west side of the foundation,
showing the concave shape of the wall