Excavation in Egypt at Tell el-Balamun
A Roman paved street through the centre of the town
The most recent discovery, in Spring 2003, was that of a Roman
street through the town, running along the line of the old
processional avenue from the entrance of the temple enclosure to
the temple of Amun.
The Roman level lies some two metres above that of the avenue of
the Twenty-sixth Dynasty, as recorded in excavations at the
g
ate in the enclosure
wall.
Two levels of pavement remain of the street, the earlier one,
perhaps dating from the second century AD, consists of irregular
blocks of limestone fitted neatly together.
The width of the street at this level was at least 6m, but at
one point it appears to have been wider and to have been flanked by
fired-brick plinths. 
The later level, provisionally dated to the fourth century, was
built with thin rectangular paving-slabs, again of limestone, set
on a bedding layer of pink plaster and crushed fired brick.
A pavement of similar construction, found in 1991 above the
ruins of the temple of Amun, is probably another part of the same
street. 
The creation of this secular street fits the pattern of the
Roman development of Egyptian cities.
On the north-west side of the street were remains of a Roman
house, constructed against the eroded exterior face of the
Twenty-sixth dynasty temple enclosure wall.
In the photograph of this house (left) the point of contact
between the older enclosure wall and the brickwork of the house is
being investigated.
Images (from top):
- Pavement of teh Roman street at the
latest level
- Pavement of the Roman street at level
2
- The excavated western edge of the Roman
street at level 2
- Excavation a Roman house beside the
street