The region of el-Hayz contains at least four important springs, Ain
el-Izzah, Ain el-Sheikh, Tabla-Amun and Ain el-Ris, near where most of
the ancient sites are located. The Egyptian archaeologist Ahmed Fakhry
conducted the first scientific investigations into the history of the
area during the 1930s and 1940s, when he partly excavated several
sites around Ain el-Ris but still comparatively little is known of the
early history of the region. Numerous artefacts, mainly flint
fragments and blades, have been found from the Neolithic and Lithic
Periods and there are sites now identified in the area which may have
been prehistoric settlements or flint workshops, but so far very
little evidence of activity has been found from the Pharaonic Period.
In the west of the el-Hayz region, towards the gebel, is the small
village of Ain el-Izzah. About 2km north-east of the spring there is
an ancient settlement, now badly preserved, but with many pottery
sherds covering the surface of the ground. To the north-west of the
village rock-tombs were cut into a ridge, where several fragments of
mummies and pieces of their pottery coffins were found scattered
around. The most interesting remains here are the shafts of Roman
aqueducts, similar to those found in other parts of the Western
Desert.
Ain el-Ris, where the most interesting ruins of el-Hayz are situated,
lies about 2km south-east of the main road. A large settlement existed
here in Roman times, judging by the distances between the main sites.
At the northern end of the settlement is the only well-preserved early
Christian church in the Western Desert, though it has much
deteriorated since its paintings were described by Belzoni and
Cailliaud in the early 19th century and even since Fakhry wrote about
it in the 1930s. The church is a basilica type, constructed in two
stories of mudbrick and was probably dedicated to St George, suggested
by descriptions of a man riding a horse in the paintings, he was a
popular saint in the oases. The roof and the fresco paintings have now
vanished, as has the upper floor, but its plan is easy to follow and
there are still a few remains of decorations incised into the
remaining plastered walls. Fakhry suggested that the date of the
church was no later than the 5th to 6th century.
Not far from the Church of St George, Fakhry excavated several small
mounds under which he discovered remains of a large mansion or palace
in 1938. The walls at the time were still coated with a white plaster
and decorated with geometric designs. Further excavations between 1939
and 1945 revealed several more structures, suggesting that el-Hayz was
heavily populated by a wealthy community in Roman times. About half a
kilometre south of the church are the remaining walls of an
irregularly shaped Roman camp, which was probably an outpost of the
larger military structure at Qasr Masuda, 2km further south. Qasr
Masuda is an imposing multi-storied fortress about 18m square,
containing thirteen rooms with a well in its open court, built on a
rocky knoll above the desert floor.
During the 1990s the Ain el-Ris area was partly excavated by the local
Inspectorate of Antiquities at Bawiti, who uncovered the remains of
the ‘palace’ investigated by Fakhry, which was perhaps the residence
of the fortress commander. They also excavated a wine cellar and some
of the extensive surrounding cemeteries.
The Czech Institute of Egyptology at Charles University, Prague, are
currently undertaking a survey of the el-Hayz area. Their first season
(2003) has been very productive in locating a great many Prehistoric
and Roman remains scattered throughout the seven main settlement areas
under investigation. |
