<![CDATA[Forensic archaeology student Liesel Gentelli has recently discovered a unique piece of history: an ancient Egyptian house containing a cache of 2200 year old coins. The cache is thought to be an ancient offering to the gods, placed under the foundations of the building in exchange for fertile land. It contains 13 individual coins that were used during the reigns of Ptolemy II, III and IV. Based on the age of the coins, the archaeologists estimate that the house was built sometime around 221 BC. Gentelli made the find at Tell Timai in Egypt, in the remains of the Greco-Roman town of Thmuis. A 'tell' is a large mound or small hill that contains the remains of an abandoned place of residence or business, such as a town or city. Thmuis was a port situated on a delta channel in the Nile. The delta channel is no more however, as it is now covered in silt. Gentelli, and her colleague from the University of Western Australia, Sean Winter, were invited to the site by the University of Hawaii. They were asked to help at the dig because the site is currently under threat from nearby housing developments. Winter's team made another fascinating discovery - what appeared to be a large open-sided shed. Inside were an abundance of bakers ovens, suggesting that the building may have been an industrial-scale bakery or tavern. It is unusual to find this many ovens in one place, and could even be the first time something like this has been found in Egypt. Ceramics and charcoal were used to help date the shed, and the archaeologists believe it was constructed sometime between 100 BC and 10 AD. One of the most interesting things about this site is a little area the archaeologists think used to a rubbish pit. They did some intital tests and found the remains of seafood and other animals such as mammals, birds, fish and molluscs. The remains of amphorae, which were large stone urns used to transport liquids such as fish sauce, oil, and wine, were also found. The arhaeologists at Tell Timai are using this information to try and figure out the diet of the ancient people of Thmuis. Needless to say, the site has already unearthed a lot of information about its former inhabitants, and promises to yield even more.]]>
Australian Archaeologists Make Double Egyptian Discovery
