Le fort de tell el-herr et l'occupation militaire romaine tardive du nord-sinai

The fort of tell el-herr and the late roman military occupation in the north-sinai

• Auteur / Autrice : Mohamed Charrabi
• Direction : Dominique Valbelle
• Type : Thèse de doctorat
• Discipline(s) : Art et archéologie
• Date : Soutenance en 1996
• Etablissement(s) : Lille 3

Résumé

Le principal objet de ce travail est l'etude archeologique du fort de tell elherr ainsi que l'inventaire des ouvrages fortifies de la region du nordsinai, region delimitee au s-0 par tell abou seifa (sile), tell el-farama (peluse) au n-0, tell el-herr au sud, mahamdieh (gerrha) au nord et elfeloussiat (ostracine) au n-e. L'occupation militaire romaine du nordsinai reste toujours mal connue, elle n'a fait l'objet d'aucune etude methodique. C'est seulement apres la decouverte de quelques ouvrages fortifies a l'aube du xxe siecle que l'archeologie a commence a porte un timide interet aux differents sites militaires de la region. Quoiqu'il en soit, les travaux archeologiques entrepris dans cette region sont peu developpes a cause des enjeux conflictuels politiques et militaires. Le degagement du fort romain de tell el-iierr nous a permis do placer-ses-00 ~'~ ~l vestiges dans leur contexte archeologique, historique et geographique parmi les ouvrages fortifies connus a l'epoque romaine. En effet. Tell el-herr est un site ideal pour l'etude de l'architecture militaire du bas-empire. Situe sur la route militaire (route de syrie) c'est une voie de circulation strategique entre l'egypte et le proche-orient depuis la plus haute antiquite. Le tell proprement dit est constitue de trois ouvrages fortifies superposes (fort du bas-empire romain, perse et ptolemaique). Les vestiges du fort romain occupent actuellement le sommet du tell. En effet, lors des travaux de nivellement et de construction du fort, les niveaux anterieurs a l'occupation romaine ont beaucoup souffert, recreuses et perturbes a divers endroits, principalement dans tout l'angle s-0 du fort. Enfin, l'occupation militaire recente du tell a ete la cause principale de la disparition des couches archeologiques les plus vulnerables. Les vestiges en briques cuites du mur d'enceinte romain et des constructions interieures telles que les casernements par exemple ont beaucoup plus resiste au bulldozers et a leur chenilles que ceux en briques crues ronges par l'erosion naturelle. L'etude complete de cet ensemble devrait contribuer a preciser les rapports entre l'egypte et le proche-orient pendant le bas-empire.

The main purpose of this work is the archaeological study of the fort of tell el-herr and the survey of the fortifications from the region of the north sinai bordered at the south west on tell abou seifa {sile), on tell elfarama (pelusium) at the north west, on tell el-herr at the south, on mahamdieh (gerrah) at the north and on el-feloussiat (ostracine) at the north east. The roman military occupation in the north sinai is still badly known and it has never been subjected to a methodical study. It was only after the discovry of some fortifications at the begining of the xx^ century that archaeologists started to show some few interest in different military sites of the region. Yet, the archaeological works set about in this region are poorly developed because of unflictual political and military stakes. The clearing of the roman fort of tell el-herr gave us the opportunity to -p^^-j-ts remains in their arrh?>pnlngira^ historical and gpngraphical context among the already known fortifications at the roman period. Indeed, tell el-herr is the ideal site to study the military architecture of the late empire. Located on the military road (syrian road), it has been a strategic traffic route between egypt and the near east since the earlest antiquity. The tell itself is composedof three superposed fortifications ( the (roman) late empire fort, the persian fort and the ptolemaic fort). The remains of the roman fort are stuated on the top of the tell. During the building and the levelling of the fort, the previous levels have been partially destroyed. Later the roman levels have been dug again and disrupted at several places, mainly in the whole south west corner of the fort. Eventualy the recent military occupation of the tell has been the main cause of the disappearance of the most vulnerable archaeological layers. The remains in brick raw of the roman enclosure wall and of the inner buildings such as barracks for example have stood up to the bulldozers in a better way than the remains in brick crude eaten into the natural erosion. The complete study of this site should contribute to precising the relations between egypt and the near east during the late empire.