Report on Projects Funded by the Adelaide Milton de Groot Fund 1980-1983 in memory of the de Groot and Hawley Families
The Metropolitan Museum of Art •s
1
On the cover: Fragment of a wall plaque with low-relief decoration found in Inanna Temple at Nippur. Early Dynastic Ilia. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1962, 62.70.6ab
Copyright © 1984 by The Metropolitan Museum of Art Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street New York, New York 10028
Published by: r The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Xs Bradford D. Kelleher, Publisher John P. O'Neill, Editor in Chief i Brenda Gilchrist, Editor -^ Anne Gozonsky, Designer E Introduction bv the Director '. 1 IE Trust Agreement 2 III. Archaeological Projects and Activities, 1980-1983 3 A. Ancient Near Eastern Department 3 Tell al-H iba, Iraq 3 Nippur. Iraq 3 Tal-i Malvan. Iran 3 Sasanian Silver 4 Photographic Archives 4 Tell Leilan. Syria 5 Gordion, Turkey 7 Cuneiform Tablets 7 Gridile, Turkey 8 B. Egyptian Art Department 9 C. Islamic Art Department 11 IV. Distribution of Funds 15 Exhibit 1. Summary of Appropriations and Income for the de Groot Fund: Fiscal Years 1980-1981 to 1982-1983 15 Exhibit 2. Report of Appropriations and Income for the de Groot Fund: Fiscal Years 1980-1981 to 1982-1983 __. 16 Exhibit 3. Comparison of Annual Operating Expenditures and de Groot Appropriations 18 I. Introduction Of the major developments that have taken place at these compelling archaeological projects. This report The Metropolitan Museum of Art since the last time documents the extent of the involvement, which would this report was published, two are important to the not have been possible without the generositv of the de interests of the de Groot Fund. The Egyptian Art Groot Fund. collection of approximately 40.000 objects was placed Finally, the Museum is most pleased to be affiliated on view for the first time in its entirety in the Lila with Professor John Carswell of the Oriental Institute Acheson Wallace Galleries of Egyptian Art. and a large of the University of Chicago and his survey of east-west segment of the Museum's collection of Ancient Near trading connections and the excavations of the port at Eastern art was reinstalled, enabling many works to be ancient Mantai in Sri Lanka. displayed publicly for the first time. The importance of Without question, the Adelaide Milton de Groot these new galleries is manifold, but in the context of Fund has made an invaluable contribution to each of this report one aspect to be emphasized is that only the projects discussed in this report. On behalf of all now can we actually see to what degree archaeological those involved with the projects and the staff of the excavations have enriched these two collections, both Metropolitan Museum. I would like to emphasize how through actual acquisitions, which came as a result of very grateful we are to the Fund for providing the partage, and through the production of rich archival financial resources to support such important, vet material in the form of excavators' notes, photographs, oftentimes unrecognized, scholarly pursuits. and drawings meticulously rendered by archaeologists and draftsmen as thev worked at the respective sites. The installation of Egyptian art. distinguished by Philippe de Montebello numerous open storage galleries, sets the stage for the Director final and most crucial phase of any excavator's work— publication. For vears the vast number of excavated objects have been confined to closed storage, awaiting a time when curators could examine, classifv. and publish them. With the installation behind us we now plan an ambitious series of volumes that will cover the vears of excavations conducted by the Museum at Lisht. Malkata, and Hierakonpolis. Throughout the past three years a portion of the de Groot Fund has supported the preparatory stages of curatorial travel, photographv, and draftsmanship in connection with these excavations, all crucial steps in the publication effort. It is onlv through publications that the full value of the excavator's work can be measured and effectively shared with other Egyptologists, thereby fostering further scholarship and providing dated contexts for material both here and throughout the world whose provenance is not documented by any excavation. Whereas the era of the Metropolitan's extensive and active excavations in Egypt has passed, the Museum's involvement and support for excavations at Ancient Near Eastern sites continue to grow. A major portion of the de Groot Fund in the last three years has been earmarked to support the Museum's participation in II. Trust Agreement The Metropolitan Museum of Art has been able to support a wide range of archaeological projects undertaken by the Departments of Ancient Near Eastern Art, Egyptian Art, Greek and Roman Art, and Islamic Art through the generosity of Adelaide Milton de Groot (1876-1967). The Adelaide Milton de Groot Fund, set up in memory of the de Groot and Hawley families, was created under the terms of section 7 of a trust established by Miss de Groot on July 11, 1930, and amended on December 11, 1959. De Groot funds were made available to the Museum in 1970-1971. The trust agreement specifies that funds may be used for general archaeological (including not onlv ancient but mediaeval) investigation, excavation and research, preferably in Europe and Africa, or for anv research which may appertain to the seventeenth century immigrants to New Amsterdam (New York City), or to what is now Brooklyn, New York, or to Stamford, Stratford, Monroe or Fairfield in the State of Connecticut, or for anv research which may appertain to John Coggeshall, who was the first president of Rhode Island. . . . The research hereinabove provided for may include not onlv archaeological research as the term is commonly used, but also historical research, such as, for example, the examination, study, translation, and restoration of old papers and documents which may be found in convents, monasteries, temples, libraries and the like. In keeping with the trust agreement, the Metropolitan Museum has published this third Report on Projects Funded by the Adelaide Milton de Groot Fund 1980-1983, highlighting the excavations and other archaeological activities that de Groot funds have helped to support. III. Archaeological Projects and Activities. 1980-1983 During the past three fiscal vears, de Groot funds have helped to support projects of an archaeological nature undertaken by the Departments of Ancient Near Kastern Art, Egyptian Art. and Islamic Art. These special projects are described in the following pages. A. Ancient Near Eastern Art Department Tell al-Hiba, Iraq 'Ehe joint expedition of the Institute of Fine Arts. New York University, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art has not been able to return to the site of Tell al-Hiba since 1977. Payment of the guards at the site, however, remains the responsibility of the institutions who hold the concession whether excavations are in progress or not. A contribution from de (»root hinds was allocated to cover the Museum's share of the costs for the guards between 1977 and 1981. A scismi of field work will he undertaken in the winter of 19S4. Nippur, Iraq The study of excavated sculptures and ceramics from the temple ol [nanna, the Sumerian goddess of love and Weir, at Nippur in southern Iraq was the project of Richard Zettler from the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago in the winter and spring of 1983. Nippur was a major religious center in antiquity, and the occupation levels in the Inanna temple cover the period from around 3400 B.C. to around 200 A.n. The Metropolitan Museum helped finance the 1957-58 and 1960 seasons of excavations with de Groot funds. In return for this support, the Museum received a division of the objects found in the course of the excavations. These include ceramics, bronze and stone sculptures, shell inlays, and cylinder seals. The final publication of the small finds from this excavation is being undertaken by Zettler. Zettler spent three months in New York studying the Museum's collection, preparing final drawings of the Nippur objects, making records. and taking detailed photographs tor the final catalogue. Tal-i Malyan, Iran During the five seasons of excavations at the site of Tal-i Malyan in the province of Fais in southern Iran some forty kilometers northwest of the modern town of Shiraz, important finds were made in the Banesh, or Proto-Elamite. period dating to around 3000 B.c.. in the Kaf tari, or Old Elamite. period of the first half of the second millennium B.( .. and in die middle Elamite period of the second half of the second millennium B.( . 3 Malyan, whose ancient Elamite name is Anshan, was, along with Susa, one of the two major centers of Elamite culture. The Museum has supported the Malyan project through the de Groot funds and continues to support this research by providing funds for study of the material retrieved in the excavations. Holly Pittman, associate curator in the Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art, is preparing for publication the glyptic art of both the Banesh and the Kaftari periods found at Malvan. The study of the glyptic art of the Proto- Elamite period is also the subject of her doctoral dissertation. In the spring of 1982 de Groot funds were used for Pittman's travel to Columbus, Ohio, to consult the original excavation records and to discuss the material with the director of the Malvan excavations, William M. Sumner, associate professor of Anthropology at the Ohio State University at Columbus. In that same year de Groot funds were spent for prints of approximately 700 thirty-five-millimeter photographic negatives of the seal impressions of the Banesh period. The glyptic art of Malyan is scheduled for publication as Volume IX of the Malyan project monograph series. Sasanian Silver The volume Silver Vessels of the Sasanian Period I, published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Fragment of a limestone wall Princeton University Press, appeared in the fall of plaque with low-relief 1981. Research by the authors Prudence Oliver Harper, decoration found in Inanna Temple at Nippur. Early curator in the Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art Dynastic Ilia. The Metropolitan at the Metropolitan, and Pieter Meyers, senior research Museum of Art, Rogers Fund chemist at The Los Angeles County Museum, was made 1962, 62.70 bah possible through grants from the de Groot Fund. Harper and Meyers began their cooperative project on the art-historical and technical examination of Sasanian silver vessels by devoting their attention to vessels bearing royal images, the subject of Volume I. All other types of silverware, decorated and undecorated, will appear in Volume IE For the preparation of this second volume, the study of many- vessels lacking royal images is required. A large body of material is being examined and conclusions will be drawn concerning the appearance of particular designs and motifs on certain shapes of vessels and the standardization of size and weight as well as of design and techniques of manufacture. De Groot funds enabled Harper to visit the Museo d'Arte Orientale in Rome, the Abegg-Stiftung in Bern, and the Louvre and Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris in the summer of 1981. She was able to examine and record information on a number of Sasanian silver vessels and to discuss the progress of her work with colleagues. Photographic Archives Drawing of seal impression from Tal-i Malyan. Approximately two thousand color slides taken by (Photograph courtesy of Holly Vaughn Crawford, curator in charge of the Pittman) Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art at The 4 Metropolitan Museum of Art until his death in September. 1981. at various archaeological sites throughout the Near East were duplicated by the Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art. Main of the views are of sites where the Museum has sponsored excavations. The slides show excavations in progress and objects found. The collection, which will be kept in the Richard and Jonathan Sackler Studv Outer in the Museum, has been organized alphabetical^ according to site. In addition, a catalogue of the slides has been compiled from Crawford's original field notes. The collection is particularlv rich in slides from Hasanlu in Iran and Nimrud and Nippur in Iraq. It is a valuable research source for Near Eastern scholars. Tell Leilan, Svria In the spring of 1982 Harvey Weiss, associate professor of Near Eastern Archaeology at Yale University, returned for a third season of excavation at Leilan in Svria. The summer's field work was restricted to the area within the monumental temple dating to the reign of Shamshi Adad I from 1813-1782 B.c. in the northeast area of the acropolis. The excavation area of this temple, the facade of which is decorated with semiengaged mudbrick columns and niches, was doubled to 1400 square meters. Cuneiform tablets were found as well as clav sealings with a number of different cvlinder seal impressions. The excavated temple building at Leilan has produced two major building levels. In both levels, stepped niches and semiengaged mudbrick columns exist. In building level III Weiss has reported the- existence of columns coated with plaster to resemble Sasanian ewer. Silver wiih the trunks of palm trees. In building level II there are mercurj gilding. Sixth to similar columns as well as both semiengaged plain and seventh ( entur) v.D. The spiral columns. Weiss has compared the decoration of Metropolitan Museum oí Art, Purchase, Mr. and Mrs. (.. the facades of these buildings with contemporary Douglas Dillon Gifl and Rogers temples at Tell al-Rimah. Larsa. and Ur. Fund. 1967, 67.10 The twenty-two tablets recovered from the temple building at Leilan are largely economic documents and do not give an indication of the ancient name of either this building or the site itself. However, the tablets and the inscriptions on the seal impressions recovered ÏÏ provide the names of officials who are contemporary with and slightlv later than Shamshi Adad I. While Weiss observes that there is still no certain proof that EH S Leilan is the ancient Shubat Enlil, he has shown through his initial excavations the importance of the v site and its significance for the study of urbanism in the Hi third and earlv second millennia B.c. In a report given IV at a conference entitled "Mari: Bilan et perspectives VI held in Strasbourg. June 29-Julv 1. 1983. Weiss discussed the results of the Leilan excavations and the possible identification of the site as Shamshi Adad Is Drawing ol seal impression capital city of Shubat Enlil. from Tell Leilan. Shamshi The following lectures and publications have been Adad period. Inscription reads. prepared by Harve) Weiss, associate professor of Near "Apil-ilishu, son of Ali-banishu, Eastern Archaeolog) at Yale University: servanl ol I m um-natki." (Draw ing < oui tes) of Harve) \\ ('issi íffff WW : i i it;:mm i 17 • ¿IL: 1 ™ #to --- -J Ir Fffff ffc im ^rrfí4s "TÍ jj—-::—i PIT fi TT—f- Tell Leilan, acropolis northeast Period I, Building Level II. + n- Northeast facade (western part) TELL LEILAN 1979-1982 of the "long-room," Shamshi Adad period temple. 19th ACROPOLIS NORTHEAST century B.C. (Photograph BUILDING LEVEL II courtesv of Harvey Weiss.) I S I I •iJtlrjk^jf Tell Leilan, plan of acropolis northeast palace, building level II. (Photograph courtesy of Harvey Weiss) 1. "Yale University Tell Leilan Project Symposium," American Orientai Society, Boston. March 18, 1981. 2. "The Chronology of Cultural Development on the Habur Plains." Third International Conference on Assur, the Hamrin and Babylon, Baghdad, November 15. 1981. 3. "Tell Leilan," Archiv für Orientforschung 28 (1981/2): 226-29. 4. "Tell Leilan and Shubat Enlil," J.-C. Margueron, ed.. Mari: Bilan et perspectives. Paris: C.N.R.S. (1984). 5. "Excavations at Tell Leilan and the Origins of North Mesopotamia!! Cities in the Third Millennium B.< .." Palécment 10 (1984). Gordion, Turkey In response to a request from the University Museum of the University of Pennsylvania, the Metropolitan Fragment of wall painting oí woman with her hand In her made a contribution from de Groot funds to support mouth hom the Painted House, conservation work on several fragments of rare and ( .m dion, ( a. 500 B.< . (Photo fragile fresco paintings found at Gordion in central courtes) ol MachteldJ. Mellink) Turkey. The paintings were excavated in a single building at Gordion and date to a period around 500 B.C. (M.J. Mellink. "Archaic Wall Paintings from Gordion." From Athens to Gordion, Universit) Museum Papers I, 1980, pp. 91-98). The delicate beauty of the paintings and the fact that this form of art is so rarely preserved in the ancient Near Eastern world make the project one of particular importance. The fragments appear to illustrate drinking scenes, athletic events, and processions. The conservator Franca Callori di Vignale was able to spend time during the summers of 1982 and 1983 working on finding joins between the fragments and slowlv and meticulouslv cleaning off the dirt to restore the paintings to their original state. The white flesh tones and the fine, precise drawing in black of the outlines and details of the figures give a striking appearance to these works of art. The eventual aim of Callori, after the cleaning is completed, is to mend the fragments, set them in plaster, and secure them within frames. The fragments can then be photographed and finally published. Cuneiform Tablets The Metropolitan Museum of Art possesses a collection of over 500 cuneiform tablets dating from the beginnings of writing until the late Hellenistic age (ca. 2600 B.C.-1st century A.D.). This corpus, which includes records of Mesopotamian commercial, legal, craft, political, literary, ritual, and scholarlv affairs, has remained relatively unstudied since its acquisition by the Museum in the late nineteenth century. The tablets are a valuable source of new information about ancient life and will constitute an important addition to the published corpus of cuneiform texts. Envelope for tablet from Many years ago, in preparation for the publication of Kültepe, Anatolia. Old Assyrian the Museum's collection, Vaughn Crawford baked and Period, ca. 1900 B.< . 1 he cleaned each tablet. In 1974, as curator in charge of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. |. [. Ancient Near Eastern Art Department, he invited Dr. kleiman. 1966, 66.245.5b House structure at Gridile. Late seventh to early sixth millennium B.c. (Photo courtesy of Richard Ellis) Ira Spar of Ramapo College, New Jersey, to work with Gridile, Turkey him jointly on the publication of the texts. Crawford The expedition to Gridile, in Turkey, is under the planned to edit all the Sumerian and Old Babylonian direction of Richard Ellis, professor of Ancient Near documents, which constitute about 10 percent of the Eastern Archaeology at Bryn Mawr College. The collection, and Spar was assigned the rest of the Museum has given funds to support the work in the collection, together with a distinguished group of three seasons since excavation began in 1981. international collaborators: Dr. Irving Finkel (British Gridile is located on the right bank of the Euphrates Museum), Dr. Mark Geller (University of London), Dr. River in southeastern Turkey in an area that will be W. G. Lambert (University of Birmingham, England), flooded following the completion of a dam in 1984—85. Dr. Mogens Trolle Larsen (University of Copenhagen), The Turkish Directorate-General of Antiquities and Dr. Franz Kocher (Institut für Geschichte der Medizin, Museums and the Lower Euphrates Salvage Committee Berlin), Dr. Martin Stol (University of Leiden, have organized an international effort to gain as much Netherlands), Dr. Erle Leichty (University of information as possible from archaeological excavations Pennsylvania), Dr. Abraham J. Sachs (deceased), Dr. in this region and to salvage cultural remains from the John Brinkman (University of Chicago), and Dr. Daniel area before it is inundated. Foxburg (University of California, Berkeley). Leichty is The site is situated on the flood plain of the serving as the main advisor to the project. Euphrates River extending south of the Taurus In 1981—82 Spar received sabbatical leave from his Mountains. The mound is approximately oval, teaching position as associate professor of History and measuring 80 x 40 m. at the top and about 100 x 150 Ancient Studies, Ramapo College. Through a grant m. at the base. During the first season Ellis excavated in awarded to him from de Groot funds he was able to three areas on the eastern, western, and southern devote himself full time to the study of the 300 Neo- flanks of the mound, uncovering remains that date Babylonian tablets in the Museum's collection assigned from the medieval period in the twelfth and thirteenth to him by Crawford for publication. In the summers of centuries back to the early Neolithic period in the late 1981 and 1982 Spar also spent two three-month seventh or early sixth millennium B.c. In a step-trench periods of time at this work, and in both instances was cut into the eastern slope of the mound Ellis reported given stipends from the de Groot Fund. comparisons with related materials from sites such as Spar's study is now well advanced. He has completed Mureybit IVB, Abu Hureyra, and Tell Ramad in Syria. a catalogue with preliminary transliterations and A thick layer of Early Bronze Age material (2400-2000 translations, and he continues to work on his hand B.c.) in the eastern step-trench produced pottery drawings of the tablets in the collection. similar to wares found at Tell Chuera, Tell es-Sweyhat, and Amuq levels I-J. During the season in 1982 work continued on the step-trench on the eastern slope and another trench was opened on the western face of the mound. expeditions to Egypt each season. Their presence in Neolithic remains of the seventh millennium B.C. Egvpt and the professional staff of archaeologists and included flints and a clay figurine. Although no photographer, draftsman, and architect were so architectural remains were recovered, the area of impressive, in fact, that the branch at Thebes was exploration was considerably expanded. referred to simplv as the "American Expedition." Work in the third millennium B.c. Early Bronze Age During this time the Museum gained enormouslv in levels produced a stratified sequence of pottery and objects that had historical as well as esthetic value artifacts comparable to remains found at the and began to publish the final reports from these neighboring sites of Lidar. and Kurban Hüvük on the expeditions. Bv 1962. nineteen volumes had been opposite bank of the Euphrates, and at sites in produced. northern Syria. Further excavations of the medieval Unfortunately the publishing program fell off owing remains on the top of the mound also continued. to the accumulation of objects for New York, the In a third season at Gridile in the summer of 1983, advent of World War II, and the retirement or death the expedition uncovered remains of architecture in the of members of the original staff The problem of the aceramic Neolithic levels. Extensive excavations on the records remains, however: the existence of massive and surface of the mound brought to light additional important material is known from the preliminarv building remains and small finds of medieval date. reports of the excavators in the Museum's Bulletin: and The following publications have been authored or queries come from scholars all over the world for coauthored by Richard Ellis, professor of Ancient Near isolated bits, or large bodies, of information. Because Eastern Archaeology at Bryn Mawr College: the records are so numerous and diverse, it is most 1. M. M. Voigt and R. S. Ellis, "Excavations at Gridile, efficient to have staff members (although there are also Turkev: 1981." Paléorieni 7 2 < 1981): 87-100. visiting scholars) work on them. Indeed, with the recent 2. Richard S. Ellis and Mary M. Voigt, "1981 reinstallation of the Egyptian collection planned on Excavations at Gridile, Turkev," American Journal oj chronological grounds, and with the excavated material Archaeology 86/3 (1982): 319-32. kept together in the galleries wherever possible, staff 3. Richard Ellis, "Gridile: A Cross-Section of the Past.'' members dug deeplv into the records as a preliminary Bryn Mawr Now 9/3 (1983): 1. 6. 7. step toward publishing as well as exhibition. During the past three vears, de Groot finds have been invaluable in supporting work toward publishing B. Egyptian Art Department the vast backlog of excavated material. The work is summarized as follows: In the first third of this century, the Museum formed a good part of its collection by sending its own The Palati' i 1907 photograph showing east face of Amenemhat I Pyramid at Lisht. with contemporary stone mastaba in foreground. (Photographic print made in 1983 and mounted on acid-free board.) STT'. -»TTT'Tf li-T'7 r >,^,^;.i.,.;i¡.,i,.ii,n.;i,y.4i,(¿i|i,piii Plan of mastaba shown in 1907 photograph on page 9, redrawn and inked in 1983 from original records of 1907 excavations. Inked drawing and section of a Predynastic pot from 1936 season at Hierakonpolis. (Drawing made in 1981 from actual object in Metropolitan Museum.) 10 1982 trip by draftsman to Chicago for recording pottery 1982 trip by author to Museum for further work co with records The South Pyramid Cemetery at Lisht. by Ray Slater, from the notes of Ambrose Lansing, William C. Hayes, and Albert Lythgoe: Osi 1981-82 photographv of mud sealings 1982 trip by draftsman to Chicago for pottery drawing The Pyramid ofSesostris 1 at Lisht, by Dieter Arnold, from O ~ the notes of Ambrose Lansing. William C. Haves, and E Albert Lythgoe: •- zzz 1981 blueprints **J ZZI 1981 trip by author to Museum Mus d— sealin g from 18th Dynast) Palace of' Amenhotpe III at Excavations at Hierakonpolis, by Thomas Logan, from the Malkata, excavated between 1910 and 1920. (Photograph notes of Ambrose Lansing: made from object in Museum 1981 trip by author to Museum to complete work in 1982, and printed at 2:1 scale.) 1981 trip by draftsman to Chicago to record potterv The Two 'iambs of Senenmvi and the Hillside of Sheikh abd el (¿urna, by Peter Dormán with Nobuko Kajitani, from the notes of Ambrose Lansing and William C. Hayes: 1982 trip by draftsman to Chicago for pottei \ drawing. In addition to the photographic materials and travel listed above, de Groot funds paid in fiscal 1982 and 1983 half the draftsman William Schenck's annual full- time salar) for work on all the above projects. Chief among his products were the plans and object drawings for Bourriau; all the objects and plans for Logan and Dormán: the ostraca and sealings for Keller; the sealings for Bourriau and Slater: the wooden objects for Slater: and the plans for Arnold. Schenck's work has been the kev ingredient in making progress on these publications, as well as on the publication of other Drawings of sealing shown materials in the collection (gold from Sithathorvunet above, made in 1982 and inked at 2:1 scale so that it can be and the Three Princesses). reduced to 1:1 with clarity The Department of Egyptian Art is especialh when printed in final publication. grateful for the de Groot support. Capitalizing on the reinstallation of the Egyptian collection, the Keller, from the notes of Herbert E. Winlock, Ambrose Department has begun to catch up with the backlog of Lansing, and H. G Evelyn-White: records, which the Museum has a responsibility to make 1980-82 photographv of mud sealings known, and the effect of the support has been great. 1982 photographv of pottery ostraca 1982-83 photography of glass C. Islamic Art Department The North Pyramid Cemetery at Lisht, by Janine Bourriau, from the notes of Arthur Mace and Albert Since 1974 John Carswell, curator at The Oriental Lythgoe: Institute of the University of Chicago, has been 1981-82 photography of mud sealings working on the subject of trade routes between the 1981 trip by draftsman to England for potter) Near and Far East, with particular attention to the conference Indian subcontinent. As part of this study, he first trip to Chicago's Oriental Institute to record made a survey of the Maldive Islands in 197 1. which potters from excavations led to his conclusion that the Maldives had played an 11 important role in the East-West trading network. because of its importance as a port and trading Carswell then turned his attention to South India and emporium. Sri Lanka, surveying ancient ports mentioned in Arabic A preliminary investigation of Mantai was made in and Chinese sources. In 1979 he undertook excavations 1980 and has just been published: John Carswell and at a small site in northern Sri Lanka, near Vankalai. As Martha Prickett, Mantai: A Preliminary Investigation in a result of the finds uncovered during this excavation, Ancient Ceylon, Government Printing Office, Columbo, he was granted permission to carry out excavations of Sri Lanka', 1984. the far larger and more important site at Mantai on the Plans were subsequently made for the full-scale northwest tip of Sri Lanka. excavation of the site, and the first short season took Carswell wrote in a letter to a staff member of the place from June 14 to July 10, 1982. In addition to the Museum in February of 1980: contribution of The Metropolitan Museum of Art through the de Groot Fund, support for the The importance of Mantai lies in the fact that the site excavations came from The Fort Foundation, New is in the dry arid zone, and the equivalent of a tell has Delhi, and The British Museum, London. The built up—a unique feature in a monsoon-dominated Archaeological Commission of Sri Lanka also assisted environment. The site is about half a mile long, the excavations. Thirtv-eight Sri Lankan graduate horseshoe-shaped, and surrounded bv a double moat, students were given basic training in field excavation and probably once joined to the sea by a canal. It is and recording techniques. The excavation reports are Islamic and Chinese on top, Sasanian below, and Roman in the process of publication. A preliminary report bv remains have been extracted from the lowest layers. It is Carswrell entitled "Medieval trading post in the Indian without doubt the most important site for international trade between the Near and Far East, the equivalent of Ocean" appeared in The Illustrated London Xews in Siräf on the Gulf, or Canton on the south coast of China. October, 1983 (Archaeology 2996). In this article It has been sporadically dug over the past forty years, Carswell stated that the maritime connection between and so far has produced a quantity of ceramic material, the Near and Far East was well established as early as coins, Küfic-inscribed slabs, etc. The material from the the seventeenth centurv in the earlv Islamic period and uppermost levels correlates precisely with Chinese and that Muslim merchants and shippers played an Islamic material from the Metropolitan's own excavations important role in this sea trade. He wrote: "Bv at Nishapur. exploiting the monsoons a fast sea passage was possible direct across the Indian Ocean, which was the Carswell stated in his proposal to the Museum that foundation of long-distance international trade, Mantai was a natural choice for an excavation site superceding the much slower coastal carrying-trade of antiquity." Supplementing the evidence for this promising maritime trade found in the Arabic and Chinese texts mentioned above were the remnants of the goods traded, primarily of inorganic material such as potten. uncovered both at their ultimate destination and at intermediate points between. The Maldive Islands, unquestionably on a main trade route between China and India, on the one hand, and the Near East and Africa, on the other, lack Islamic pottery, suggesting that the Arab traders traveling to the Far East on the southwest monsoon had to break the journey in India, but managed, bv carefully timing the return from China, to make the journey back in an unbroken passage. The coastal sites of India and Sri Lanka, however, revealed a less consistent picture to Professor Carswell and his associates, who found Schematic drawing of the mound, showing the location of MANTAI 1980 Trenches A, B. and C, 100 200m and the Cores 1-5. Inset shows the relationship of Mantai to other sites in Sri Lanka and India. Z-Z' is the line of profile shown on page 14 above. 12 Quseir Ching-lechrn * CHIS\ Swaiow Canton The Indian Ocean, showing the relationship of Mantai to other sites in Sri Lanka and on the subcontinent Islamic wares here along with the Chinese and local much Islamic pottery from the Near East, including large ones. turquoise-glazed jars, and white tin-glazed pottery, as well Ancient Mantai, for example, disclosed a mixture of as sherds of lustre ware. Islamic and Far Eastern ware over a large area, both on In 1982 the excavation of a main trench was begun, the surface and to a considerable depth, confirming its which will ultimately stretch from the southern ramparts to the highest point of the mound. In the first three importance as a trading center. As Carswell stated. squares, on the edge of the inner moat, were uncovered Mantai owed its existence to its location in the arid zone the tops of packed mud (pisé) walls, some still standing to of the island, unaffected by the monsoons and their 0.6 metres. Besides the imported and local pottery damaging consequences. In addition, as he wrote in his recovered, there were also numerous glass fragments, Illustrated London Sews article: including phials and enamelled Islamic glass of the Fatimid period. Opaque black glass bangles seemed to be Its geographical situation is also significant. On the a local speciality, and quantities of iron and glass slag Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka, it is at the indicated the manufacture of both these commodities on southeastern extremity of Adam's Bridge, a string of the site. Another local industry was the production of underwater reefs linking the island to the subcontinent. conch shell bangles, known to have been widely exported These reefs effectively prevent shipping of anv size from this area throughout India. sailing between the two countries, and Mantai's existence sprang from this simple fact. Long-distance shipping Carswell believes that Mantai came to an end in A.D. could get to onlv one side or other of Adam's Bridge, 959 when the Cholas from South India captured and this led to Mantai developing as an emporium for Northern Sri Lanka. There were no Chinese wares in goods from both east and west. A further factor which the Sri Lanka sites later than the eleventh century, may have been of some economic importance was the confirming this hypothesis. Carswell suggests that the existence of the pearl bands, famous since antiquity, nearbv in the Gulf of Mannar. Finally, the area has been merchants who had taken advantage of Mantai's the point of entry for numerous invaders from mainland amenities probably relocated on the south coast of India from prehistoric times onwards. India. Three more full seasons of excavations are planned The lowest levels of Mantai according to Carswell for Mantai. As Carswell wrote in The Illustrated London date from at least the second century B.C. The upper News: "The major importance of the site is the levels contain large quantities of local and imported opportunity it provides through both the imported and material dating from the eighth to eleventh centuries local materials, to link the great inland sites at A.D. when Mantai reached its zenith as an international Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Sigiriya to the trading emporium. As to the material found, Carswell outside world. All these sites are also being intensively continued: excavated as part of the UNESCO Cultural Triangle Project, and Mantai will certainly plav a ke\ role in From the Far East there are sherds of white and cream- establishing a firm chronological framework for Sri coloured stoneware. Yüeh ware, polychrome painted Lanka's past." Chang-sha stoneware, and coarser olive-glazed Dusun storage-jars, and black-glazed stoneware. There is also 13 (Top) General view of the area of the old excavations at Mantai at the highest point of the mound, looking south. 1980 Trench A is on the extreme right. On the left is 1982 Trench D (old G 4) (Bottom left) in the process of being dug Laying oui Trench A at the down to the water table. E—E is beginning of the 1980 season the line of the proposed main of excavation al Mantai, Sri Lanka trench, begun in 1982. The arrows mark the location of die (Bottom right) double moat at die southern Deep sounding (Trench B) at extremity of the site. Maniai. 1980 excavaüons 14 IV. Distribution of Funds Accumulated income from the de Groot Fund was made available to the Museum in 1970-71. On October 7. 1971, the Finance Committee of the Board of 11 ustees authorized in principle the use of the de Groot Fund to support archaeological research and special projects of the Museum's Departments of Ancient Near Eastern Art. Egyptian Art. Greek and Roman Art. and Islamic Art. Fiscal 1971-72 saw the first major appropriation drawn from accumulated income since the date of Miss de Groots death in 1967. The book value of the de Cioot Fund principal (original dollars) is SI .443.772.00. As of June 3d. 1983, the principal had appreciated bv $702,635.00, giving it a market value of S2.146.407.00 In 1977 and 1980 the Museum produced the first and second publications detailing the results of projects funded from 1971-77 and 1977—80 respectively. In keeping with the trust agreement establishing the de Groot Fund, the Museum has prepared a third report on projects supported from fiscal 1980 to fiscal 1983. Two exhibits follow detailing the status of de Groot funds. Exhibit 1 provides basic data on the receipt and outflow of funds from fiscal 1980 through fiscal 1983. Exhibit 2 shows a summary of income and appropriations from fiscal 1980 through fiscal 1983. Exhibit 3 shows annual operating expenditures for the Museum as a whole and for the Departments of Ancient Near Kastern Art. Egyptian Art. Islamic Art. and Conservation. Also shown are annual appropriations from the de Groot Fund for the fiscal years 1980 through 1983. Exhibit 1. Summary of Appropriations and Income for the de Groot Fund: Fiscal Years 1980-81 to 1982-83 Fiscal Year Appropriations Income 1980-81 S 65.700.00 5154,906.59 1981-82 7d.225.00 192,009.80 1982-83 22.715.40 180.164.41 Total (FY 1980-81 to FY 1982-83) S158.640.40 S517.3o7.SO Balance as of 6/30/83 $668,278.79 15 Exhibit 2. Report of Appropriations and Income for the de Groot Fund: Fiscal Years 1980-81 to 1982-83 Appropriations Income 8/31/80 Endowment and specified income $106,803.00 2/27/81 return of unused funds from Hasanlu project, Tal-i Malyan 11.59 3/5/81 for Gridile project S 10,000.00 3/5/81 for research study on the cuneiform tablets in the Museum's collection 3,300.00 3/5/81 for project on seals and sealings 1.600.00 from Tal-i Malyan 15.000.00 6/10/81 for Tell al-Hiba excavations 5.000.00 6/10/81 for Sasanian silver project 6/10/81 for excavation of Mantai, Sri 10,000.00 Lanka 6/10/81 for travel for scholars preparing material from Lisht and one-half 10,800.00 annual salary of draftsman 8,000.00 6/10/81 for photography connected with preparation of manuscripts on Malkata and Lisht. 2,000.00 6/30/81 Endowment and specified income 12,367.00 6/30/81 Endowment and specified income 35,725.00 7/31/81 Endowment and specified income 112.936.00 1/28/82 for de Groot Fund Activities Report 1,325.00 3/4/82 for research study on the cuneiform tablets in the Museum's collection 22,150.00 3/4/82 for excavation at Tell Leilan 15,000.00 3/4/82 for excavation at Gridile 10,000.00 4/8/82 for travel of scholar preparing material from Lisht and one-half annual salary of draftsman 14,750.00 16 Appropriations Income 4/8/82 for photography connected with preparation of manuscripts on Malkata and Lisht 1,500.00 4/8/82 for travel of draftsman to draw deaccessioned material from Lisht. Western Thebes, and Hierakonpolis projects 2.000.00 6/10/82 for repair and restoration of fresco fragments of the Phrygian period excavated by University of Pennsylvania's expedition to Gordion in central Türke) 3,500.00 6/30/82 Endowment and specified income 67.860.80 6/30/82 Endowment and specified income 11.213.00 7/31/82 Endowment and specified income 107,913.00 9/9/82 for copying approximately 2,000 slides from Vaughn Crawford's personal collection 1,500.00 3/1/83 for Gridile project 115.40 4/7/83 for Gridile project 10.000.00 4/7/83 for preliminary studies and drawings of the excavation at the Inanna Temple at Nippur 6,000.00 5/6/83 for research study on the cuneiform tablets in the Museum's collection 3,600.00 6/16/83 for honorarium paid to Dr. Marcel Sigrist for completing Dr. Crawford's manuscript on cuneiform tablets 1,500.00 6/30/83 Endowment and specified income 62,478.41 Total (7/1/80-6/30/83) .58,640.40 517.307.80 Balance as of 6/30/83 668,278.79 17 Exhibit 3. Comparison of Annual Operating Expenditures and de Groot Appropriations 1980-81 1981-82 1982-83 Total Museum operating expenditures $60,588,273 $65,329,299 $75,237,048 Total Museum Research $ 59,694 $ 30,359 $ 853 conservation Objects 608,097 603,134 710,237 expenditures Paper 212,524 229,668 287,666 Paintings 246,985 365,616 452,555 Textiles 103,962 116,976 146,182 $ 1,231,262 $ 1,345,753 S 1,597,493 Ancient Near Eastern Art $179,164 170,372 178,718 Egyptian Art 172,654 165,002 196,969 Islamic Art 205,156 184,933 241,220 Total operating expenditures for three curatorial departments 556,974 520,307 616,907 Total de Groot Funds appropriated $ 65,700 $ 70,225 $ 22,715