Direction
Jean-Baptiste Yon (CNRS-HiSoMa/IFPO)
How Eveha Participates
Topography
Photogrammetry
Sector co-direction
Location
Lebanon
The fifteenth excavation and architectural survey campaign of the archaeological mission at the site of Tyre took place from October 1 to November 4, 2022, under the direction of Jean-Baptiste Yon (CNRS, HiSoMA – UMR 5189) and Gilles Rollier (Inrap). Xavier Husson, in charge of topographical and photogrammetric work, and Aurélie Laurey, co-head of archaeological investigations in sector 7, participated in the campaign under an Éveha International agreement established in 2011.
In sector 1, known as the cathedral sector, the operations were a continuation of those begun in 2020 outside the northwest corner of the mosque courtyard, the main objective of which was to define the footprint and shape of the site’s two medieval monuments (the mosque and the cathedral). From now on, research will focus more on understanding the environment of these buildings and the changes their construction brought about in the pre-existing urban fabric. The sector, which was little excavated during the time of Emir Chehab, retains a stratigraphy that could provide a better understanding of its evolution from the Proto-Byzantine period to the last Ottoman occupation.
In Sector 2, known as the stepped building, the survey aimed to complete our plan data but also to obtain a complete stratigraphic sequence from the Roman-Byzantine levels to the beach levels. The relationship between the different sets of cisterns, the trough building, and the stepped building was also examined.
In addition, other investigations focused on the hydraulic structure consisting of the cisterns, more specifically to determine the purpose of this water and how it was circulated and distributed.
In sector 3, known as the great baths, the work carried out revealed the earlier and/or early developments of the thermal block. In line with the 2021 investigations, they also focused on the reconnaissance and study of hypocaust elements still in place, undisturbed by contemporary excavations or restorations. Finally, they helped to complete the general plan of the thermal block and its modifications, whether occasional or not, linked to subsequent artisanal installations.
In sector 7, known as the small baths, research focused on two areas: firstly, to expand the documentation on some of the exposed remains in order to clarify the internal organization of the building, and secondly, to determine the total extent of the building. During this work, new remains were discovered, both inside and outside the bathing complex.
This year also saw the launch of the ANR AquaTyr program, which focuses more specifically on water management on the Tyre peninsula. The team was therefore reinforced with the arrival of a second topographer, a geomatics specialist, and a geoarchaeologist.
Finally, the general site plan and the library of 3D models were completed and enriched thanks to the implementation of topographic surveys and photogrammetric coverage of each sector, strengthening the recording and georeferencing of spatial data. The surveys were carried out both on an archaeological scale (sections and test pits) and on an architectural scale (larger sector). In addition, work on topographic reference systems (links between the sites of Tyre-city and Al-Bass, verification and refinement of reference coordinates, etc.) was also undertaken, thanks to the presence and collaboration of two topographers. This linking and analysis work will continue over the next few years.
The incorporation of this data into the site’s GIS continued, as did its incorporation into the Syslat database. The presence of a geomatics specialist also enriched the discussion on the structuring of the GIS and the objectives expected for the coming years.
