Grinding Tools at the Third Intermediate Period Tell el-Retaba

Abstract

Tell el-Retaba, an archaeological site situated in Wadi Tumilat in the eastern Nile Delta, some 35 km west of the modern city of Ismailia, has been excavated by the Polish- Slovak Archaeological Mission, directed by Dr. hab. Slawomir Rzepka, since 2007. Long-lasting archaeological excavations of the Third Intermediate Period settlement have yielded hundreds of ground stone artefacts, among them implements used for grinding activities. The diversity of these tools’ forms and the material they are made of may imply their having been employed for various purposes and to treat a wide range of substances. This article presents a preliminary analysis of the grinding stone implements and their possible uses.