Qatar Sudan Archaeological Project: Excavations at the Ghazali monastery from 2014 to 2016

The excavation report covers eight months of fieldwork at the site of Ghazali, which resulted in the clearing of the entire monastery and the discovery of three annexes located on the north and west of the complex. The spiritual part of the monastery included two churches located in the southeastern corner of the complex, a household compound on the west side and a refectory and dormitory in between. Conservation work focused on the reconstruction and restoration of water storage installations in Room Y, as well as north of the North Church. Excavation outside the monastic walls brought the discovery of an iron smelting area with several well-preserved furnaces. Exploration of the monks’ cemetery uncovered regular box superstructures and an intriguing variety of substructures from simple vertical pit tombs to elaborate vaulted chambers.