Tuneinir Area 11 - Monastic Cells and Martyrs

Area 11 was a low mound approximately 10 meters north of Area 10 (Monastic workshops) where workmen would tie their donkey. It was nicknamed the donkey mound. A ground penetrating radar scan of the mound indicated the presence of subsurface features and its close proximity to the Area 9 monastic church and Area 10 monastic workshops made it a good candidate for the cells where the monks would live. This hypothesis was confirmed during a testing of the mound during 1999. Many burials were found just beneath the surface of the mound, but one burials was discovered deep in the mound near the floor surface of a cell. That beep burial was the first of eight martyr burials. Additional excavation would be conducted in 2000 to find more evidence for the architectural plan of the cells and for evidence of the martyrs.

Area 11 excavation looking to the northwest during 2000.

Area 11 excavation looking to the southeast during 2000.

Bob McWhorter holds the stadia rod while Michael Fuller takes an elevation reading in Area 11.

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Fletcher measures the elevation of some pottery sherds using a line level in Area 11.