Pierwszy etap rekonstrukcji teatru na Kom el Dikka w Aleksandrii

Several interesting data are supplied by the author with regard to the first stage of reconstruction works carried on in Kom el Dikka Theatre in Alexandria. Investigations have been started in 1963 forming a part of the large-scale project carried out by the University of Warsaw Polish Station of Mediterranean Archaeology with its headquarters in Cairo. In the beginnings o f the following year when the m u n icipal authorities decided to erect in the Kom e l Dikka area a new administrative building the theatre w a lls have been discovered in foundation trenching«. Since the halting o f construction a series of uninterrupted archaeological investigations was conducted on the site from 1964 to 1966 in order to expose the further portions of the preserved antique edifice. At the same time the reconstruction works were carried with a great deal of difficulties arising from the absence of an accurate historical survey and necessary architectural and technical documentation materials. These were the reasons why it has proved necessary to divide the whole programme into two stages. Within the first stage the surrounding site had to be brought to order, the seats in the auditorium, then the inner corridor wall and the auditorium substructures rebuilt, and, finally, the column bases of the vestibule arcade placed on their proper spots. The second stage comprised the reconstruction o f the -building’s portions requiring essential scientific studies and also the considerable labour and time allocations. It is intended to organize a steady exhibition of architectural decorative details on the auditorium crowning. During the first stage of reconstruction of the theatre the stones were used coming from excavations (with their faces covered with patina) while the new stone blocks, to maintain a clearly visible bordering line between them, were fixed together in a way differing from that used in the original antique walls. Since the bends in w a ll portions ranging to 5—-15 cm (in some cases even to 40 cm) have been observed a need arose to apply at two lev e ls (2,5 and 4 m) special system o f tie bolts with the appropriate anchorages. For glueing the broken columns in the vestibule 6outh-end arcade the synthetic resin mixture „Polim a x ”, the p.v.c. paste and the cobalt naphthenate were applied. The stripping o f the mosaic flooring in vestibule may represent an operation of interest for conservators. Due to weathering of its bedding and the thus existing considerable differences of lev e ls ranging as high as to 40 cm it has been decided to strip the mosaic in comparatively large portions (0,25 to 1,00 m2). After their cleaning and supplementing o f losses to the stripped flooring portions the strips o f a thin but at the same time strong enough cotton fabric were glued on by means of vinyl polyacetate (in 1:2 water solution). Within the first stage of reconstruction works carried out in the theatre in Alexandria a series of additional preserving operations of minor importance has been undertaken. On completion o f the above-described stage of research and reconstruction works the Egyptian Authorities have decided that the reconstructed theatre should be made accessible not only for tourists but also for regular performances. It may, therefore, be expected that the further works w ill be carried with the clear objective in mind, i.e. preparing the antique object for its original function.