The Graeco-Roman site of Tell Timai (ancient Thmuis) in Lower Egypt is among the largest urban tells in the Nile Delta, boasting substantial amounts of preserved earthen architecture. Although earthen architecture made up the vast majority of public and domestic structures in ancient Egypt, it still does not receive the same analytical attention from archaeologists as other categories of evidence. This paper presents a case study for the archaeological investigation of the earthen architecture at Tell Timai. The goal was to develop a methodology that can be implemented in the field by excavators with little geoarchaeological training and limited laboratory access in order to generate useful data for determining building stratigraphy and studying construction processes. Through the close examination and sampling of three buildings of different periods and scales, we tested a new field methodology combining geoarchaeological techniques and mensiochronology. The results provide information useful for stratigraphy and phasing as well as for identifying specific patterns of mudbrick manufacturing, production, and construction during the Graeco-Roman period at Tell Timai. 1 introduction Earthen architecture made up the majority of public and domestic structures in ancient Egypt. Nevertheless, it is Egypt's stone monuments that have traditionally attracted the most attention. While the study of mudbrick architecture in Pharaonic-period Egypt has developed steadily over

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The built environment is central to human activity, serving as a stage upon which social activity takes place and is shaped. Built spaces not only reflect people's needs and beliefs but also affect their experiences. As the material manifestation of human values and histories, buildings are instruments of power and enforcers of hierarchy, but also serve as powerful sites for protest or resistance. Architecture and the built environment should then hold a central place in postcolonial archaeology and especially the decolonization movement, which seeks to rebuild the narrative of places through the empowerment of the historically underrepresented. However, despite the significance of the postcolonial critique for both archaeology and contemporary architectural theory, its impact has not been felt very deeply at the point where these two disciplines intersect. The first half of this introductory chapter summarizes the influence of postcolonial theory on the study of the built environment and explores its applicability in the analysis and interpretation of architecture from archaeological contexts. The second half summarizes the main themes of the volumes as well as the individual contributions themselves.

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