Major presentation of the skeletal material, bioarchaeology, and grave goods from over 800 graves charting the transition from traditional burial practices through the adoption of Christianity. The adoption of Christianity by the Egyptian populace was well underway by the late third century, but evidence for its presence in the archaeological record from the Nile valley is sparse. This is due, in part, to the loss of ancient settlement sites beneath modern cultivation. By comparison, Ismant al-Kharab, ancient Kellis, in Dakhleh Oasis, was abandoned at the end of the fourth century and many of its structures survive intact. The villagers, moreover, left behind a wealth of artefacts and documentation. By the late third century some had converted to Christianity and by the early fourth century three churches were built to accommodate their growing numbers. The churches afford an unparalleled window into three ecclesiastical complexes that served a single village. The Large East Church, moreover, is the earliest surviving example of a purpose-built basilica in Egypt known thus far. It provides a better understanding of the development of Egyptian church architecture and has forced a reappraisal of the dates of certain features that were previously attributed to the fifth century.The community established three burial grounds: Kellis 2, with an estimated 3,500-4,000 graves, a funerary church and associated graveyard, and in a reused monumental mausoleum. Christian cemeteries are known throughout North Africa, Europe, and Britain, but in Egypt few are published in anything but a cursory manner. At Kellis, 800+ graves have been excavated; the earliest burials date to the late third century confirming the evidence of an early conversion by some villagers and its rapid expansion thereafter.This volume provides the first detailed publication of the churches and Christian burial grounds. It incorporates a discussion of the spread of Christianity in Egypt's Southern Oasis, drawing upon data from the rich textual documentation from the site. The material culture is presented in detail, especially the extensive collection of ceramics, glass, and coins.

The Excavations at Ismant al-Kharab: Volume II - The Christian Monuments of Kellis: The Churches and Cemeteries (Dakhleh Oasis Project: Monograph, 23)

Arts & Photography

Bowen, Gillian E.

History & Criticism

Oxbow Books

This volume is the second produced by the Dakhleh Oasis Project devoted to reporting the preliminary results of its field work. The volume is divided into two parts: the first part includes reports on the study of various prehistoric and historic sites; the second part is devoted to the work on the settlement of Ismant el-Kharab, ancient Kellis, and two of its cemeteries. The latter papers include a description of the excavations, a discussion of the architectural evolution of the Main Temple Complex and the significance of the Large East Church, an attempt to reconstruct the Temple of Tutu using 3D computer modelling, and a study of the main wall paintings found in the Main Temple Complex. Several papers also present the results of research carried out on specific categories of artefacts and materials, such as the textiles, basketry and leather goods, ceramics, metals and metallurgy, oils, terracotta figurines, and the flora and fauna of ancient Kellis.Table of ContentsPart 1. The 1994-1995 to 1998-1999 Field Seasons Acknowledgements, Staff and Summaries (Anthony J Mills) Holocene Prehistory: Interim Report on the 1997 and 1998 Seasons - the Masara Sites (Mary M A McDonald) Holocene Prehistory: Interim Report on the 1999 Season (Mary M A McDonald) Deir el-Hagar, 'Ain Birbiyeh, 'Ain el-Gazzareen and El-Muzawwaqa (Anthony J Mills) Magnetic Testing using Overhauser Gradiometer GSM-19WG and Cesium Magnetometer MM-60 (Tatyana N Smekalova) Neolithic Burials at Sheikh Muftah: A Preliminary Report (Jennifer L Thompson) Part 2: Reports on the Excavations at Ismant el-Kharab An Inscribed Pedestal from the Temple of Tutu (Roger S Bagnall, Klaas A Worp and John Tait) The Study of Pigments from Shrine I at Ismant el-Kharab (Michelle Berry) Conservation of Archaeological Wall Paintings in the Temple of Tutu (Laurence Blondaux) The Fourth-Century Churches at Ismant el-Kharab (Gillian E Bowen and Appendix by Carla Marchini) Textiles, Basketry and Leather Goods from Ismant el-Kharab (Gillian E Bowen) Faunal Remains from Kellis (Charles S Churcher) Report on the Characterization of Three Fabric Samples from Ismant el-Kharab (Christine E Coombs, Andrea L Woodhead and Jeffrey S Church) Remarks on the Construction Stages of the Main Temple and Shrines I-II (Jaroslaw Dobrowolski) Ceramics from Ismant el-Kharab (Amanda Dunsmore) Metalworking at Kellis: A Preliminary Report (Mark A J Eccleston) The Coptic Texts from Ismant el-Kharab: Report on Work in Progress 1995-1997 (Iain Gardner) Typological Considerations on the Large East Church at Ismant el-Kharab (Peter Grossmann) Excavations in Area C at Ismant el-Kharab in 1996-1997 (Kevin Hickson) Excavations in the Settlement of Ismant el-Kharab in 1995-1999 (Colin A Hope and Appendix by Gillian E Bowen) A Group of Priestly Dipinti in Shrine IV at Ismant el-Kharab (Olaf E Kaper) Pharaonic-Style Decoration of the Mammisi at Ismant el-Kharab: New Insights after the 1996-1997 Field Season (Olaf E Kaper) Reconstructing the Temple of Tutu using Three-Dimensional Computer Modelling (Caroline C McGregor) Bio-archaeological Research of Kellis 2: An Overview (J Eldon Molto) Mitochondrial DNA Sequence Analysis of Skeletal Remains from the Kellis 2 Cemetery (Ryan L Parr) Identifying the Oil used in the Rituals in the Temple of Tutu (Andrew Ross) Les parures de cartonnage des momies d'une nécropole d'Ismant el-Kharab (Annie Schweitzer) Terracottas from Ismant el-Kharab (Anna Stevens) A Note on Demotic Inscriptions from the Temple of Tutu (John Tait) Roman Agriculture and Gardening in Egypt as seen from Kellis (Ursula Thanheiser with contributions by Johannes Walter and Colin A Hope) Wall Paintings in Shrine IV of the Temple of Tutu (Helen Whitehouse) Dedication Inscriptions from the Main Temple (Klaas A Worp and Colin A Hope) Short Texts from the Main Temple (Klaas A Worp)

Dakhleh Oasis Project: Preliminary Reports on the 1994-1995 to 1998-1999 Field Seasons (Dakhleh Oasis Project Monograph)

History

Hope, Colin A.

Ancient Civilizations

This volume contains twenty-five papers presented at the Third International Conference of the Dakhleh Oasis Project held in Melbourne in 2000, plus several other invited papers, which together reflect the multidisciplinary nature of the project. Five deal with Pleistocene and Holocene archaeology, including the first characterization of the Older Middle Stone Age culture of the Oasis; there are three on pharaonic archaeology and fifteen devoted to Roman period Kellis. They include: discussions of the most recent archaeological work; the first detailed publication of a unique glass jug decorated with scenes of combatant gladiators, accompanied by color images; and specialist reports on human skeletal remains. Table of Contents Editor's Preface Conference programme Prehistory Strategies for Studying Pleistocene Archaeology based on Surface Evidence: First Characterization of an Older Middle Stone Age Unit, Dakhleh Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt (Maxine R. Kleindienst) The Early Holocene Masara A and Masara C Cultural Sub-Units of Dakhleh Oasis, within a Wider Cultural Setting (Mary M. A. McDonald) Health and Disease of Neolithic Remains from Sheikh Muftah, Dakhleh Oasis (Jennifer L. Thompson and Gwyn D. Madden) Interregional Contacts with the Sudan: Ceramic Evidence from the Mid-Holocene Period (Ashten R. Warfe) Environment Hyaenas in the Dakhleh Oasis II (Charles S. Churcher) Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Fossil-Spring Tufa Deposits, Western Desert, Egypt: Implications for Palaeoclimatic Interpretations (Jennifer R. Smith and Robert F. Giegengack) Historical Archaeology I: Pharaonic Period La Ceramique Datee de la Fin de la XIIIe Dynastie (Deuxieme Periode Intermediaire) Decouverte en Contexte Urbain a 'Ain Aseel (Oases de Dakhleh) (Sylvie Marchand) 'Ain el-Gazzareen: Developments in the Old Kingdom Settlement (Anthony J. Mills and Olaf E. Kaper) Magnetic Survey at 'Ain el-Gazzareen (Tatyana N. Smekalova, Anthony J. Mills and Tomasz Herbich) Historical Archaeology II: Ptolmaic-Roman Period at Kellis Bio-anthropological Features of Human Mummies in Kellis I Cemetery: The Database for Mummification Methods (Arthur C. Aufderheide, Larry Cartmell and Michael Zlonis) The Small East Church at Ismant el-Kharab (Gillian E. Bowen) Some Observations on Christian Burial Practices at Kellis (Gillian E. Bowen) A Preliminary Analysis of the Human Skeletal Remains from North Tombs 1 and 2 (Tosha L. Dupras and Matthew W. Tocheri) Preliminary Analysis of the Human Skeletal Remains from South Tomb 4 (Tosha L. Dupras and Matthew W. Tocheri) Report on the editing of both the Coptic and Manichean Texts from Ismant el-Kharab (Iain Gardner) The Excavations at Ismant el-Kharab from 2000 to 2002 (Colin A. Hope) The Gladiator Jug from Ismant el-Kharab (Colin A. Hope and Helen V. Whitehouse) The God Tutu at Kellis: On Two Stelae Found at Ismant el-Kharab in 2000 (Olaf E. Kaper) The Decoration of North Tomb I (Olaf E. Kaper) Ancient Antibiotics: Evidence of Tetracycline in Human and Animal Bone from Kellis (Corey Maggiano, Tosha L. Dupras and John Biggerstaff) Late Roman Period Human Skeletal Remains from Areas D/6 and D/7 and North Tomb I at Kellis (J. Eldon Molto, Peter Sheldrick, Antonietta Cerroni and Scott Haddow) A Preliminary Report on the Analysis of Organic Materials from Ismant el-Kharab (Andrew Ross and Benjamin Stern) The Chronology of Kellis 2: The Interpretative Significance of Radiocarbon Dating of Human Remains (Joe D. Stewart, J. Eldon Molto and Paula J. Reimer); A Mythological Ostrakon from Kellis (Klaas A. Worp)

The Oasis Papers 3: Proceedings of the Third International Conference of the Dakhleh Oasis Project (Dakhleh Oasis Project Monograph)

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Bowen, Gillian E.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Bowen, Gillian E.