Aegyptus et Nubia Christiana. The Włodzimierz Godlewski jubilee volume on the occasion of his 70th birthday
Aegyptus et Nubia Christiana. The Włodzimierz Godlewski jubilee volume on the occasion of his 70th birthday
Contributor(s): Adam Łajtar (Editor), Iwona Zych (Editor), Artur Obłuski (Editor)
Subject(s): History, Archaeology
Published by: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
Keywords: Egypt; Byzantium; Christian Nubia; archeology; Włodzimierz Godlewski
Summary/Abstract: The volume brings together 36 fully peer-reviewed contributions in the field of Christian Egypt and Nubia studies, mirroring a lifetime of academic achievement by Prof. Włodzimierz Godlewski, in whose honor this jubilee book has been produced. The contributing scholars are both colleagues and associates, and the subjects they take up in their studies are focused on issues of archaeology, epigraphy, iconography, ceramics and material culture, as well as history of medieval and post-medieval Egypt and Nubia. In several cases, the articles concern material from two sites, Naqlun in Egypt and Dongola in Nubia, where Godlewski has conducted and directed research. Thus, for Naqlun we have the functionaries of the Nekloni monastery (T. Derda and J. Wegner), literary culture (A. Delattre and N. Vanthieghem, J. van der Vliet) as well as ceramics (T. Górecki) and glass vessels (M. Mossakowska-Gaubert), and architecture of the monastic complex from Naqlun (S. Maślak). For Old Dongola there is a study of Egyptian amphorae with dipinti (K. Danys and A. Łajtar) and costume of monks in wall paintings (K. Innemée). Broader studies concern issues like the functioning of a pilgrimage sanctuary in Egypt in late antiquity (E. Wipszycka), wine consumption and usage in Egypt’s monastic communities in the 6th–8th century (D. Dzierzbicka), aspects of the role of Archangel Raphael in Christian Nubia (M. Łaptaś), observations on the origins of “apse portraits” in Nubian royal iconography (M. Woźniak), the ideology and function of the northern pastophorium of Nubian churches based on inscriptions and paintings (A. Łajtar and D. Zielińska). Church architecture is taken up by P. Grossmann for Egypt and Nubia, and A. Obłuski for Nubia. W. Y. Adams gives an overview of evolution and revolution in Nubian pottery, J. R. Anderson and A. Harrison present unique hair textiles from British Museum excavations in Kulubnarti, while A. Boud’hors and E. Garel discuss what remains of the monastery library in Deir el-Bahari (a monograph of which was published by Godlewski early in his academic career). The history of Baybars’ Nubian conquests is taken up by R. Seignobos. Contributions have been offered also by Nettie Adams, M. Barwik, D. Edwards, K. Grzymski, B. Lichocka, A. Łukaszewicz, G. Ochała, M. Rassart-Debergh, T.S. Richter, G.R. Ruffini, H. and A. Tsakos, J. Then-Obłuska, G. van Loon, D. Welsby, I. Zych and B. Żurawski.
- E-ISBN-13: 978-83-235-4726-6
- Page Count: 698
- Publication Year: 2020
- Language: English, French, German
Addresses
Addresses
(Addresses)
- Author(s):Tomasz Waliszewski, Tomasz Scholl, Dorota Dzierzbicka, Ewa Chrzanowska, Artur Obłuski, Wojciech Nowakowski, Mahmoud El-Tayeb, Henryk Paner, Iwona Zych, Charles Bonnet, Sylvia Schoske, Dietrich Wildung, Vincent Francigny, Piotr Dyczek, Janice Yellin, Marek Tycjan Olszewski, Ewa Parandowska, Robert Ryndziewicz
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:9-14
- No. of Pages:6
- Keywords:Egypt; Byzantium; Christian Nubia; archeology; Włodzimierz Godlewski
- Summary/Abstract:The volume brings together 36 fully peer-reviewed contributions in the field of Christian Egypt and Nubia studies, mirroring a lifetime of academic achievement by Prof. Włodzimierz Godlewski, in whose honor this jubilee book has been produced. The contributing scholars are both colleagues and associates, and the subjects they take up in their studies are focused on issues of archaeology, epigraphy, iconography, ceramics and material culture, as well as history of medieval and post-medieval Egypt and Nubia. In several cases, the articles concern material from two sites, Naqlun in Egypt and Dongola in Nubia, where Godlewski has conducted and directed research. Thus, for Naqlun we have the functionaries of the Nekloni monastery (T. Derda and J. Wegner), literary culture (A. Delattre and N. Vanthieghem, J. van der Vliet) as well as ceramics (T. Górecki) and glass vessels (M. Mossakowska-Gaubert), and architecture of the monastic complex from Naqlun (S. Maślak). For Old Dongola there is a study of Egyptian amphorae with dipinti (K. Danys and A. Łajtar) and costume of monks in wall paintings (K. Innemée). Broader studies concern issues like the functioning of a pilgrimage sanctuary in Egypt in late antiquity (E. Wipszycka), wine consumption and usage in Egypt’s monastic communities in the 6th–8th century (D. Dzierzbicka), aspects of the role of Archangel Raphael in Christian Nubia (M. Łaptaś), observations on the origins of “apse portraits” in Nubian royal iconography (M. Woźniak), the ideology and function of the northern pastophorium of Nubian churches based on inscriptions and paintings (A. Łajtar and D. Zielińska). Church architecture is taken up by P. Grossmann for Egypt and Nubia, and A. Obłuski for Nubia. W. Y. Adams gives an overview of evolution and revolution in Nubian pottery, J. R. Anderson and A. Harrison present unique hair textiles from British Museum excavations in Kulubnarti, while A. Boud’hors and E. Garel discuss what remains of the monastery library in Deir el-Bahari (a monograph of which was published by Godlewski early in his academic career). The history of Baybars’ Nubian conquests is taken up by R. Seignobos. Contributions have been offered also by Nettie Adams, M. Barwik, D. Edwards, K. Grzymski, B. Lichocka, A. Łukaszewicz, G. Ochała, M. Rassart-Debergh, T.S. Richter, G.R. Ruffini, H. and A. Tsakos, J. Then-Obłuska, G. van Loon, D. Welsby, I. Zych and B. Żurawski.
Włodek on the Nile
Włodek on the Nile
(Włodek on the Nile)
- Author(s):Adam Łajtar, Artur Obłuski, Iwona Zych
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:18-27
- No. of Pages:10
- Keywords:Egypt; Byzantium; Christian Nubia; archeology; Włodzimierz Godlewski
- Summary/Abstract:The volume brings together 36 fully peer-reviewed contributions in the field of Christian Egypt and Nubia studies, mirroring a lifetime of academic achievement by Prof. Włodzimierz Godlewski, in whose honor this jubilee book has been produced. The contributing scholars are both colleagues and associates, and the subjects they take up in their studies are focused on issues of archaeology, epigraphy, iconography, ceramics and material culture, as well as history of medieval and post-medieval Egypt and Nubia. In several cases, the articles concern material from two sites, Naqlun in Egypt and Dongola in Nubia, where Godlewski has conducted and directed research. Thus, for Naqlun we have the functionaries of the Nekloni monastery (T. Derda and J. Wegner), literary culture (A. Delattre and N. Vanthieghem, J. van der Vliet) as well as ceramics (T. Górecki) and glass vessels (M. Mossakowska-Gaubert), and architecture of the monastic complex from Naqlun (S. Maślak). For Old Dongola there is a study of Egyptian amphorae with dipinti (K. Danys and A. Łajtar) and costume of monks in wall paintings (K. Innemée). Broader studies concern issues like the functioning of a pilgrimage sanctuary in Egypt in late antiquity (E. Wipszycka), wine consumption and usage in Egypt’s monastic communities in the 6th–8th century (D. Dzierzbicka), aspects of the role of Archangel Raphael in Christian Nubia (M. Łaptaś), observations on the origins of “apse portraits” in Nubian royal iconography (M. Woźniak), the ideology and function of the northern pastophorium of Nubian churches based on inscriptions and paintings (A. Łajtar and D. Zielińska). Church architecture is taken up by P. Grossmann for Egypt and Nubia, and A. Obłuski for Nubia. W. Y. Adams gives an overview of evolution and revolution in Nubian pottery, J. R. Anderson and A. Harrison present unique hair textiles from British Museum excavations in Kulubnarti, while A. Boud’hors and E. Garel discuss what remains of the monastery library in Deir el-Bahari (a monograph of which was published by Godlewski early in his academic career). The history of Baybars’ Nubian conquests is taken up by R. Seignobos. Contributions have been offered also by Nettie Adams, M. Barwik, D. Edwards, K. Grzymski, B. Lichocka, A. Łukaszewicz, G. Ochała, M. Rassart-Debergh, T.S. Richter, G.R. Ruffini, H. and A. Tsakos, J. Then-Obłuska, G. van Loon, D. Welsby, I. Zych and B. Żurawski.
Włodzimierz Godlewski: List of publications
Włodzimierz Godlewski: List of publications
(Włodzimierz Godlewski: List of publications)
- Author(s):Aleksandra Zych
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:29-43
- No. of Pages:15
- Keywords:Egypt; Byzantium; Christian Nubia; archeology; Włodzimierz Godlewski
- Summary/Abstract:The volume brings together 36 fully peer-reviewed contributions in the field of Christian Egypt and Nubia studies, mirroring a lifetime of academic achievement by Prof. Włodzimierz Godlewski, in whose honor this jubilee book has been produced. The contributing scholars are both colleagues and associates, and the subjects they take up in their studies are focused on issues of archaeology, epigraphy, iconography, ceramics and material culture, as well as history of medieval and post-medieval Egypt and Nubia. In several cases, the articles concern material from two sites, Naqlun in Egypt and Dongola in Nubia, where Godlewski has conducted and directed research. Thus, for Naqlun we have the functionaries of the Nekloni monastery (T. Derda and J. Wegner), literary culture (A. Delattre and N. Vanthieghem, J. van der Vliet) as well as ceramics (T. Górecki) and glass vessels (M. Mossakowska-Gaubert), and architecture of the monastic complex from Naqlun (S. Maślak). For Old Dongola there is a study of Egyptian amphorae with dipinti (K. Danys and A. Łajtar) and costume of monks in wall paintings (K. Innemée). Broader studies concern issues like the functioning of a pilgrimage sanctuary in Egypt in late antiquity (E. Wipszycka), wine consumption and usage in Egypt’s monastic communities in the 6th–8th century (D. Dzierzbicka), aspects of the role of Archangel Raphael in Christian Nubia (M. Łaptaś), observations on the origins of “apse portraits” in Nubian royal iconography (M. Woźniak), the ideology and function of the northern pastophorium of Nubian churches based on inscriptions and paintings (A. Łajtar and D. Zielińska). Church architecture is taken up by P. Grossmann for Egypt and Nubia, and A. Obłuski for Nubia. W. Y. Adams gives an overview of evolution and revolution in Nubian pottery, J. R. Anderson and A. Harrison present unique hair textiles from British Museum excavations in Kulubnarti, while A. Boud’hors and E. Garel discuss what remains of the monastery library in Deir el-Bahari (a monograph of which was published by Godlewski early in his academic career). The history of Baybars’ Nubian conquests is taken up by R. Seignobos. Contributions have been offered also by Nettie Adams, M. Barwik, D. Edwards, K. Grzymski, B. Lichocka, A. Łukaszewicz, G. Ochała, M. Rassart-Debergh, T.S. Richter, G.R. Ruffini, H. and A. Tsakos, J. Then-Obłuska, G. van Loon, D. Welsby, I. Zych and B. Żurawski.
Que reste-t-il de la bibliothèque du monastère de Saint-Phoibammon à Deir el-Bahari?
Que reste-t-il de la bibliothèque du monastère de Saint-Phoibammon à Deir el-Bahari?
(What remains of the monastery library from Saint-Phoibammon to Deir el-Bahari?)
- Author(s):Anne Boud’hors, Esther Garel
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:47-60
- No. of Pages:14
- Keywords:Coptic Bible; Coptic manuscripts; monasticism; libraries
- Summary/Abstract:Some scraps of Coptic literary texts (parchment and papyrus) have been excavated at Deir el-Bahari in 2008/2009. Identified as biblical passages, they are published here and offer the opportunity to return to the question of the existence and contents of the library of the monastery of Saint-Phoibammon: firstly, to what extent can these fragments be considered as remains of such a library? Then, since the publication of Włodzimierz Godlewski’s monograph on this monastery, are there other clues that make new hypotheses possible?
Les trois « colophons » de l’Évangile de Jean découvert à Naqlūn
Les trois « colophons » de l’Évangile de Jean découvert à Naqlūn
(The three « colophons » of the Gospel of John discovered in Naqlūn)
- Author(s):Alain Delattre, Naïm Vanthieghem
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:61-72
- No. of Pages:12
- Keywords:Gospel of John; Fatimid period; 11th–12th century; Naqlūn; burial practices; bilingualism
- Summary/Abstract:Edition of two Coptic colophons and an Arabic note written at the end of the 11th–12th manuscript of the Gospel of John found in a grave at Naqlūn in 2002. We argue the Gospel was the property of the deacon Shenoute, son of John, who was probably buried there.
Πατέρες τοῦ ἁγίου Νεκλονίου. Functionaries of the Naqlun monastery in the first two centuries of its existence
Πατέρες τοῦ ἁγίου Νεκλονίου. Functionaries of the Naqlun monastery in the first two centuries of its existence
(Functionaries of the Naqlun monastery in the first two centuries of its existence)
- Author(s):Tomasz Derda, Joanna Wegner
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:73-97
- No. of Pages:25
- Keywords:Naqlun; laura; prosopography; bishop Nikolaos; monastic administration
- Summary/Abstract:The present contribution explores the organisation of the monastic community at Naqlun in the 6th and 7th centuries. It starts with an overview of the sources and proceeds to a prosopography of various figures from the Naqlun community attested in the evidence. The concluding section is devoted to a brief synthesis of our current knowledge of the community structure and its development before the Arab conquest.
Wine consumption and usage in Egypt’s monastic communities (6th–8th century)
Wine consumption and usage in Egypt’s monastic communities (6th–8th century)
(Wine consumption and usage in Egypt’s monastic communities (6th–8th century))
- Author(s):Dorota Dzierzbicka
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:99-111
- No. of Pages:13
- Keywords:wine; monasteries; monks; health; payment; liturgy; prosphora; amphorae; stoppers
- Summary/Abstract:Wine was crucial for the monastic economy, religion, health and lifestyle. The paper begins with a brief overview of the evidence for monastic vineyard ownership and considers other options available to monks seeking to procure wine for their needs. Further on, the contribution discusses the various uses of wine in coenobitic monasteries and lavras. It explores the issue of the monastic communities’ need for wine for liturgical purposes and payments in kind, as well as the evidence for its consumption among monks in medical, social and everyday contexts. Lastly, relying on textual and archaeological evidence the paper addresses the question of the volume of wine consumed by monks.
Phasing out LRA 7 amphorae in favor of new wine containers: Preliminary remarks based on finds from excavations in Naqlun
Phasing out LRA 7 amphorae in favor of new wine containers: Preliminary remarks based on finds from excavations in Naqlun
(Phasing out LRA 7 amphorae in favor of new wine containers: Preliminary remarks based on finds from excavations in Naqlun)
- Author(s):Tomasz Górecki
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:113-137
- No. of Pages:25
- Keywords:wine production; wine distribution; wine transport; wine consumption; monastic archaeology; transport containers; pottery production
- Summary/Abstract:Clay pots were in antiquity the most popular kind of transport container for liquid goods (wine, olive oil etc.). In Egypt, the commonly used traditional amphoras were supplemented in the Islamic period by mostly unhandled bag-shaped bottles, which until recently did not seem to have been particularly frequent in the archaeological record. Meanwhile, excavations in Fustat and Naqlun produced quite a sizable assemblage of this kind of vessels. The paper presents a tentative typology of these containers and a provisional determination of the liquid goods transported in them. The author hypothesizes on the reasons behind the spectacular career of the bottle apparently inspired by vessels of the LRA 5/6 type, which totally replaced the traditional LRA 7 amphora within just a hundred or two hundred years. The most important factor in this process of change may have involved practical considerations (including economical ones).
Spätantike und mittelalterliche Vierstützenkirchen in Ägypten
Spätantike und mittelalterliche Vierstützenkirchen in Ägypten
(Late antiquity and medieval Four-pillar churches in Egypt)
- Author(s):Peter Grossmann
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:139-147
- No. of Pages:9
- Keywords:Christian Egypt; Christian Nubia; church architecture; spatial organization of churches
- Summary/Abstract:The article offers an architectural analysis of a late antique and medieval type of church characterized by a naos with four pillars or columns supporting the roof. Variants that can be distinguished include one with a passage around the supports and another in which the supports form a cross-in-square. The analyzed type is poorly represented in the church architecture of Egypt, but is well attested in Lower Nubia. Nubian examples of the type give an idea of what the lost Egyptian prototypes may have looked like.
The burning of a monastery? Story blazed on the walls of monastic buildings at Nekloni (Naqlun)
The burning of a monastery? Story blazed on the walls of monastic buildings at Nekloni (Naqlun)
(The burning of a monastery? Story blazed on the walls of monastic buildings at Nekloni (Naqlun))
- Author(s):Szymon Maślak
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:149-186
- No. of Pages:38
- Keywords:Nekloni (Naqlun); monastery; fire; burnt walls; medieval; conflagration
- Summary/Abstract:The walls of a late antique–medieval monastic complex at Nekloni (Naqlun) spreading on a plateau at the foot of Gebel al-Naqlun in the southeastern Fayum Oasis bear evidence of damage or destruction by fire. The extent of this conflagration is one issue to be considered: evident clusters of burnt walls are concentrated around the landmark Building A with more dispersed traces of burning to the south and north of it. Another issue is the date of this event, which the present author places closer to the end of the 10th or in the first decades of the 11th century. The monastery burned down at the very heyday of its existence, this prosperity attested by a collection of gold coins as well as pieces of decorated codices recovered from the ruins, giving a date prior to the 11th century. Whatever the reason for this conflagration, it did not put an end to the existence of the monastic community in this area. Soon after that some of the monastery buildings were rebuilt, and others, like the main church, were refurbished and repainted.
Verres décorés d’époque arabe médiévale (VIIIe–XIIIe siècles): quelques exemples provenant de Naqlun
Verres décorés d’époque arabe médiévale (VIIIe–XIIIe siècles): quelques exemples provenant de Naqlun
(Decorated glasses from the medieval Arab period (8th – 13th centuries): some examples from Naqlun)
- Author(s):Maria Mossakowska-Gaubert
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:187-215
- No. of Pages:29
- Keywords:Islamic glass; decorative techniques; Egypt; monastic complex; Naqlun
- Summary/Abstract:The article presents the chronological and typological variety of decorated glasses found in the central part of the site at Naqlun, in the monastic buildings and tombs of the civil cemetery situated in the complex. Artifacts were dated between the 8th and the beginning of the 13th century. The decorated motifs on these glasses were executed with diverse techniques: tool marks, applied, pinched, impressed with tongs, impressed, mould-blown, engraved, cut, incised, scratch engraved,stained, marvered trails. Many similarities are to be observed with material from Fustat. However, the Naqlun assemblage as a whole is more modest, which is not surprising considering the context: provincial, rural and monastic at the same time.
Les Kellia, 1965–2015
Les Kellia, 1965–2015
(The Kellias, 1965–2015)
- Author(s):Marguerite Rassart-Debergh
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:217-230
- No. of Pages:14
- Keywords:Late-Ancient Egypt; Kellia; monasticism; Coptic painting
- Summary/Abstract:Discovered and partially excavated for the first time in 1904, the site of the Kellia, the Cells, one of the largest monastic complexes from Egypt, was not really identified definitively until 1960; excavated from 1965, the cells no longer exist; the publications and the objects preserved in the Coptic Museum of Old Cairo bear witness to of their past wealth. Here is a brief chronological reminder excavations (Egyptian, French and Swiss) and the main discoveries; are illustrated one of the first paintings and a mosaic, the best parallels of which were discovered in Faras by Polish teams; at least this is a hypothesis that deserves, I think, further research.
Eine koptische und eine arabische Bauinschrift zwischen Assuan und Kom Ombo
Eine koptische und eine arabische Bauinschrift zwischen Assuan und Kom Ombo
(A Coptic and an Arabic building inscription between Aswan and Kom Ombo)
- Author(s):Tonio Sebastian Richter
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:231-246
- No. of Pages:16
- Keywords:Coptic; Arabic epigraphy; Fatimid Egypt; road network
- Summary/Abstract:The present article suggests a hypothetical localization and provides a reconstructed text of a Coptic inscription which was seen by Urbain Bouriant on the road along the east bank of the Nile, halfway between Assuan and Kom Ombo. Bouriant edited this inscription twice in the 1890s, presenting it, together with an Arabic inscription that lay underneath, as a bilingual report on roadwork, and dated it to year 409 of Diocletian, resp. 7[3] Hiğri, i.e., AD 693. This article argues that, on the contrary, the two inscriptions are of different and much later date, and commemorate two distinct (albeit similar) events.
“Alone in Naqlun”: A fresh look at the Bohairic letter P. Lond. Copt. I 590 (2) (British Library Or. 4720 [31], vo)
“Alone in Naqlun”: A fresh look at the Bohairic letter P. Lond. Copt. I 590 (2) (British Library Or. 4720 [31], vo)
(“Alone in Naqlun”: A fresh look at the Bohairic letter P. Lond. Copt. I 590 (2) (British Library Or. 4720 [31], vo))
- Author(s):Jacques van der Vliet
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:247-255
- No. of Pages:9
- Keywords:Bohairic; Coptic monasticism; Naqlun; Kellia
- Summary/Abstract:A re-edition of the Bohairic Coptic letter British Library Or. 4720 [31], vo (=P. Lond. Copt. I 590 (2), 11th century) with particular attention to its interest for contemporaneous Coptic monasticism in Naqlun and Kellia. The addressee of the letter is a certain deacon Makari from Nekloni, who is asked to join a party of people engaged in building activity in Talmouna in the north, bringing with him blankets and wine.
“…that the mountain of the holy wilderness may be inhabited…”: Saint John the Baptist in Infancy scenes in the narthex of the Quarry Church of Dayr Abū Ḥinnis
“…that the mountain of the holy wilderness may be inhabited…”: Saint John the Baptist in Infancy scenes in the narthex of the Quarry Church of Dayr Abū Ḥinnis
(“…that the mountain of the holy wilderness may be inhabited…”: Saint John the Baptist in Infancy scenes in the narthex of the Quarry Church of Dayr Abū Ḥinnis)
- Author(s):Gertrud J.M. van Loon
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:257-279
- No. of Pages:23
- Keywords:Dayr Abū Ḥinnis; John the Baptist; wall painting; Infancy scenes; monasticism
- Summary/Abstract:The iconographical program of wall paintings in the Quarry Church of Saint John the Baptist in Dayr Abū Ḥinnis focuses on its patron saint. A frieze of Infancy scenes in the narthex of the church, seemingly centering on the early life of Christ, was thought to be an exception. In this paper, I argue that the unusual beginning of the frieze (Massacre of the Innocents) shows that the guiding element of this series of paintings is the Infancy of Saint John the Baptist. Thus, this frieze, in which generally known images were combined in an original and creative way, fits perfectly in the carefully designed overall iconographical program honoring the titular saint of the church, the model par excellence of monastic life.
Saint Claude à Pohe: un exemple de fonctionnement d’un sanctuaire de pèlerinage dans l’Égypte de l’Antiquité tardive
Saint Claude à Pohe: un exemple de fonctionnement d’un sanctuaire de pèlerinage dans l’Égypte de l’Antiquité tardive
(Saint Claude à Pohe: un exemple de fonctionnement d’un sanctuaire de pèlerinage dans l’Égypte de l’Antiquité tardive)
- Author(s):Ewa Wipszycka
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:281-305
- No. of Pages:25
- Keywords:Constantine from Lycopolis; Coptic hagiography; Great Persecution; pilgrimage sanctuary; cult paraphernalia; consensual slavery; Melitian schism
- Summary/Abstract:Texts on the martyrdom of St. Claudius and on his cult center at Pohe in the Lycopolitan nome were published in 1970 but were never studied exhaustively. This interesting Coptic hagiographic dossier, preserved in its entirety in a codex from the early 9th century (also in smaller fragments from the same period), was put together specifically for the purpose of the cult. Two panegyrics written by Constantine, Bishop of Lycopolis, ordained by the patriarch Damianos (578–607) and his curate in Upper Egypt, are of particular interest as a literary product and at the same time testimony of a pilgrimage center in operation. Two other anonymous texts from the same codex (Pierpont Morgan 587, 9th century), which are both much later, supply historians with useful data on Christian beliefs during the Great Persecution.
A monastic library in Nekloni?
A monastic library in Nekloni?
(A monastic library in Nekloni?)
- Author(s):Iwona Zych
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:307-312
- No. of Pages:6
- Keywords:Naqlun; monastic architecture; library; wood artifacts; lock; key; furniture
- Summary/Abstract:The presence of a monastic library, possibly connected with a scriptorium, in the complex labeled as D on the upper plateau in the monastery at Nekloni (Naqlun), has been suggested in research, based on finds of texts, as well as other categories of artifacts presented in excavation reports. The paper discusses the collection of wooden artifacts from the complex, emphasizing objects that could have been part of the upper-floor reception rooms envisioned as the place where one would expect to find the monastery library.
Evolution and revolution in Nubian pottery
Evolution and revolution in Nubian pottery
(Evolution and revolution in Nubian pottery)
- Author(s):William Y. Adams
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:315-328
- No. of Pages:14
- Keywords:Meroitic Nubia; post-Meroitic Nubia; Christian Nubia; pottery
- Summary/Abstract:The author traces the evolution of Nubian decorated pottery from the middle Meroitic (1st century BC/1st century AD) through the terminal Christian (about AD 1500), arguing in favor of four different revolutions, technological and stylistic, which shaped the ruling paradigm. These revolutions are assigned to the Meroitic, post-Meroitic, Classical Christian and Terminal Christian periods.
Some unique medieval Nubian textiles in the British Museum collections
Some unique medieval Nubian textiles in the British Museum collections
(Some unique medieval Nubian textiles in the British Museum collections)
- Author(s):Julie Renee Anderson, Anna Harrison
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:329-346
- No. of Pages:18
- Keywords:Kulubnarti; medieval; textile; economy; conservation; hair; Nubian
- Summary/Abstract:An ongoing British Museum–Glasgow University conservation project has focused on medieval textiles excavated from Kulubnarti, Sudan. Textile manufacture was an important industry on the site and this is reflected in the artefacts found there. Methods used to conserve the textiles are discussed and the fibres used, notably human hair, identified. The reasons for the use of various fibres and weaving techniques are considered.
Egyptian amphorae LR 5/6 with Greek dipinti found in Dongola
Egyptian amphorae LR 5/6 with Greek dipinti found in Dongola
(Egyptian amphorae LR 5/6 with Greek dipinti found in Dongola)
- Author(s):Katarzyna Danys, Adam Łajtar
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:347-357
- No. of Pages:11
- Keywords:Makuria; Dongola; amphorae; wine trade
- Summary/Abstract:Seven LR 5/6 amphora sherds from Polish excavations in the building B.I on the citadel of Dongola published in the present article are thought to represent pottery production from the northwestern part of the Nile Delta. Their principal content was wine in all probability and they all came from 7th century contexts. These particular seven pieces all carried dipinti in black reading: “To the Four + a number”, which apparently indicates that the Church of Four Living Creatures was the recipient of the wine contained in these vessels. Assuming the interpretation is correct, the finds cast light on the organization of Egyptian wine exports to Makuria in the 7th century.
Among the rocks: A first look at medieval Duweishat, from the archive
Among the rocks: A first look at medieval Duweishat, from the archive
(Among the rocks: A first look at medieval Duweishat, from the archive)
- Author(s):David N. Edwards
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:359-380
- No. of Pages:22
- Keywords:Medieval Nubia; Duweishat; Nobadia; landscape; settlement; social archaeology; churches
- Summary/Abstract:During the 1960s, the Archaeological Survey of Sudanese Nubia (ASSN) created a systematic record of the archaeology of a whole landscape, now lost, providing a body of data of exceptional value. Drawing on still unpublished data this paper explores the medieval settlement archaeology of the Duweishat region of the central Batn al-Hajar. Evidence is examined for a gradual agricultural colonisation during the first millennium AD as well as the penetration of Christianity into this isolated rural area. How social landscapes may have been organised around churches and cemeteries is also discussed, as well as how such regions may have interacted with (episcopal) centres such as Sai and Faras.
Beyond Old Dongola: The multicomponent site of Hag Magid (Letti Basin)
Beyond Old Dongola: The multicomponent site of Hag Magid (Letti Basin)
(Beyond Old Dongola: The multicomponent site of Hag Magid (Letti Basin))
- Author(s):Krzysztof Grzymski
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:381-387
- No. of Pages:7
- Keywords:Letti Basin; Neolithic; Christian and post-Christian Nubia
- Summary/Abstract:A brief presentation of the Hag Magid archaeological site located on the east side of the Letti Basin, several kilometers to the north of the ruins of Dongola. Material from the Neolithic, Christian and post-Christian periods were recorded from the site during three visits in the 1980s and 1990s.
Nubian cathedrals with granite columns: A view from Sai Island
Nubian cathedrals with granite columns: A view from Sai Island
(Nubian cathedrals with granite columns: A view from Sai Island)
- Author(s):Henriette Hafsaas-Tsakos, Alexandros Tsakos
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:389-410
- No. of Pages:22
- Keywords:Nubian cathedral; church; Sai; granite columns
- Summary/Abstract:With the purpose of providing insights into the position of the church on Sai Island among the bishoprics of Christian Nubia, the paper contextualizes archaeologically well-known Nubian cathedrals with monolithic granite columns as roof supports (Old Dongola, Faras and Qasr Ibrim), presenting them against the background of historically known bishoprics from medieval Nubia and archaeologically attested episcopal churches. Four granite columns at the locality 8-B-500 on Sai Island, identified with the site of a medieval cathedral, are compared with like roof supports from other Makurian buildings of the kind to show that the church was constructed at the beginning of the 8th century AD and modeled on the Church of Granite Columns from Old Dongola.
Monks and bishops in Old Dongola, and what their costumes can tell us
Monks and bishops in Old Dongola, and what their costumes can tell us
(Monks and bishops in Old Dongola, and what their costumes can tell us)
- Author(s):Karel C. Innemée
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:411-434
- No. of Pages:24
- Keywords:religious costume; mural painting; Dongola
- Summary/Abstract:In past years numerous wall-paintings have come to light in annexes of the monastery of Dongola and in other buildings in and around the citadel. Some of these paintings represent ecclesiastical dignitaries and the costumes in which they are depicted can give us information about their status, the development of religious dress in Makuria, but also about the intertwinement of the episcopal and monastic hierarchies.
The northern pastophorium of Nubian churches: ideology and function (on the basis of inscriptions and paintings)
The northern pastophorium of Nubian churches: ideology and function (on the basis of inscriptions and paintings)
(The northern pastophorium of Nubian churches: ideology and function (on the basis of inscriptions and paintings))
- Author(s):Adam Łajtar, Dobrochna Zielińska
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:435-457
- No. of Pages:23
- Keywords:Christian Nubia; Oriental Christianity; church architecture; Nubian painting; wall inscriptions; Christian liturgy
- Summary/Abstract:A well established program can be observed in the decoration of the northern pastophoria of Nubian churches from the 9th/10th century onwards. It consisted of a painted representation of Jesus Christ blessing with his right hand the chalice held in his left and inscriptions in Greek with prayers from the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. The authors argue that this program was a Nubian creation, alluding to the function of the northern pastophorium as a place for storing oblations, keeping liturgical implements and liturgical reserve, and possibly also celebrating the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.
Archangel Raphael as protector, demon tamer, guide and healer. Some aspects of the Archangel’s activities in Nubian painting
Archangel Raphael as protector, demon tamer, guide and healer. Some aspects of the Archangel’s activities in Nubian painting
(Archangel Raphael as protector, demon tamer, guide and healer. Some aspects of the Archangel’s activities in Nubian painting)
- Author(s):Magdalena Łaptaś
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:459-479
- No. of Pages:21
- Keywords:Banganarti; Archangel Raphael; Nubian painting
- Summary/Abstract:The article is devoted to the Archangel Raphael and his position in Nubian painting, taking into consideration new archaeological discoveries. The cult of the Archangel Raphael seems to be more extensive than it was thought to be before, given the examples from Banganarti and Old Dongola. His special position was a result of his multiple activities, described in the Book of Tobit and the apocryphal texts. He was a guide, healer, God’s intercessor for mankind, demon tamer and so on. In Nubia, he also seemed to be a special patron and protector of kings.
Nobadian and Makurian church architecture. Qasr el-Wizz, a case study
Nobadian and Makurian church architecture. Qasr el-Wizz, a case study
(Nobadian and Makurian church architecture. Qasr el-Wizz, a case study)
- Author(s):Artur Obłuski
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:481-512
- No. of Pages:32
- Keywords:Nubia; church/sacral architecture; cathedral; Qasr el-Wizz; Faras; Dongola
- Summary/Abstract:“To date the research on the church architecture in Nubia has consistently failed to differentiate, territorially and historically, between two different Nubian kingdoms” (Godlewski 2006b) and one could add the third, Alodian, kingdom to this. The author’s involvement in a project to publish the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago excavations at the Qasr el-Wizz monastery has generated this study of the early architectural history of the katholikon at Qasr el-Wizz and its development, analyzed in the context of studies on Nubian Christianity. Due to a rampant misuse of terminology referring to the functional parts of churches in Nubian studies, a review of this vocabulary was deemed essential as a background for a presentation of the late George T. Scanlon’s views on the development of this particular church, followed by the present author’s addenda et corrigenda, and a discussion and conclusions for the study of Christian Nubian sacral architecture.
When epigraphy meets art history: On St Phoibammon from Abdallah-n Irqi
When epigraphy meets art history: On St Phoibammon from Abdallah-n Irqi
(When epigraphy meets art history: On St Phoibammon from Abdallah-n Irqi)
- Author(s):Grzegorz Ochała
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:513-524
- No. of Pages:12
- Keywords:Abdallah-n Irqi; St. Phoibammon; wall inscriptions; Era of Diocletian; stylistic dating of Nubian wall painting
- Summary/Abstract:The article offers a new reading of one of the wall inscriptions discovered during Dutch excavations in the central church of Abdallah-n Irqi. According to the new interpretation, the text includes an annual date, a fact that is extremely important for the dating of not only the text itself, but also of the wall painting (mounted St Phoibammon) it accompanies. In more general terms, the inscription has helped to verify methods for the stylistic dating of Nubian murals.
The pig – a mystery of medieval Makuria
The pig – a mystery of medieval Makuria
(The pig – a mystery of medieval Makuria)
- Author(s):Marta Osypińska
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:525-538
- No. of Pages:14
- Keywords:medieval Nubia; pig husbandry; archaeozoology; animals in Makuria; economy
- Summary/Abstract:Regular archaeozoological research at key sites from the region of Makuria has contributed significant data on animal breeding and meat consumption in this Nubian kingdom. The appearance of the domestic pig, absent earlier from sites in the Middle Nile Valley, was one of the most distinctive features of the Makurian economy. Pig has been demonstrated to be the third most important meat for consumption, likewise in historic Dongola and in Banganarti (after cattle and ovicaprids) in all phases of Nubian history, including sporadic occurrence in contexts dated to the Funj period. The article looks at the origins and importance of the pig as a species in Makurian animal economy and the tentative socio-economic implications of this unique phenomenon in Nubia.
Dotawo’s later dynasties: a speculative history
Dotawo’s later dynasties: a speculative history
(Dotawo’s later dynasties: a speculative history)
- Author(s):Giovanni R. Ruffini
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:539-552
- No. of Pages:14
- Keywords:medieval Nubia; Dotawo; Nubian kings; Nubian dynasties; Makouria; Alwa
- Summary/Abstract:This article proposes speculative reconstructions of the genealogies of the royal families of the medieval Nubian kingdom of Dotawo. It synthesizes the literary, documentary and epigraphic evidence for Nubian kings and their families in the 1100s–1300s. The result is a series of family trees intended to produce a testable model. That model proposes that despite the apparent conflict between various contenders for the throne dynastic succession was the standard operating principle in Dotawo throughout the late medieval period; that peaceful stability was normative; and that a single family dynasty may have ruled Dotawo through the entire span of these several centuries.
La liste des conquêtes nubiennes de Baybars selon Ibn Šaddād (1217–1285)
La liste des conquêtes nubiennes de Baybars selon Ibn Šaddād (1217–1285)
(The list of the Nubian conquests of Baybars according to Ibn Šaddād (1217–1285))
- Author(s):Robin Seignobos
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:553-577
- No. of Pages:25
- Keywords:Egyptian–Nubian relations; toponymy; settlement history; Mamluk historiography
- Summary/Abstract:Until recently, the list of Nubian towns and territories allegedly conquered by the Mamluks during Baybars’s reign (1260–1277) was known only through late or corrupt versions such as the one preserved in the chronicle of al-Mufaḍḍal b. Abī Faḍā’il (completed before 1358). Recent research by the author in the corpus of Mamluk annals and chronicles allowed the original source to be identified as Ibn Šaddād’s biography of Baybars completed shortly after the sultan’s death in 1277. The present contribution provides a critical edition of this text based on the unique manuscript of this work (Edirne, Selimiye kütüphanesi, 2306) followed by a detailed commentary, which aims at identifying or locating the many place names mentioned in it. The list may also offer new insights into the settlement history of the kingdom of Makuria in the late medieval period.
The ‘bead-side’ story of medieval and post-medieval Nubia: Tentative approach to the bead collection of the Museum of Archaeology University of Stavanger, Norway
The ‘bead-side’ story of medieval and post-medieval Nubia: Tentative approach to the bead collection of the Museum of Archaeology University of Stavanger, Norway
(The ‘bead-side’ story of medieval and post-medieval Nubia: Tentative approach to the bead collection of the Museum of Archaeology University of Stavanger, Norway)
- Author(s):Joanna Then-Obłuska
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:579-612
- No. of Pages:340
- Keywords:Beads; pendants; Lower Nubia; medieval; post-medieval; modern
- Summary/Abstract:The paper presents a group of beads and pendants from the collection of the Museum of Archaeology University of Stavanger, Norway, derived from excavations carried out by the Scandinavian Joint Expedition to Sudanese Nubia. The finds come from burials at Debeira, Sahaba and Abka, and a church site at Sidi Amir el-Sahaba, and cover a timespan from the Christian period through modernity. A few are currently introduced in terms of the material they were made from and most are paralleled by bead finds from other Nubian sites, but some types remain unidentified. Despite not being well dated or properly provenanced in many cases at this time, they are presented here in order to ‘thread’ them into the Nubian bead story from medieval and post-medieval times.
Observations on the graves of the medieval period in the SARS concession at the Fourth Cataract
Observations on the graves of the medieval period in the SARS concession at the Fourth Cataract
(Observations on the graves of the medieval period in the SARS concession at the Fourth Cataract)
- Author(s):Derek A. Welsby
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:613-628
- No. of Pages:16
- Keywords:Fourth Cataract; funerary culture; tumulus; box grave; Kushite; Post- Meroitic; Christian
- Summary/Abstract:Several large cemeteries of the medieval period were excavated either extensively or in their entirety by the missions of the Sudan Archaeological Research Society in its concession at the Fourth Cataract. The data collected allows an assessment of developments in funerary culture spanning from the pagan into, and throughout, the Christian period. It highlights the generally dramatic changes in burial practices between the Post-Meroitic and Christian periods alongside the similarities between some of the later Kushite and Christian graves. These changes and similarities are discussed in connection with the physical continuity of cemeteries which demonstrate a close link between Post-Meroitic and Christian burials, the former often forming a focus for the later burials and being respected by the later grave diggers.
The chronology of the eastern chapels in the Upper Church at Banganarti. Some observations on the genesis of “apse portraits” in Nubian royal iconography
The chronology of the eastern chapels in the Upper Church at Banganarti. Some observations on the genesis of “apse portraits” in Nubian royal iconography
(The chronology of the eastern chapels in the Upper Church at Banganarti. Some observations on the genesis of “apse portraits” in Nubian royal iconography)
- Author(s):Magdalena M. Woźniak
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:629-646
- No. of Pages:18
- Keywords:apse portrait; Banganarti; iconography of power; royal costume
- Summary/Abstract:The article deals with a specific type of Nubian royal iconography, namely, the “apse portraits”. The paintings discovered in 2001 at Banganarti (Sudan) form the most numerous and complete ensemble of such portraits. The author follows the evolution of royal power through the prism of its imagery, comparing the Banganarti set with earlier royal portraits from Faras and Old Dongola. She demonstrates the progressive affirmation of the king’s prerogative as the leader of the Nubian church and privileged mediator between God and his people. The examination of royal costume as well as decorative motifs leads the author to propose a more detailed chronology of the eastern chapels of the church.
The Banganarti Nativity: Enkolpion with scene of the Birth of Jesus from House BA/2015 in Banganarti
The Banganarti Nativity: Enkolpion with scene of the Birth of Jesus from House BA/2015 in Banganarti
(The Banganarti Nativity: Enkolpion with scene of the Birth of Jesus from House BA/2015 in Banganarti)
- Author(s):Bogdan T. Żurawski
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:647-657
- No. of Pages:11
- Keywords:Nativity; Christian iconography; Middle Nile; Middle Ages; pilgrimages
- Summary/Abstract:The slate enkolpion engraved with the Nativity scene was found in one of the dwellings to the east of the Upper Church (Raphaelion II) in Banganarti. On the reverse, it was inscribed with the names of the three main protagonists of the scene carved on the obverse. It seems to have been used very briefly before being lost. Distinctive features include a figure of St Joseph represented as a herm and the putative Star of Bethlehem rendered as a round object hovering above the manger. The Magi and the scene of the Bathing of Jesus are missing. There is also one animal instead of two at the crib and one adoring shepherd not two (or even three). The aim was evidently to present the entire theological canon of the Nativity dogma using a minimum of iconographic elements, which is hardly surprising owing to the scarcity of space. Dating on stylistic grounds is highly speculative owing to the sketchiness of the scene, but the archaeological context seems reliable, yielding pottery from AD 1020–1172, which was a time of vigorous development of the pilgrimage movement to Banganarti.
The lions of Qasr Ibrim
The lions of Qasr Ibrim
(The lions of Qasr Ibrim)
- Author(s):Nettie K. Adams
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:661-664
- No. of Pages:4
- Keywords:Medieval Nubia; Qasr Ibrim; textiles
- Summary/Abstract:This article describes several fragments of woolen textile that were excavated at the medieval site of Qasr Ibrim. Their outstanding feature is the depiction of numerous lion figures, shown in miniature. The pattern is organized in horizontal rows of rectangles, each enclosing a lion. In alternating rows, the lions face in opposite directions. The lions are quite clear and in many places the colors of blue and yellow are still strong and bright. These specimens were part of a large cache of discarded materials which are believed to have been ransacked from the tombs of bishops.
A record of offerings from the Temple of Hatshepsut in Deir el-Bahari: ostrakon DeB Inv. No. 85/75 reconsidered
A record of offerings from the Temple of Hatshepsut in Deir el-Bahari: ostrakon DeB Inv. No. 85/75 reconsidered
(A record of offerings from the Temple of Hatshepsut in Deir el-Bahari: ostrakon DeB Inv. No. 85/75 reconsidered)
- Author(s):Mirosław Barwik
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:665-677
- No. of Pages:13
- Keywords:ostrakon; Deir el-Bahari; Temple of Hatshepsut; offerings
- Summary/Abstract:The paper presents a new rendering of the text of ostrakon Deir el-Bahari Inv. No. 85/75, originally published by the late Marek Marciniak. The context of the offerings recorded on the ostrakon is discussed and the supposed date of the festivities connected with this particular occurrence is reconsidered.
A stray late Roman coin from the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari
A stray late Roman coin from the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari
(A stray late Roman coin from the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari)
- Author(s):Barbara Lichocka
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:679-690
- No. of Pages:12
- Keywords:Deir el-Bahari; Temple of Hatshepsut; Southern Chamber of Amun; Theodosius I; Constans; coin; ironworkers
- Summary/Abstract:Examination of the east wall of the Southern Chamber of Amun on the Upper Terrace of the Temple of Hatshepsut led to the discovery of a single vota coin, possibly of Theodosius I, AD 379–383. It is not clear whether the coin was lost where it was discovered or taken there with the rest of the material found in the fill. An assemblage of six coins minted in AD 330–348 was also discovered on the Upper Terrace, but this time at the Bark Hall. Hidden or lost, the coins testify to a late-Roman interest in the Temple of Hatshepsut.
Cleopatra and kandake
Cleopatra and kandake
(Cleopatra and kandake)
- Author(s):Adam Łukaszewicz
- Language:English, French, German
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:691-698
- No. of Pages:8
- Keywords:Ptolemaic Egypt; Roman history; Cleopatra VII; Meroitic Kingdom; women rulers in antiquity
- Summary/Abstract:The author discusses the circumstances of Cleopatra VII taking power as the sole ruler of Egypt in 49/48 BC. The queen was forced out of Alexandria by her brother and co-regent Ptolemy XIII. When she reappeared in Egypt, it was from Palestine. The author considers the possibility that she traveled from Alexandria through the Thebaid, the Meroitic Kingdom and Arabia to Palestine, where she expected to obtain financial support necessary for recruiting mercenaries. She need not have modeled her political activity on that of the Meroitic kandake, but personal contacts between the two queens are plausible. The author suggests that a woman’s head represented on the cover of a box containing a mirror, found at Faras in Nubia, may be a portrait of Cleopatra.