Alexandria’s Hinterland: Archaeology of the Western Nile Delta, Egypt

This volume contains detailed information about 63 sites and shows, amongst other things, that the viticulture of the western delta was significant in Ptolemaic and Roman periods, as well as a network of interlocking sites, which connected with the rest of Egypt, Alexandria, North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean and Aegean. Far from being a border area — as perhaps it had been in the Pharaonic period — the west Delta network exerted an important economic production influence over a very wide area. In addition, with access to medieval and later Arabic sources, Kenawi’s discussion of the sites has an added dimension not found in the work of western scholars. Mohamed Kenawi’s meticulous and determined work has resulted in an improved set of data for the Delta and shown how its potential can be tapped.Table of Contents1. Introduction and methodology 1.1. Introduction: organization of the research 1.2. Survey method 1.3. Terminology 1.4. Research questions 1.5. History of research 1.6. Documentation of the past 1.7. Rescue survey: emergency research and rapid documentation 1.8. History and geography of the Delta 1.9. Brief introduction to the past of the Western Delta 1.10. Land reclamation projects in the Western Delta of Egypt: the economic history of cultivated land 2. The Late Roman period and the Arab sources 2.1. Battles in the Western Delta of Egypt 2.2. Administrative changes from the Late Roman period until today 2.3. Arab sources: agriculture, routes, and notes on the Western Delta 2.4. Transport in the Western Delta 2.5. The Egyptian village 3. Survey 2008-2011: Introduction and Site Gazetteer 3.1 Wine production centres 3.2 (Ancient Psenamosis) 3.3 (Nakhla - Kedwet Hasan - Aziza - Difshuo - Sabba) 3.4 (Ancient Metelis) (Kom al-Ghoraf - Kom Wasit - Kom al-Ahmer) 3.5 Prehistoric sites 3.6 Other sites 3.7 Minor sites 4. Surface finds, analysis, plates and tables Pottery selection and fabrics Pottery collection and analysis Discussion Pottery Catalogue PLATES Discussion and conclusions Maps Bibliography