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An Oasis City (Hardcover)
Roger S. Bagnall, Nicola Aravecchia, Raffaella Cribiore, Paola Davoli, Olaf E Kaper, …
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Scattered through the vast expanse of stone and sand that makes up
Egypt's Western Desert are several oases. These islands of green in
the midst of the Sahara owe their existence to springs and wells
drawing on ancient aquifers. In antiquity, as today, they supported
agricultural communities, going back to Neolithic times but
expanding greatly in the millennium from the Saite pharaohs to the
Roman emperors. New technologies of irrigation and transportation
made the oases integral parts of an imperial economy. Amheida,
ancient Trimithis, was one of those oasis communities. Located in
the western part of the Dakhla Oasis, it was an important regional
center, reaching a peak in the Roman period before being abandoned.
Over the past decade, excavations at this well-preserved site have
revealed its urban layout and brought to light houses, streets, a
bath, a school, and a church. The only standing brick pyramid of
the Roman period in Egypt has been restored. Wall-paintings, temple
reliefs, pottery, and texts all contribute to give a lively sense
of its political, religious, economic, and cultural life. This book
presents these aspects of the city's existence and its close ties
to the Nile valley, by way of long desert roads, in an accessible
and richly illustrated fashion.
The Luxor Temple of Amun-Re, built to commemorate the divine power
of the pharaohs, is one of the iconic monuments of New Kingdom
Egypt. In the 4th century C.E., the Roman Imperial government,
capitalizing on the site's earlier significance, converted the
temple into a military camp and constructed a lavishly painted cult
chamber dedicated to the four emperors of the Tetrarchy. These
frescoes provide fascinating insight into the political landscape
of the late Roman Empire and, as the only surviving wall paintings
from the tetrarchic period, into the history of Roman art. The
culmination of a groundbreaking conservation project, this volume
brings together scholars across disciplines for a comprehensive
look at the frescoes and their architectural, archaeological, and
historical contexts. More than 150 stunning illustrations present
the paintings for the first time in their newly conserved state,
along with a selection of 19th-century documentary watercolors.
This remarkable publication illustrates how physical context,
iconography, and style were used to convey ideology throughout
Rome's provinces. Published in association with the American
Research Center in Egypt, Inc.
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