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Coptic-era tombs uncovered in Upper Egypt’s Minya

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A joint Spanish-Egyptian archaeological mission has uncovered Coptic-era tombs in the upper Egyptian governorate of Minya.

Excavations were conducted by the University of Barcelona and the Supreme Council of Archaeology, which discovered 22 tombs from the Persian, Roman and Coptic periods at the Al-Bahnasa archaeological site.

Al-Bahnasa, also known as Oxyrhynchus, was first excavated in 1897 by the papyrologist, Arthur Surridge Hunt, and the Egyptologist, Bernard Pyne Grenfell. Their excavations revealed thousands of papyri written in Greek from the Roman period, a substantial number of which are now housed in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England.

Over the past century, the site has been ransacked by looters and treasure-hunters, for which many artefacts now in private collections and public museums have been identified as originating from Al-Bahnasa.

During the recent Spanish-Egyptian archaeological mission, 6 funerary complexes have been uncovered that date from the Roman and Persian period, while 16 individual tombs belong to the Coptic-Byzantine period.

The Coptic period defines Late Roman Egypt (3rd−4th centuries AD) and Byzantine Egypt (4th−7th centuries AD). This era shows a religious shift in Egyptian culture to Coptic Christianity from ancient Egyptian religion, until the Muslim conquest of Egypt in the 7th century AD.

Many of the Roman tombs are built using limestone and were found with the lids missing, suggesting that they were likely robbed sometime during antiquity. As for the Coptic-era tombs, they are a rectangular in shape and contain burials which are covered with decorated shrouds.

Mostafa Waziry, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said: “It has been a very interesting season due to the numerous and unprecedented archaeological findings and the new scientific hypotheses raised”.

Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

Header Image Credit : Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily

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Archaeology

Monastic site founded by St Moulag discovered on Scottish island

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Archaeologists from the Lismore Historical Society have announced the discovery of a stone built monastic site on the Hebridean Isle of Lismore.

According to the researchers, the site dates from the 7th to 10th century AD and was likely founded by St Moluag, an Irish missionary who evangelized the Picts on the western seaboard of Scotland.

Lismore had long been an important religious centre for the Gaelic kingdom of Dalriada, which likely motivated the decision to found a monastic community in AD 562. Irish missionaries had learnt to focus heavily on the similarity and continuity between early Christianity and Paganism rather than the differences between them.

However, according to tradition, the rock on which Moluag stood detached itself from the Irish coast and he drifted across to the island of the Lyn of Lorn in Argyll, now called the Isle of Lismore in Loch Linnhe.

Following a six year community led project on the island, members from the Lismore Historical Society have uncovered an oval stone building and a workshop where craft workers manufactured jewellery from precious metals.

Part of a crucible – Image Credit : Lismore Historical Society

Radiocarbon dating has placed the building to the 7th-10th century AD during the period of the early monastery.

The study has so far discovered fragments of around 120 crucibles, broken ceramic moulds for making penannular brooches, and carvings made in stone, wood, bone and antler.

According to a press statement by the Lismore Historical Society: “XRF analysis of the surfaces of these crucibles at the National Museum of Scotland has revealed that they were used for melting copper-alloys, silver and gold.

This fine craft activity is evidence of a sophisticated and influential monastic centre, the society said, with analysis and conservation of 1500 significant finds from the site ongoing.

Header Image Credit : Lismore Historical Society

Sources : Lismore Historical Society

This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily

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Inrap archaeologists uncover medieval castle beneath French hotel

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Excavations at the Château Lagorce, a former 18th century private mansion in Vannes has revealed traces of the town’s medieval castle.

Vannes is located in the Morbihan department of Brittany in north-western France. In medieval times, the town served as the centre of a principality or kingdom recognised as Bro-Wened (“Vannes”) or Bro-Ereg (“land of Gwereg”).

Recent excavations by archaeologists from the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (Inrap) have found traces of the towns medieval castle in preparation for the development of a fine arts museum.

As part of the first phase of excavations, the researchers have conducted a study of the mansion’s courtyard where they uncovered two stories of the castle’s defensive wall and a moat, located at a depth of 13 feet beneath street level.

The castle was built around 1380 by Jean IV who held the titles of Duke of Brittany and Count of Montfort from 1345, and the 7th Earl of Richmond from 1372. Known as the Château de l’Hermine (Castle of Hermine), the castle was constructed to assert the Duke’s central authority over his duchy and the town of Vannes.

Image Credit : Emmanuelle Collado, Inrap

According to Inrap, the surviving stonework suggests that the castle had three to four floors and several staircases, one of which has been described as “remarkably preserved”. The team also found markings on several worked stones that the workers used to follow a building, and architectural features such as the latrines and drainage pipes.

A search of the latrines has also revealed traces of castle life from the 15th and 16th centuries, including coins, knives, tiles, wooden bowls, kitchen utilities, and several pieces of jewellery. Due to the conditions of the soil, objects such as items of clothing, shoe buckles, pins, rings, and a ball padlock have also survived.

Excavations have also uncovered a mill connected to the residential part of the castle, where a large water well was powered by water passing through a canal, and remnants of a bridge that connected the castle to the town.

Header Image Credit : Emmanuelle Collado, Inrap

Sources : Inrap

This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily

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