Kom al-Ahmer — Kom Wasit II: Coin Finds 2012-2016: Late Roman and Early Islamic Pottery from Kom al-Ahmer
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and Kom Wasit, to investigate them intensively and reveal their importance. Kom al-Ahmer and Kom Wasit are located 6 km west of the Rosetta branch of the Nile, 35 km south of Rosetta, 40 km southeast of the port of Thonis-Heracleion, and 52 km southeast of the port of Alexandria (Figures i–ii). Given their well-connected location with respect to these Mediterranean and Nile ports, it can be assumed that a significant volume of commercial traffic moved through these sites. Historical sources and Hellenistic and Roman geographers located the capital of the Metelite nome in this region, and our research has made it possible to identify the likely location of the nome capital, Metelis, at Kom al-Ahmer, at least during the Roman, Late Roman, and Early Arab periods. This short introduction discusses the results of the study of two cultural materials finds, coins and pottery that brought to light massive
information that can be gathered from a Delta site.
Kom Al-Ahmer - Kom Wasit.
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Kom al-Ahmer and Kom Wasit were ideally placed to take advantage of the Mediterranean trade given their close proximity to the Egyptian ports of Thonis-Heracleion, Alexandria, and Rosetta during the Hellenistic, Roman, Late Roman, and early Islamic period. The social and economic vitality of the sites has been revealed during investigations undertaken by the Italian archaeological mission between 2012 and 2016 and published in Kom al-Ahmer - Kom Wasit I: Excavations in the Metelite Nome, Egypt ca. 700 BC - AD 100. This volume presents over 1070 coins (ca. 310 BC-AD 641) and 1320 examples of Late Roman and Early Islamic pottery, testimony to the considerable commercial activity in the region during the Late Antique period. Kom al-Ahmer and Kom Wasit emerge as centers of an exchange network involving large-scale trade of raw materials to and from the Mediterranean.
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1 online resource (xii, 340 pages) : illustrations (black and white, and colour) :
Specialized. :
Includes bibliographical references. :
9781789693973 (ebook) :