Houses in Graeco-Roman Egypt : arenas for ritual activity /
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This book examines different forms of ritual activities performed in houses of Graeco-Roman Egypt. It draws on the rich archaeological record of rural housing and evidence from literature or papyrological references to both urban and rural housing. The introduction critically considers the literature relevant to the topic in order to identify the research gap. Chapter I attempts to reconstruct the structure of urban and rural houses in Graeco-Roman Egypt in the light of papyri and archaeology. This aims to establish the physical and spatial framework for the rituals considered in the following chapters. In line with this reconstruction of domestic properties is the reconstruction of the architectural layout and use of the domestic pylon in Chapter II. Chapter III deals with two rituals enacted before the front door of the house, namely the sacrifice of fish on the 9th of Thoth and the sacrifice of pigs on the 15th of Pachon. Chapter IV considers the ritual of the illumination of lamps for the goddess Athena-Neith within and around houses on the 13th of Epeiph. Chapter V highlights the use of the house as an arena for social types of rituals associated with dining, birthdays, the mallokouria, the epikrisis, and marriage. Chapter VI explores the religious sphere of houses, which is obvious from domestic shrines, wall paintings with religious themes, and figurines of Egyptian and Graeco-Roman deities uncovered from houses. The last chapter deals with mourning rituals, which the house occupants performed after the demise of their beloved animals, such as dogs, and their family members. In the conclusion, I summarize my work and draw out its implications, suggesting that the house was the locus of social, religious, and funerary rituals in Graeco-Roman Egypt.
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vii, 104 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 29 cm. :
Bibliography : pages 93-104. :
9781784914370
Greco-Roman cities at the crossroads of cultures : the 20th anniversary of Polish-Egyptian conservation mission El-Alamein /
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The ancient town discovered at the site of today's Marina el-Alamein (located on the northern coast of Egypt) developed from the 2nd century BC to the 6th century AD. It found itself at the crossroads of several civilisations: Hellenic, later replaced by Roman, and ultimately Christian, and was always strongly influenced by Egyptian tradition. A variety of cultures appeared and met here and grew in strength - then their significance weakened - but they always co-existed and influenced one another. The syncretism prevailing here is notable in the spheres of art, architecture, religion and worship. 2015 marked thirty years since the discovery of the remains of the ancient city, which, for many centuries, had been unknown to the world. The remains were found unexpectedly during the preparatory work for the construction of a modern tourist settlement on the Mediterranean coast, and the significance and extraordinary value of the discovery was immediately recognised. Now the ancient city, and the historic remains of its buildings, are gradually coming to light. The papers in the present volume encompass interdisciplinary reviews of both new and long-term studies carried out in various regions of the ancient world. The papers present research that was conducted in different regions ranging from ancient Mauritania, through Africa, Egypt, Cyprus, Palestine, Syria, as well as sites in Crimea and Georgia. The topography of cities, the architecture of public buildings, as well as houses and their decor - architectural, sculptural and painted - are presented. Religious syncretism and the importance of ancient texts are discussed. Several articles are devoted to the study of Marina el-Alamein; others talk about ancient Alexandria, Deir el-Bahari, Hermopolis Magna, Bakchias, Pelusium, Kom Wasit, Berenike, Ptolemais, Apollonia, Palmyra, Nea Paphos, as well as Chersonesus Taurica and Apsarus.
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iv, 311 pages : illustrations (some color), maps (some color) ; 29 cm. :
Includes bibliographical references.