The Great Oasis of Egypt

The Kharga and Dakhla Oases in Antiquity

Roger S. Bagnall, Gaëlle Tallet

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9781108482165
• eBook ISBN: 9781108581509
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Ancient History
• Index: History

The Great Oasis of Egypt provides the first full study of the Dakhla and Kharga Oases in antiquity, written by participants in several of the current archaeological projects in this region. The oases were closely tied to Egypt and to each other, but not always easy to control, and their agricultural productivity varied with climatic conditions. The book discusses the oases' geology, water resources, history, administration, economy, trade connections, taxation, urbanism, religion, burial practices, literary culture, and art. New evidence for human health and illness from the cemeteries is presented along with a synthesis on the use of different types of cloth in burial. A particular emphasis is placed on pottery, with its ability to tell us both about how people lived and how far imports and exports can be seen from the shapes and fabrics, and both literature and art suggest full participation in the culture of Greco-Roman Egypt.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-title page
• Title page
• Copyright page
• Contents
• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• List of Contributors
• Preface
• 1 Introduction
• Part I Living in the Oasis: Humans and the Environment
• Part II Managing the Oasis
• Part III Trade and Mobility in a Connected Environment
• Part IV An Oasis Culture?
• Bibliography
• Index of ancient people
• Index of places
• General index