Mudbrick Byzantine city unearthed during excavations at Egypt's western desert oasis

An archaeological mission in Egypt's Dakhla Oasis has unearthed the ruins of a mudbrick city dating back to the Byzantine era. The discovery at the Ain Al-Sabil site, located in the New Valley Governorate, provides a detailed glimpse into urban life approximately 1,600 years ago.

“

The significance of the discovery lies in the new and precise information [the city] provides about the nature of daily life in the Egyptian community of the Dakhla Oasis during the Byzantine period.

The city exhibits a well-organized urban layout, with main streets running north-south and intersecting with east-west thoroughfares. Several open squares and plazas are scattered throughout the settlement. A notable structure is a fourth-century CE basilica, which overlooks one of the main streets. Among the most significant residential discoveries are the homes of Tisus, the deacon of the church, and Tabipus, both dating to the second half of the fourth century CE. Tabipus's house is believed to have served as an early place of worship before the basilica's construction.

Further excavations revealed architectural elements such as watchtowers, a fortress with thick walls, and numerous houses featuring vaulted ceilings. These homes contained bread ovens, kitchens, and tools for grinding grains, indicating domestic activities. Everyday artifacts, including pottery vessels, oil and perfume bottles, and oil lamps, were also recovered, painting a picture of daily life.

“

The excavation results have contributed to documenting many of the architectural, social, and economic aspects that characterized the region at the time.

The site also yielded a substantial collection of bronze coins bearing the likenesses of Byzantine emperors and Christian symbols, alongside gold coins from the reign of Emperor Constantius II (337-361 CE). Perhaps most significantly, a large cache of trade documents and correspondence, inscribed on approximately 200 pottery shards in Greek and Coptic, was found. These documents are expected to offer precise new information about the architectural, social, and economic aspects of the Dakhla Oasis community during the Byzantine period, contributing significantly to Egypt's archaeological record.

“

The discovery represents an important addition to the “record of Egyptian archaeological finds,” noting that it helps “highlight the cultural diversity witnessed by the Egyptian oases throughout the ages.