Some Aspects on Material Culture in Roman Village Site at Theban Area

So HASEGAWA*

This paper aims to clarify the development of material culture, focusing on the cultural context of the Roman-Byzantine period. The village site at Deir al-Shalwit, seemingly known as Tricomia, was formed around the temple precinct and flourished during the first to third centuries bordering on the area of Jeme and Thebes Diospolis to the north. However archaeological evidence shows that its religious affiliation with the Armant region to the south were influenced by the -Buchis cult, which overshadow ritual aspect of the finds. The analysis of the pottery assemblage imply another feature of daily life, in which a latent inclination to the Mediterranean mode is quite apparent indicated by the repeated imitation of vessel form, shaping, surface treatment and decoration techniques, though actual scarcity of the influx of red glossy ware blurs this tendency. On the other hand, even at the religious breaking with the rise of Christianity, the pre-formed class-structure of the pottery assemblage was maintained through a consistent influence from the Mediterranean world. But some ritual groups might have disappeared leading to a transformation in the type-structure level occurred, as is represented in the water jug. It is at this point that Qullas with Coptic decoration became dominant, which flew to the Early Islamic period. Keywords: Roman village, Deir al-Shalwit, Montu-Buchis, Mediterranean Influence, Qullas

Introduction The progress made in research during the 1980's and 90's at such sites as Kom al-Dikka (Alexandria), al-Fustat (including Istabl 'Antar), Ashmunain (Hermopolis), al-Tud (Tupheum), Aswan (Syene) amongst others has encouraged us to study the transformation of daily life in late antiquity. These exacavations bespeak the remnants of Coptic-Byzantine elements that remained through the early Islamic period (Hasegawa, 2000 62-63 ). This paper aims to examine the Roman and Byzantine cultural context inferred from the latter part

* Visiting Associate Professor, Waseda University

Vol. XLIII 2008 107 of late antiquity, taking an area adjacent to Thebes, when Alexandria was still positioned as a major center. The period includes the epoch when distant trades were activated jointing the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean when Egypt was involved in the economic network, and historical topics when the convertion to Christianity was established. Here the development of material culture at the upper Egyptian Roman village site is reviewed based on an analysis of the archaeological materials. The area is located between Luxor and Armant at present Qena Province. On the eastern bank, there had been the city called Thebes Diospolis centering the area between Karnak and Luxor temple, 1 while on the opposite side, the temple precincts at Temple Sety I, Ramesseum, Jeme (Madinat Habu), Armant, and others formed a local village landscape. In this paper, archaeological materials at Thebes-Armant area are used to present a comprehensive view, and the evidence obtained by an investigation carried out by Waseda University at Deir al-Shalwit in the 1970's are analyzed in the detailed discussion, as this investigation is a rare case in which even fragmental pieces obtained from the temple precinct were analyzed at both Roman and Byzantine periods2 (Waseda University 1992 and 2005).

I. Shadow of Local Religious Affiliation (Fig.l) Archaeological remain of the temple precinct at Deir al-Shalwit consisted of brick structures had developed since the first half of the 1st century AD as is indicated by the inscriptions on the walls. It also included plentiful coins from the reign ofTrajan (reign: 98-117 A.D.) and Hadrian (reign: 117-138 A.D.), until probably the end of the 3rd century as is suggested by the total assemblage of the finds. Though only the lower part of the wall and floor remain, the buildings had some rooms and storage pits. Many of the 30 pieces of ostraca in Demotic. and Greek (interpreted by Richard Jasnow and Paul Heilporn) excavated at Deir al­ Shalwit recorded the poll tax and water channel tax as well as receipts for wheat, cut straw and other items. In the ostraca pieces, the name of Tricomia is indicated for this temple precinct. These payments were the common amount ( 16 drachma) without receiving any discount (10 drachma) as in the large cities like Thebes Diolipolis;3 even the villages of Madinat Habu at the most adjacent place were on the same scale as villages distributing between Aswan and Armant. 4 Personal names on those ostraca included the names of Montu and Buchis, such as Pa-Mnt., Pa-Mnt-igs, PJ-sr-Mnt, PJ-ti-Mnt, -pJy-B!J, reflecting the local religious affiliation under the Lower Toparchia of Armant Region. The assemblage of the finds including some ritual instruments such as bronze

108 ORIENT Some Aspects on Material Culture in Roman Village Site at Theban Area cymbals and candlestick (Fig. I: 5,6) shows the religious aspects of this temple precinct, which finally disappeared with the rise of Christianity. The most representative find among them is a limestone bull statue with the hair reaching to the shoulders and with the at the head, military badges on the shoulders and a sun disk on the back (Fig.l :3), brings to mind an image of God Montu in the Louvre Museum5 (Fig.! : I) . In addition, the burial of a total 32 cattle (Fig. I :4) in some cases laying the bodies were laid to one side with the head turned upward or the placement of a large sized brick on the head6 also suggests the influence of Buchis cult at the desert edge of Armant (Fig.l :2), the divine bull of Montu, which had prospered since the 30th dynasty and declined after the reign ofDiocletian (reign: 284-305) (Mond and Mayers 1934). Here, we may assume that the southernmost area bordering Jeme had a local center named Tricomia at the edge of the desert (Fig.l :7), which suggests its religious affiliation with the Montu-Buchis cult in the Armant area (Mond and Mayers 1940).

II. Latent Inclination to Mediterranean Mode (Fig.2) The pottery assemblage of Deir al-Shalwit enables us to compare the detailed information of the temple precincts of Temple Sety I and al-Tud at the area. The clay variations were divided into five classes; so that three Egyptian products (I-III) and two imported wares (IV-V). 7 The most active phase of the temple precinct during the first half of the 2nd century hits the period when Alexandria was the conduit of Mediterranean influence, and a Red Sea-Indian Ocean trade network through Memphis-Coptos-Qusayr prevailed (Fig.2:4). The emphasis so far been so far placed on the impact of the distribution of Mediterranean products in historical studies, such as Arretine wares found at Aricamedu in India (Wheeler 1946). However, actually, as a result of classifying several thousands of rim fragments, the imported ware counted just one piece. The ware was a small goblet with a ring base, having a fine cream body (Clay V) and brilliant red slip with a gross, which is considered to be Eastern Sigillata A produced in Palestine during the 1st century A.D.8 (Fig.2: 1,2) Early African Red Slip Ware bowls (Clay IV) were also not found at this site. As Greene mentions from the case of Ostia, African amphora became dominant at the beginning of the 2nd century, while Italian and Western products were in decline (Greene 1986, p.l5) (Fig.2:3). Even amid the Roman network of the pt century, the evidence shows that only a limited amount of daily wares were imported from the Mediterranean world including the North African area. This scarcity at the Upper Egyptian Roman village is remarkable when compared with the

Vol. XLIII 2008 109 abundance found at the coastal sites of Alexandria and Qusayr (Kadous 1988 and Whitcomb and Jhonson 1979, 1982). On the other hand, however, a careful analysis of the pottery assemblage shows that there is tendency towards the Mediterranean mode over the local production which is quite prominent in the forming and decoration work done. General forms oftablewares (Clay I-III) originate from Hellenistic tablewares or Roman Terra Sigillata wares, and in those simple forms, the rims and bases are well imitated with smoothing and cutting techniques (Fig.2:7). Among these, the group of Clay III group having hard texture incorporating Caoline compound shows intimate assimilation with its proto-types, representing the original barbotine motif by painted decoration (Fig.2:5,6), feather roulette decoration on the body (Fig.2:8,9), and bright red slip coating with polished gross (again Fig.2:5,6). Even after no longer being influenced by the Sigillata wares, technological information on the ceramic industry overflowed into the region with the immense importation of African Reds Slip Wares from the 4-5th centuries. The production centers at North Africa were once placed under the control of Vandal, which regained this position after the reign of Justinian. Egyptian local product as Clay III centering in the Aswan area continuously accepted its influence as as are seen in thick rim forms, dark brownish slip coatings, fine feather roulettes and stamped decorations on the base, involving local productions along the Nile and the desert edge (Clay I and II). Here, we tentatively conclude that apart from the scarcity of the actual quantity of imports in the Upper Egyptian villages, the ceramic industry and the tendency to consume its products were subject to Mediterranean influences. On the other hand, ritual wares such as various types of miniature cups (Fig.2:10-14) and as pot stands (Fig.2:15-16) went decline. Miniture wares show a variation in form including some cases with hanging handles and a group of pot stands that has an open rim for supporting vases. Both are formed by a rather simple technique (Clay I), which had been popular in the Dynastic votive wares.

III. Transformation of Type-structure and New Creativity (Fig.3) With the rise of Christianity, temple precincts were reformed and enlarged as residential areas (Fig.3:1). In the case of Jeme, the residences were constructed on a surrounding wall (200 m x 300 m) of temple. In addition, large and small churches were built around the Hypostyle Hall. Inside the surrounding wall, streets were constructed and wells and water canals were built for the joint use of the people (HOlscher 1954). On the outskirt ofDeir al-Bahri, a monastery was constructed at the courts (Goldewski 1986 and Winlock and Crum 1926).

110 ORIENT Some Aspects on Material Culture in Roman Village Site at Theban Area Ostraca found at Jeme and the monastery ofEpiphaneus inform us that there was a mutual relationship between Jeme and distributed monasteries in Thebes, which included the production of foods as beans, grapes, olives and some handcrafts such as wooden furniture and leather vestments (Winlock and Crum 1926) or the treatment of the sick child among the village people at the monasteries (Wilfong 2002 103). As mentioned above, the material culture during the transitional period in the rise of Christianity shows both aspects; the breaking off of the local cults and the continued acceptance of Mediterranean influences. In the Deir al-Shalwit assemblage, in contrast with the fact that a class-structure of water jug of closed form remains (Clay I, II, III) (Fig.3:2-6), its type-structure represented by Amphoricos with one handle at the shoulder (Clay I and ill) (Fig.3:7,8), which was common in the Mediterranean area, seems to have been replaced by Qullas with filters (Clay I and II) (Fig.3:9-15), though the origin relating to the red slip wares of the Roman period is still obscure. It is remarkable that in the Roman assemblage at Deir al-Shalwit, only one example is counted (Fig.3 :9). A water jug with filter is an example of Qulla found at Karanis stored in the Coptic Museum (Fig.3: 16) (Hasegawa 1997) and its assimilate case in the Fitzwilliam Museum dated to 500-650 A.D. (Borriau 1981: 92). However, according to my observation to the Coptic Museum example, the jug has characteristic feature in the Roman wares including its form and body cutting technique, which may be dated to the appropriate chronological location during 3-5centuries A.D., considering the survival range of Karanis village. Qullas prevail in the Byzantine assemblage (Clay I and II) at any villages and monastery sites in the Theban area (Fig.1 0-15). During the Roman period, the decoration motifs taken over from the Hellenistic period were relatively simple, having been drawn by different kinds of the pigments. Through the influence of the Nubian culture (Nobadae and Blemmyes), the motief aquired a complex eddy, with plant and geometric patterns. This was a new aspect of the Egyptian wares, which flew into the latter phase of late antiquity.

Conclusion The finds of the Upper Egyptian village site at Deir al-Shalwit light on the development of the material culture during late antiquity from the following points. 1. The amount of poll tax offers indications about the urban scale of the Theban area and the archaeological evidence of Deir al-Shalwit show that the southernmost area bordering Jeme, there was a local village named Tricomia at

Vol. XLIII 2008 111 the edge of the desert belonging to an affiliation of the Montu-Buchis cult in the Armant area. 2. An examination of the pottery assemblage shows that, apart from the scarcity of the actual imports at the Upper Egyptian villages, the ceramic industry had been exposed to the Mediterranean influences through the Roman­ Byzantine period as is seen from the repeated imitation of foreign techniques. 3. In the class structure of the pottery assemblage, a transformation occurred during the Byzantine period, which included a decline in the miniature ware group and pot stands. In addition, with respect to water jugs, the role owed by Amphoricos might have been replaced by the newly established Qullas with its creativity in terms of decoration.

Notes Luxor Temple as a fort at the Roman period; see Mohammed ei-Saghir 1986. 2 The name of Deir ai-Shalwit may come from Dw-imnt (See the interpretation by Raimond Jhonson, Waseda University 2005: 217) but it is sometimes called as "isolated" monastery. The site is located at the south of Malqata, and here is temple where has been investigated by Lepsius, Champollion, Sethe, Daressy and others. The recent work is done by IFAO (Zivie 1982, 1983, 1986, 1992). Waseda University excavated 90,000m2 of temple precinct in the 1970s. 3 Clarysse mentions the population of Thebe at the Graeco-Roman period to be 50,000 people scale, where Greeks engaging in banking, tax collection, an army, the police, etc. are assumed (Clarysse 1995: I, 7, 19). 4 Fragmental piece indicating 16 drachmas of poll tax (A.aoypa'Jila) was discovered in the ostraca of Deir al-Shalwit (RK-0-0011). This amount was popular in Memnonia (the area aroud Jeme), while discounted 10 drachmas was paid in the Thebe Diospolis (BhocmoA.tcr ~Ey

112 ORIENT Some Aspects on Material Culture in Roman Village Site at Theban Area Ware); Hofmann 1986 Fig. 59 no. 16, Rittering 8, Dragendorff 40; Kadous 1988 :271-296, Ostliche Sigillata. At Temple Sety I and a1-Tud, a group of African Red Slip Wares are reported, but Early Sigillata is not mentioned.

Bibliography Abrams, H.N. 1982: Museo Gregoriano Egizio (The Vatican Museums), The Vatican Collections, The Papacy and Art, New York, 175-182. Adams, W. Y. 1986: Ceramic Industries ofMedieval Nubia, Lexington. Aufrere, S., J.-Cl. Golvin et J.-Cl. Goyon 1997: L 'Egypte Restituee, Tome 1, Paris, 72-73. Bachatlay, C. 1982: Le Monastere de Phoebammon dans Ia Thebaiae, Le Caire. Bisson de Ia Roque, M.F. 1927: Rapport sur les Fouilles de Medamoud (1926), Le Caire. Borriau, J. (ed.) 1981: Umm El-Ga 'ab: Pottery from the Nile Valley before the Arab Conquest, Cambridge. Clarysse, W. 1995: .. Greeks in Ptolemaic Thebes" in V1eeming, S.P. (ed.) Hundred-Gated Thebes, Acts of a Colloquium on Thebes and the Theban Area in the Graeco-Roman Period, Leiden, 1-19. Ecole du Caire (IFAO)-Musee du Louvre 1981: Un Siecle de Fouilles Fran~aises en Egypte 1880- 1980, le Caire. Goldewski, W. 1986: Deir ei-Bahri, Tome V. Varsovie. Greene, K. 1986: The Arcaheology ofthe Roman Economy, London. Hasegawa, S. 1997: "Introduction: Decorated pitcher with the strainer in the Coptic Museum, The Journal of Egyptian Studies, vol.4, The Society for Egyptian Studies of Waseda University, 106-110 (in Japanese with English abstract). Hasegawa, S. 2000: "On the Transformation of Early Medieval Aswan Wares", Orient, vol.43-2, 53-69 (in Japanese with English abstract). Hayes, J. W. 1972: Late Roman Pottery, London. Hayes, J.W. 1976: Roman Pottery in the Royal Ontario Museum: A Catalogue, Tronto. Hayes, J. W. 1980: A Supplement to Late Roman Pottery, London. Hofmann, B. 1986: La Ceramique Sigil/ee, Paris. Holscher, U. 1954: The Excavation ofMedinet Habu, vo/.5: Post-Ramesside Remains, Chicago. Kadous, E.Z.H. 1988: Die Terra Sigillata in Alexandria: Untersuchungen zur Typologie der westlic:lren und oestlichen Terra Sigillata des Hellenisums und der fruehen Kaiserzeit, Trier. Mohammed el-Saghir, J.-Cl. Golvin, M. Redde, ei-Sayed Hegazy and G. Wagner 1986: Le Camp romain de Louqsor: avec une etude des graffites greco-romains du temple d'Amon, Le Caire. Mond, R. and O.H.Mayers 1934: The Bucheum, London. Mond, R. and O.H.Mayers 1940: Temples ofArmant: A Preliminary Survey, London. Mysliwiec, K. 1987: Keramik und Kleinfunde aus der Grabung im Tempel Sethos' I. in Guma, Mainz. Pierrat, G., 1991: "Essai de classification de Ia ceramique de Tod de Ia fin du VIle siecle au debut du XIIIe siecle ap. J.-C.", Callier de Ia Ceramique Egyptienne (CCE) 2, 146-203. Pierrat, G. 1996: "Evolution de Ia ceramique de Tod: du lie au VIle siecle apr. J.-C.", CCE 4, 189- 206. Waseda University (The Committee of the Archaeological Survey in Egypt) 1992: Malkata-South [IV]: The Excavation at the North-Western Precinct of the Isis Temple (Deir ai-Shalwit), Tokyo (in Japanese with English summary). Waseda University (Institute of Egyptology) 2005: Malkata-South [JV]:The Excavations of

Vol. XLIII 2008 113 Remains of Structures at the North Precinct of the Isis Templle (Deir ai-Shalwit), Tokyo (in Japanese with English summary). Wheeler, R.E.M. 1946: "Arikamedu: An Indo-Roman Trading Station on the East Coast of India", Ancient India, 17-124. Whitcomb, D.S. and J.H. Johnson (eds.) 1979: Quseir ai-Qadim 1978: Preliminary Report, Princeton. Whitcomb, D.S. and J.H. Johnson (eds.) 1982: Quseir ai-Qadim 1980: Preliminary Report, Malibu. Wilfong, T.G. 2002: Woman ofJeme: Lives in a Coptic Town in Late Antique Egypt, Ann Arbor. Winlock, H.E. and W.E. Crum 1926: The Monastery ofEpiphanius at Thebes, Part I, New York. Zivie, C.M. 1982: Le temple de Deir Chelouit 1: Inscriptions du propy/One et de Ia porte du temple, Le Caire. Zivie, C.M. 1983: Le temple de Deir Chelouit Il: Inscriptions du pronaos, Le Caire. Zivie, C.M. 1986: Le temple de Deir Chelouit III: Inscriptions du Naos, Le Caire. Zivie, C.M., M. Azim, P. Deleuze and J.-C. Golvin 1992: Le temple de Deir Chelouit IV: Etude Architecturale, Le Caire.

114 ORIENT Some Aspects on Material Culture in Roman Village Site at Theban Area

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7 Fig. I: 1-7 Shadow of Local Religious Affiliation I: Bull statue of Louvre Museum, 2: Bull found at Bucheum (Mond and Mayers 1934: pl.l }, 3-6: Finds and remain of Deir ai-Shalwit (Waseda University 2005), 7: Reconstructed image of Roman Thebes, based on the Aufrere's map.

Vol. XLIII 2008 115 A

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116 ORIENT Some Aspects on Material Culture in Roman Village Site at The ban Area

Monas ofPhofba.amon (Delr al-Bahrl! • "Deiro ~~t Monastery of Epiphanius & /:!:'' M nastery of Mark {Qurnat Mural) & * Raa~~ , - Jeme (Madinat Habu) o Q,lossf rifMem:o~temout Deir ai-Shalwit o . . .. .·. . o Ape. Thebes (Luxor)

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Fig.3:1-15 Transformation ofType-Structure and New Creativity 1: Map of the Christian sites at Thebes, based on the figure by Wilfong 2002, 2-9: Finds of Deir al-Shalwit (Waseda University 2005), 10-11: Finds of Temple Sety I (Mysliwiec 1987), 12-13: Finds of Tod (Pierrat 1991 ), 14-15: Finds of Deir ai-Shalwit (Waseda University 1992), 16: Karanis Type Qulla (Hasegawa, S. 1997)

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