Through an analysis of recently discovered Ptolemaic pottery from Mut al-Kharab, as well as a re-examination of pottery collected by the Dakhleh Oasis Project during the survey of the oasis from 1978–1987, this book challenges the common perception that Dakhleh Oasis experienced a sudden increase in agricultural exploitation and a dramatic rise in population during the Roman Period. It argues that such changes had already begun to take place during the Ptolemaic Period, likely as the result of a deliberate strategy directed toward this region by the Ptolemies.
This book focuses on the ceramic remains in order to determine the extent of Ptolemaic settlement in the oases and to offer new insights into the nature of this settlement. It presents a corpus of Ptolemaic pottery and a catalogue of Ptolemaic sites from Dakhleh Oasis. It also presents a survey of Ptolemaic evidence from the oases of Kharga, Farafra, Bahariya and Siwa. It thus represents the first major synthesis of Ptolemaic Period activity in the Egyptian Western Desert.

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Preface
• Abbreviations
• List of Illustrations
• Chapter 1: Introduction
  • 1.1 Introduction
  • 1.2 Previous Research
  • 1.3 Methodological Approach
  • 1.4 Nile Valley Evidence
• Chapter 2: Mut Al-Kharab
  • 2.1 Introduction
  • 2.2 The Ptolemaic Pottery Deposits
  • 2.3 A Transitional Late Period/Early Ptolemaic Period Deposit
  • 2.4 Miscellaneous Pottery from Other Trenches
  • 2.5 Ptolemaic Ostraka from Mut al-Kharab
  • 2.6 Summary of Ptolemaic Activity at Mut al-Kharab
• Chapter 3: Ptolemaic Pottery From Dakhleh Oasis
  • 3.1 Introduction
  • 3.2 Previous Research
  • 3.3 Presentation of the Material
  • 3.4 Fabrics and Wares
  • 3.5 Decoration
  • 3.6 Manufacturing Techniques
  • 3.7 Forms
  • 3.8 General Discussion
• Chapter 4: Ptolemaic Sites In Dakhleh Oasis
  • 4.1 Introduction
  • 4.2 Structure of the Catalogue
  • 4.3 Site Identification
  • 4.4 Site Types
  • 4.5 Site Distribution
  • 4.6 General Discussion
• Chapter 5: Ptolemaic Activity In The Western Desert
  • 5.1 Introduction
  • 5.2 Kharga Oasis
  • 5.3 Farafra Oasis
  • 5.4 Bahariya Oasis
  • 5.5 Siwa Oasis
  • 5.6 Minor Oases
  • 5.7 Discussion
• Chapter 6: Conclusion
  • 6.1 Results of the Study
  • 6.2 Beyond the Fayum: Ptolemaic Settlement in the Western Oases
  • 6.3 Directing Divine Offerings to the Valley
  • 6.4 Gateway Communities, the ‘Oasis By-Path’ and Long-Distance Trade
  • 6.5 A Military ‘Buffer Zone’
  • 6.6 The Persian Legacy
  • 6.7 Conclusion
• Appendix 1: Mut al-Kharab: Context Descriptions
• Appendix 2: Pottery Assemblages from Mut al-Kharab
• Appendix 3: Ptolemaic Pottery Forms: Examples and Parallels
• Appendix 4: Catalogue of Ptolemaic Sites in Dakhleh Oasis
• Appendix 5: Pottery Assemblages from Dakhleh Oasis Sites
• Appendix 6: Catalogue of Ptolemaic Sites in the Western Oases
• Bibliography
• Plates