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An Egyptian mission excavating the Byzantine-era city at Ain el-Sabil in the Dakhla Oasis has uncovered the overall plan of the settlement and several new mud-brick structures. The city was built on a grid pattern with two main streets running north–south, intersected by cross-streets (running east–west) to create open squares and plazas. One of the newly discovered buildings is the ‘House of Tabibos’, dating to the early 4th century AD. This is thought to have served as a church prior to the construction of the city’s basilica, the remains of which were discovered during previous excavations. A second structure – the home of a church deacon called Tisous – dates to the second half of the century. Other finds include pottery, oil flasks, bread ovens, kitchens, and grinding stones, as well as around 200 ostraca inscribed in Coptic and Greek which record sales transactions, correspondence, and other details regarding the residents’ daily lives. The team also uncovered a large number of well-preserved bronze coins bearing images of Byzantine emperors, and a collection of gold coins that date to the reign of Constantius II (AD 337-361).
Text: Sarah Griffiths / Image: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
