This article is from Ancient Egypt issue 148
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A complete Byzantine-era pottery workshop has been found in the village of Banawit, 24km north of Sohag, by an Egyptian mission. The complex, one of the largest pottery- and glass-manufacturing centres ever found, included a large range of ovens and storerooms. Inside, the team discovered business records in Demotic and Greek, written on 32 ostraca, which show that the industry was thriving during this period. A number of mud-brick tombs were also found on the site, some containing skeletons and mummies. The majority of these burials were of children, with one found wrapped in coloured fabric, suggesting these were family graves. The remains of ancient plant seeds including barley were uncovered near the graves, too.
Text: Sarah Griffiths / All images: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
