red sea

Berenike discoveries

Fragments of four letters have been discovered at Berenike on the Red Sea coast. They were written on papyrus by Roman commanders stationed in Egypt in the reign of Nero (AD 54-68) and name three centurions: Haosus, Lucinius, and Petronius.…

Centurions’ correspondence

Archaeologists working in Berenike, Egypt, have discovered the remains of several letters written by Roman centurions. In the early centuries of the 1st millennium AD, the ancient port of Berenike, located on the west coast of the Red Sea, was…

Above A possible cathedral in Adulis, Eritrea. Photogrammetry has been used to create a 3D model of the excavated remains of an important place of worship. Various different architectural and decorative influences can be detected in the structure, emphasising that this port city lies at a key maritime crossroads.

A crossroads between the seas: the origins of early Christianity

Excavations in Eritrea are revealing early Christian sites from the Kingdom of Aksum. What can these places of worship reveal about cultural connections in the 6th century AD? Gabriele Castiglia, Philippe Pergola, Stefano Bertoldi, Marco Ciliberti, Elie Essa Kas Hanna, Božana Maletic´, and Matteo Pola share the secrets of an extraordinary ecclesiastical complex.