Excavations at Amheida, located in the Dakhleh Oasis in the western desert of Egypt, have always had a strong ceramological component: the ancient walls in the site were constructed with a mix of broken potsherds and mudbrick, the latter which has eroded with time and left millions of chinking sherds scattered on the vast sandy surface. An initial survey conducted in 2005 estimated the surface ceramics to total about 330 million sherds. Beyond architectural remains, the ceramics have also revealed much about Dakhleh’s economy and society.

This talk will explore three particular ceramic contexts that reveal aspects of Dakhleh’s wine production in the Roman period, via ostraka and wine jars; about olive oil production and exportation, through the history of its kegs; and about the lives of the councilmen and clergy, through imported amphorae and local finewares.

Zoom meeting room opens at 5:45; lecture begins at 6:00.

Join Zoom Meeting: https://umich.zoom.us/j/98081414141
Meeting ID: 980 8141 4141