Archaeologists uncover ancient Byzantine city in Egypt’s western desert

The Byzantine-era city had residential and religious structures. Photograph: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities View image in fullscreen The Byzantine-era city had residential and religious structures. Photograph: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities Archaeologists uncover ancient Byzantine city in Egypt’s western desert Well-preserved fourth-century quarters reveal details of daily life, urban development and economic activities Archaeologists in Egypt have uncovered a well-preserved Byzantine-era city in the western desert. The fourth-century quarters had residential and religious structures, including a basilica-style church in the Dakhla oasis. Archaeologists also found coins, pottery fragments and tools. Separately, 18 ancient tombs were discovered at Marina el-Alamein, near Alexandria, which includes rock-cut and limestone tombs, pottery and a granite sarcophagus. The tourism and antiquities ministry said the first discovery reveals details of daily life, urban development and economic activities when Egypt was part of the Byzantine empire. The unearthed quarters included north-south thoroughfares intersected by east-west streets, forming open squares and public spaces, said Hisham el-Leithy, secretary general of the supreme council of antiquities. A basilica dating back to the mid-fourth century stands at the settlement’s head, overlooking its main streets, along with remains of two watchtowers to safeguard the outskirts, according to Mahmoud Massoud, who chairs the archaeological mission. View image in fullscreen The integrated residential city dates back to the Byzantine era in the Dakhla oasis. Photograph: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities The oasis, located in Egypt’s western province of New Valley, is on Unesco’s tentative list, a step away from being added to the agency’s world heritage list. Massoud added a heavily fortified structure with thick defensive walls, and many houses consisting of reception halls and vaulted roofs, were found in the area. Among them were the house of Tisous, identified as a church deacon, and dating to the second half of the 14th century, which archaeologists believe served as a house church before the construction of the city’s basilica. Archaeologists also uncovered bread ovens, kitchens, grinding tools and bronze coins bearing portraits of Byzantine emperors, Latin inscriptions and Christian symbols. A group of gold coins unearthed dated to the reign of Roman emperor Constantius II, who ruled between 337 and 361, the ministry statement said. Diaa Zahran, head of the Islamic, Coptic and Jewish antiquities department, said they found a collection of about 200 pottery fragments which would have been used as writing material. The fragments, known as ostraca, have inscriptions detailing commercial transactions, correspondence and other details of daily life, Zahran said. Archaeologists also found ancient tombs in the Marina el-Alamein archaeological site, which is about 62 miles (100km) west of the Medite