Amheida I

Roger S. Bagnall, Giovanni R. Ruffini

ISBN 10: 0814745261 / ISBN 13: 9780814745267

Published by New York University Press, US, 2012

About this Item

This volume presents 455 inscribed pottery fragments, or ostraka, found during NYU's excavations at Amheida in the western desert of Egypt. The majority date to the Late Roman period (3rd to 4th century AD), a time of rapid social change in Egypt and the ancient Mediterranean generally. Amheida was a small administrative center, and the full publication of these brief texts illuminates the role of writing in the daily lives of its inhabitants. The subjects covered by the Amheida ostraka include the distribution of food, the administration of wells, the commercial lives of inhabitants, their education, and other aspects of life neglected in literary sources. The authors provide a full introduction to the technical aspects of terminology and chronology, while also situating this important evidence in its historical, social and regional context. Online edition available as part of the NYU Library's Ancient World Digital Library and in partnership with the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW).

Seller Inventory # LU-9780814745267

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Amheida I
• Publisher: New York University Press, US
• Publication Date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0814745261
• ISBN 13: 9780814745267
• Binding: Hardback
• Condition: New
• Weight: 975 grams

About this title

Synopsis

This volume presents 455 inscribed pottery fragments, or ostraka,
found during NYU’s excavations at Amheida in the western desert of Egypt. The
majority date to the Late Roman period (3rd to 4th century AD), a time of rapid
social change in Egypt and the ancient Mediterranean generally. Amheida was a
small administrative center, and the full publication of these brief texts
illuminates the role of writing in the daily lives of its inhabitants. The
subjects covered by the Amheida ostraka include the distribution of food, the
administration of wells, the commercial lives of inhabitants, their education,
and other aspects of life neglected in literary sources. The authors provide a
full introduction to the technical aspects of terminology and chronology, while
also situating this important evidence in its historical, social and regional
context.





Online edition available as part of the NYU Library's Ancient World Digital Library and in partnership with the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW).

About the Authors

Roger S. Bagnall is Leon Levy Director and Professor of Ancient History Emeritus at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University. He is author, co-author, and editor of many books including Egypt in Late Antiquity and Everyday Writing in the Graeco-Roman East.

Giovanni R. Ruffini is Professor of History and Classical Studies at Fairfield University, where he directs the Ancient Mediterranean Studies Program. His books include Medieval Nubia: A Social and Economic History (Oxford, 2012) and Life in an Egyptian Village in Late Antiquity (Cambridge, 2018).