Soknopaiou Nesos Project V. Ceramics and Related Objects from Soknopaiou Nesos (Fayoum)

Clementina Caputo (Principal Investigator)The idea for this project comes from a twenty-year experience of the PI as ceramologist of the Soknopaiou Nesos Project (University of Salento) at Dime (Fayoum). The intensive fieldwork produced a considerable quantity of ceramic material that Clementina Caputo had the opportunity to analyze in a systematic way since 2005. The relevance of this material lies not only in the quality and quantity of productions and types, both Egyptian and imported, but also in their occurrence in well-dated stratigraphic contexts. In comparison to other contemporary settlements in the Fayoum, and more broadly in Egypt, this material has the unique potential to unveil crucial information not only on the life-cycle of this settlement but also on the regional and transregional trade network in the Graeco-roman period. The comprehensive publication of these data, supported by state-of-the-art digital reproductions, will complete the picture of the ceramic trade between the Mediterranean and Egypt’s Western Desert.

Within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (4, 9, 11), the recovery of archaeological grey datarepresents a key step in enhancing cultural heritage. The connection between archaeological information and ceramic material enables the reconstruction of ancient economic and social dynamics. Establishing a network among scholars studying the various productions of the Fayum and Egypt, in parallel with those of the Mediterranean, promotes cooperation, sustainability, and knowledge sharing.

External references:
American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE)
The Antiquities Endowment Fund (AEF)