Ismant el-Kharab, ancient Kellis
Excavations
The site of ancient Kellis, modern-day Ismant el-Kharab, is located in the Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt. The ancient settlement is denoted by numerous mud-brick structures and its occupation phases date from the early Roman to late Roman Period (i.e., 1st-2nd to 4th-5th centuries CE). Kellis covers an area of approximately 1 km² and is bounded on the northwest and southeast by dried up water courses (wadis).
Excavations at Ismant el-Kharab began in 1986 under the auspices of the Dakhleh Oasis Project. The principal investigators for this site are Dr. Colin Hope and Dr. Gillian Bowen of Monash University. As part of the initial survey and excavation processes, the site was divided into areas (see map below).
Areas Investigated
- Area A
- This area includes Houses 1-5, a Bath House, the Small East and Large East Christian Churches, and a Nymphaeum.
- Area B
- The area contains a large colonnaded complex, interior-decorated villas and columbariums.
- Area C
- This area includes residential and industrial zones which exhibit some of the earliest activity on the site, perhaps contemporary with the early phases of the temple.
- Area D
- This area is dominated by the Temple of Tutu, a series of enclosure walls surrounding it, the West Church Complex and tombs.
- North Tomb Group
- The group features a row of monumental and large tombs located in the northwest of the site.
- South Tomb Group
- This southern group contains similar monumental tombs as found in the north of the site.
Navigational Map
Publications
Corroboree
Reports and articles based on the work at Kellis are provided here in electronic format:
Report to the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) of the 2007 Monash Excavations:
- Report 2007 [PDF 2.7MB]
Reproduced from Buried History 42, 2006 by G. E. Bowen, T. Chandler, C. A. Hope and D. Martin - courtesy of the Editor of Buried History and the Director of the Australian Institute of Archaeology:
- Reconstructing Ancient Kellis Part II [PDF 410KB]
Reproduced from Buried History 41, 2005 by G. E. Bowen, T. Chandler and D. Martin - courtesy of the Editor of Buried History and the Director of the Australian Institute of Archaeology:
- Reconstructing Ancient Kellis [PDF 710KB]
Reproduced from G. E. Bowen and C. A. Hope, eds, The Oasis Papers 3, Oxbow Books, Oxford, 2003:
- The Small East Church at Ismant el-Kharab [PDF 967KB]
- Some Observations on Christian Burial Practices at Kellis [PDF 166KB]
- The Excavations at Ismant el-Kharab from 2000 to 2002 [PDF 8.1MB]
- The Gladiator Jug from Ismant el-Kharab [PDF 1.25MB]
Reproduced from C. A. Hope and G. E. Bowen, eds, Dakhleh Oasis Project: Preliminary Reports on the 1994-1995 to 1998-1999 Field Season, Oxbow Books, Oxford, 2002:
- The Fourth-Century Churches at Ismant el-Kharab [PDF 4.26MB]
- Excavations in the Settlement of Ismant el-Kharab in 1995-1999 [PDF 10.1MB]
Reproduced from The Artefact 24, 2001 by G. E. Bowen:
An extensive list of publications relating to Ismant el-Kharab is also available for consultation.
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