Uncovering a provincial capital -in Edfu -Egypt
The Tell Edfu site is significant because it preserves about 3,000 years' worth of history in a single mound - and because the ancient settlement served as a key link in the chain connecting Egypt's agricultural society with the lifestyles of the rich and famous.
although monumental architecture, and settlements haven't been something that has attracted that level of interest "But they're actually really important for understanding the ancient Egyptian civilization."
As "We don't have many of these sites left," Tell Edfu may not look as monumental as the Great Pyramids - but the dead city, and other sites like it, are just as important for learning how everyday Egyptians lived. If anything, such sites are more endangered than the pyramids themselves.
Many of ancient Egypt's urban sites have gone by the wayside, obliterated either by farming or by centuries of urban renewal. So little evidence has survived that some scholars question whether Egypt ever had a well-developed urban culture, according to today's report from the University of Chicago about the Tell Edfu dig.
a mud-brick structure with 16 wooden columns was used in the 13th Dynasty (1773-1650 B.C.), based on an analysis of shards of pottery and scarab seals found at the site. The hall of columns served as a place where scribes did their accounting, opened and sealed containers, and received letters.
the hall may have been part of the provincial governor's palace. "It was far more extensive than we expected,"
A granary ... and a bank
In Thebes (modern-day Luxor) seven grain bins dating back to the 17th Dynasty (1630-1520 B.C.). were excavated .Because grain served as a form of currency, this wasn't merely a granary - it was also the ancient equivalent of a bank, essentially managing tax collections for the provincial governor and the pharaoh.
"Grain as currency provided the sinews of power for the pharaohs,"
The administration of that power has been described in ancient Egyptian texts, but there's nothing like seeing the actual places where that power was exercised.
In Tell Edfu : The silos measure 18 to 21 feet wide, making them the largest grain bins ever discovered within an ancient Egyptian town center.
the dig has sparked more questions than answers: How much time did the grain spend in the silos? How was it distributed among provincial, priestly and pharaonic officials? What heights did Egypt's urban society reach more than 3,000 years ago?
with the return of the archeologist team to dig in October They plan to seek the answers to such questions and more.
Tour Edfu Temple with an Egyptologist tour guide
Egypt best-known excavations usually focus on the glittering mummies and grand monuments of the pharaohs, but for something completely different, travel up the Nile to Tell Edfu: The archaeologists digging there have uncovered ruins that shed light on the administrative and agricultural foundations of ancient Egypt riches.
The Tell Edfu site is significant because it preserves about 3,000 years' worth of history in a single mound - and because the ancient settlement served as a key link in the chain connecting Egypt's agricultural society with the lifestyles of the rich and famous.
although monumental architecture, and settlements haven't been something that has attracted that level of interest "But they're actually really important for understanding the ancient Egyptian civilization."
As "We don't have many of these sites left," Tell Edfu may not look as monumental as the Great Pyramids - but the dead city, and other sites like it, are just as important for learning how everyday Egyptians lived. If anything, such sites are more endangered than the pyramids themselves.
Many of ancient Egypt's urban sites have gone by the wayside, obliterated either by farming or by centuries of urban renewal. So little evidence has survived that some scholars question whether Egypt ever had a well-developed urban culture, according to today's report from the University of Chicago about the Tell Edfu dig.
a mud-brick structure with 16 wooden columns was used in the 13th Dynasty (1773-1650 B.C.), based on an analysis of shards of pottery and scarab seals found at the site. The hall of columns served as a place where scribes did their accounting, opened and sealed containers, and received letters.
the hall may have been part of the provincial governor's palace. "It was far more extensive than we expected,"
In Thebes (modern-day Luxor) seven grain bins dating back to the 17th Dynasty (1630-1520 B.C.). were excavated .Because grain served as a form of currency, this wasn't merely a granary - it was also the ancient equivalent of a bank, essentially managing tax collections for the provincial governor and the pharaoh.
"Grain as currency provided the sinews of power for the pharaohs,"
The administration of that power has been described in ancient Egyptian texts, but there's nothing like seeing the actual places where that power was exercised.
In Tell Edfu : The silos measure 18 to 21 feet wide, making them the largest grain bins ever discovered within an ancient Egyptian town center.
the dig has sparked more questions than answers: How much time did the grain spend in the silos? How was it distributed among provincial, priestly and pharaonic officials? What heights did Egypt's urban society reach more than 3,000 years ago?
with the return of the archeologist team to dig in October They plan to seek the answers to such questions and more.
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