A life of luxury in the desert? The food and fodder supply to Mons Claudianus
Marike van der Veen with S. Hamilton-Dyer
Journal of Roman Archaeology:Vol.11 (1998)
Abstract
Mons Claudinas, a quarry settlement known for its granodiorite which, as an imperial monopoly, was used for imperial building projects in Rome, lies in a remote part of the Eastern Desert of Egypt, some 500 km south of Cairo and 120 km east of the Nile, at an altitude of c.700 m in the heart of the Red Sea mountains. The site itself consists of a walled, defended settlement (or fort), animal lines (stables), a granary, wells, cisterns, a cemetery, temple, and bath-house, as well as substantial midden deposits. The archaeological remains are remarkably well preserved, and many buildings stand to roof height. The most intense occupation of the site occurred during the late 1st and 2nd c. A.D. Between 1987 and 1993 work was conducted under the auspices of the Institut Francais d’Archeologie Orientale, Cairo by kind permission of the Egyptian Antiquities Organisation. The work was directed by Prof. J. Bingen with H. Cuvigny as chef de chantier, supported by an international team of archaeologists and papyrologists.
there is no archaeological evidence for permanent settlement in the Eastern Desert with the exception of the Roman quarry-settlements and way stations (see below), nor is there evidence that agriculture was practised. the area was, and is, sparsely inhabited by Bedouin. Most of the Eastern Desert is classified as hyper-arid: mean annual rainfall is 5mm, though this figure does not reflect recurrent rainfall but ‘accidental’ cloudbursts; indeed, some years see no rainfall. The present arid conditions have prevailed since c.3000 B.C. This means that the settlement at Mons Claudianus must have been supplied with food from elsewhere, most probably from the Nile valley, a journey of some 5 days in antiquity.
Marike van der Veen with S. Hamilton-Dyer
Journal of Roman Archaeology: Vol.11 (1998)
Abstract
Mons Claudinas, a quarry settlement known for its granodiorite which, as an imperial monopoly, was used for imperial building projects in Rome, lies in a remote part of the Eastern Desert of Egypt, some 500 km south of Cairo and 120 km east of the Nile, at an altitude of c.700 m in the heart of the Red Sea mountains. The site itself consists of a walled, defended settlement (or fort), animal lines (stables), a granary, wells, cisterns, a cemetery, temple, and bath-house, as well as substantial midden deposits. The archaeological remains are remarkably well preserved, and many buildings stand to roof height. The most intense occupation of the site occurred during the late 1st and 2nd c. A.D. Between 1987 and 1993 work was conducted under the auspices of the Institut Francais d’Archeologie Orientale, Cairo by kind permission of the Egyptian Antiquities Organisation. The work was directed by Prof. J. Bingen with H. Cuvigny as chef de chantier, supported by an international team of archaeologists and papyrologists.
there is no archaeological evidence for permanent settlement in the Eastern Desert with the exception of the Roman quarry-settlements and way stations (see below), nor is there evidence that agriculture was practised. the area was, and is, sparsely inhabited by Bedouin. Most of the Eastern Desert is classified as hyper-arid: mean annual rainfall is 5mm, though this figure does not reflect recurrent rainfall but ‘accidental’ cloudbursts; indeed, some years see no rainfall. The present arid conditions have prevailed since c.3000 B.C. This means that the settlement at Mons Claudianus must have been supplied with food from elsewhere, most probably from the Nile valley, a journey of some 5 days in antiquity.
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