Date:

Archaeologists discover new urban precinct in Egyptian settlement of Marea

Archaeologists excavating the ancient port settlement and cemetery of Marea in Egypt have discovered a complex urban precinct.

Marae was founded during the time of Alexander the Great from the 3rd century BC on the shores of Lake Mareotis, 45 kilometres west of Alexandria.

- Advertisement -

The settlement was an industrial centre and harbour, which was inhabited throughout the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Early Islamic periods until the 8th century AD.

Excavations were conducted by the Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology of the University of Warsaw (PCMA), which applied non-invasive geophysical methods in conjunction with excavations.

The study revealed a detailed plan of one-story “modular” buildings from the 6th to 8th century AD, built on the ruins of a Roman farm producing wine, with the overall area studied covering an area of 13 hectares.

The precinct consists of what could be shops and residential dwellings located next to each other in neat linear rows, and a structure used during the 6th century by pilgrims who were travelling to the Christian shrine in Abu Mena.

- Advertisement -

The first construction boom in the region took place in the Hellenistic period, and later, when the Romans subjugated it. By the Islamic period, the volume of urbanised settlement meant that there was no need to construct further population centres, for which Dr. Mariusz Gwiazda from the PCMA said: “It was a big surprise for us, because around this period there was no new cities built in Egypt”. – Find out more

PAP

Header Image Credit : Mariusz Gwiazda

- Advertisement -

Stay Updated: Follow us on iOS, Android, Google News, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, TikTok, LinkedIn, and our newsletter

spot_img
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan is multi-award-winning journalist and the Managing Editor at HeritageDaily. His background is in archaeology and computer science, having written over 8,000 articles across several online publications. Mark is a member of the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW), the World Federation of Science Journalists, and in 2023 was the recipient of the British Citizen Award for Education, the BCA Medal of Honour, and the UK Prime Minister's Points of Light Award.
spot_img
spot_img
spot_img

Mobile Application

spot_img

Related Articles

The mystery of a 1940’s Ford Woody discovered on USS Yorktown shipwreck

During a recent expedition aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer for the Papahānaumokuākea ROV and Mapping project, NOAA Ocean Exploration and its partners discovered a 1940s Ford Woody on the wreck of the USS Yorktown.

Roman phallus found at frontier fortress

Excavations at Vindolanda near Hadrian’s Wall have unearthed a miniature phallus pendant.

Ancient underground chamber discovery in Cnoc Ard

A construction project in Cnoc Ard (Knockaird) on the Isle of Lewis has revealed a stone-built underground chamber, later identified by archaeologists as a Late Iron Age souterrain.

Caral burial unearthed at Áspero: Elite woman found remarkably preserved

Archaeologists from the Caral Archaeological Zone (ZAC), led by Dr. Ruth Shady Solís from the Ministry of Culture, have discovered a well-preserved burial at the Áspero archaeological site in Barranca Province, Peru.

Mesolithic figurine found in Damjili Cave offers new clues to Neolithic transition

A stone figurine discovered in Damjili Cave, western Azerbaijan, is providing archaeologists with new insights into the cultural and symbolic transition from the Mesolithic to Neolithic in the South Caucasus.

Bite marks confirm gladiators fought lions at York

A recent study published in PLOS One has identified bite marks on human remains excavated from Driffield Terrace, a Roman cemetery on the outskirts of York, England.

Treasures of the Alanian culture found in Alkhan-Kala necropolis

Archaeologists have discovered an intact burial mound containing the tomb of an Alanian elite during excavations at Alkhan-Kala west of Grozny, Chechnya.

Significant archaeological discoveries near Inverness

Archaeologists have made several major discoveries at the site of the upcoming Old Petty Championship Golf Course at Cabot Highlands, near Inverness, Scotland.