Latest news with #Roman-era
CairoScene
4 days ago
- General
- CairoScene
Early Coptic City Discovered in Egypt's Kharga Oasis
A new archaeological discovery in Kharga Oasis has revealed the remains of an early Coptic city, including churches, homes, and murals. Jul 27, 2025 A new archaeological discovery in Egypt's Western Desert has revealed the remains of an early Coptic city at Ain al-Kharab in Kharga Oasis. The find, made by an Egyptian archaeological mission, includes a network of residential buildings, churches, and cemeteries, along with a mural depicting Christ healing a sick person. Situated within the Islamic and Coptic archaeological zone, the site is regarded as a significant glimpse into early Christian life in Egypt. Excavators uncovered mudbrick homes with plastered walls, domestic ovens, and fixed pottery jars used for storing food and grain, reflecting everyday life in the settlement. Among the artefacts recovered were ostraca, pottery fragments, and various glass and stone objects, as well as burial remains. Two churches were identified during the excavation. The first is a large basilica-style structure featuring a central hall and side aisles. The second is a smaller rectangular church marked by Coptic inscriptions and exterior columns. Nearby service buildings were found adjacent to both churches, with additional structures located to the west of the smaller one. The site also contains architectural evidence of long-term use, including Roman-era buildings that were adapted during the Coptic and later Islamic periods. This continuity underscores the historical layers of religious and social life in Kharga Oasis. The discovery was described as deepening understanding of Egypt's religious transformation and reflecting values of cultural coexistence.
See - Sada Elbalad
6 days ago
- General
- See - Sada Elbalad
Discovery of a Mural Depicting Christ Healing the Sick in Egypt's Kharga Oasis
Ali abo deshish The Egyptian archaeological mission from the Supreme Council of Antiquities, working in the area of Ain el-Kharab in the Islamic and Coptic Antiquities zone of Kharga Oasis in the New Valley Governorate, has uncovered the remains of the main residential city of Kharga Oasis. The discovery dates back to the transitional period from paganism to Christianity. Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Mr. Sherif Fathy, stated that the discovery reflects the richness and diversity of Egypt's ancient civilization during pivotal and influential historical periods. He emphasized that the find enhances our understanding of Egypt's religious transformation and highlights the cultural and religious tolerance that characterized Egyptian heritage. The minister also reaffirmed the ministry's full support for archaeological missions across the country and praised the achievements of Egyptian teams in strengthening Egypt's position on the global cultural tourism map. Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, stressed the significance of the discovery, as it sheds light on an important phase in the history of Kharga Oasis — the early Coptic period in Egypt. He emphasized the historical importance of Egypt's western oases as centers of religious and social life across different eras. The mission uncovered the remains of an entire city, including residential buildings made of mudbrick with some walls covered in plaster, service areas with ovens for daily use, mudbrick storage facilities, and large pottery jars embedded in the ground for storing grains and food. A variety of artifacts were also found, including ostraca, pottery vessels, stone and glass fragments, and several burials. Most notably, a mural depicting Christ healing a sick person was discovered. Dr. Seham Ismail, Director-General of Kharga Antiquities and head of the mission, added that remains of two churches were also uncovered. One of them, built in the basilica style from mudbrick, includes stone foundation remains indicating it once had a large central hall with two side aisles separated by three square columns on each side. To the south of the church lies a cluster of service buildings. The second church is smaller, rectangular in shape, and surrounded by the remains of seven external columns. Some of its interior walls are adorned with Coptic inscriptions. To its west, additional service buildings were discovered. She noted that most of the structures uncovered during previous excavation seasons show that the site was used across several historical periods. Roman-era buildings were repurposed during the early Coptic period and again in the Islamic period. read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Sports Get to Know 2025 WWE Evolution Results News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence" News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks
NZ Herald
23-07-2025
- General
- NZ Herald
Delicate fragments of frescoes on Roman-era plaster are recovered and gradually reassembled
Pieces are embellished with images of lyres, candelabras, flowers, white cranes, and native plants. One is illustrated with the face of a woman in tears, recognisable by her Flavian-period (AD 69 to 96) hairstyle. Four years ago, the plaster was recovered during an excavation at a construction site in Southwark, just south of the Thames. An archaeologist from the Museum of London Archaeology at a construction site where fragments of painted wall plaster that date to the early Roman occupation of the area around London, which began in AD 43, were found. Photo / Museum of London Archaeology via the New York Times The scraps filled 120 assorted boxes. Li's job is to carefully arrange, categorise and restore the original artwork. The frescoes that have emerged, the most colossal of which measures 4.8m by 3m, were hidden from view for more than 1800 years. The museum's haul of discarded Roman-era plaster is the largest ever amassed in the English capital. Rob Symmons, the curator of the extravagant Fishbourne Roman Palace in West Sussex, called the site 'a discovery of the first magnitude'. It is not unusual for painted wall plaster to be recovered from Roman archaeological sites, but rarely is it found in quantities that it was in Southwark, he said. 'Also, it's unusual for excavators to have the time and expertise to attempt reconstructions like the one that Han undertook.' Fragments of floral decoration from a section of the plaster walls. Photo / Museum of London Archaeology via the New York Times The Southwark plaster once adorned at least 20 internal clay walls of what is believed to have been either a luxurious private villa or an upmarket inn for state couriers and officials passing through Londinium, the precursor of modern London. 'When the structure was demolished, material from different walls jumbled together and was dumped into a large pit,' Li said. 'When you are salvaging materials from a masonry wall, the plaster tends to break apart or crumble. It's almost impossible to reconstruct the walls in their entirety, but you can reconstruct enough to see what the schemes are.' The Romans established Londinium shortly after Roman legions, acting on the orders of Emperor Claudius, invaded parts of Britain. A section of the plaster walls found that date to the early Roman occupation of the area around London. Photo / Museum of London Archaeology via the New York Times The district in which the building was found is described by Andrew Henderson-Schwartz, a Mola administrator, as a vibrant and prosperous suburb. 'It was the Beverly Hills of Roman London,' he said. 'This is a place they intend to stay and Romanise.' The occupation lasted until AD 410, when the soldiers were withdrawn. Their Saxon successors neglected the area. By the Middle Ages, Southwark, outside the control of London's laws, was known as a place where one could find blood sports such as cockfighting and bearbaiting, alongside brothels and theatres. In 2021, the plaster dumping site was dug up in preparation for development of the property. The following February, a large mosaic decorated with guilloche patterns and Solomon's knot motifs was unearthed. A year later, the excavation yielded remnants of the most intact Roman mausoleum ever discovered in Britain. Graffiti on one of the plaster walls depicts a crying face. Photo / Museum of London Archaeology via the New York Times Li noted that the lower portions of the plaster walls, known as dadoes, were frequently made to look like stone. Some patterns mimic costly Egyptian porphyry, a volcanic rock distinguished by its purplish hue and crystal inclusions, and frame them with veins of African giallo antico, a type of yellow marble. Although the names of the interior decorators are not known, the researchers discovered a tabula ansata, a carving of a decorative tablet sometimes used to sign artworks, scored with the Latin word 'fecit,' meaning 'has made this'. Such maker's marks are usually seen on ceramics in Roman London but not wall plaster. A section of the plaster walls found that date to the early Roman occupation of the area around London. Photo / Museum of London Archaeology via the New York Times 'Unfortunately, the section bearing the painter's identity was snapped off,' Li said. Two other fragments were joined together to reveal an etching of a near-complete Greek alphabet. While Roman wall painters in Britain incorporated elements from other imperial outposts such as Xanten, Cologne, and Lyon, some aspects of their art were distinctly British. One fragment initially interpreted as grapes is now understood to depict mistletoe, demonstrating that the artists applied Roman artistic conventions but with a local, British colour palette. Bright yellow panels with pale green borders dominate the middle layers of the frescoes. That decorative touch has surfaced at only a handful of other locations across the island, including the Fishbourne Roman Palace, located roughly 100km southwest of the dig. Li recently visited the palace to observe the wall plaster. He and Symmons suspect that the same hand, or at least artistic school, was responsible for both sets of frescoes. 'When you're looking at two paintings that look identical, down to the stroke, down to the pigment, it really kind of makes you feel like you've discovered something amazing,' Li said. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Written by: Franz Lidz Photographs by: Museum of London Archaeology ©2025 THE NEW YORK TIMES
See - Sada Elbalad
20-07-2025
- Politics
- See - Sada Elbalad
Turkey, Egypt Align on Artifact Repatriation: Hopes Rise for Future Returns
By Ahmad El-Assasy The recent return of the Roman-era sculpture of Emperor Marcus Aurelius to Turkey has highlighted growing momentum in the global campaign to repatriate smuggled cultural artifacts. Turkish and Egyptian officials have emphasized their shared stance on the issue, underscoring their determination to retrieve and protect their nations' heritage. A Turkish official expressed optimism that the successful return of the Aurelius statue will pave the way for similar breakthroughs for Egypt. He noted that countless Egyptian antiquities have been looted and trafficked abroad over the decades, and highlighted that Turkey has already returned a number of these artifacts in the past. 'The Turkish and Egyptian positions are identical when it comes to the smuggling of antiquities and the necessity of returning them to their countries of origin,' the official said. 'We are hopeful that this critical return marks the beginning of greater cooperation between our nations in this area.' The official also praised the role of Professor Khaled al-Anany, Egypt's former Minister of Antiquities and current head of UNESCO, as a potentially powerful advocate for the international repatriation of stolen heritage. 'With al-Anany at UNESCO, we hope Egypt and Turkey can work more closely to advance this joint cause and secure similar successes,' the official added. Both countries have long histories of cultural plunder by colonial powers and private collectors. In recent years, they have stepped up efforts to reclaim their treasures through diplomacy, legal channels, and public awareness campaigns. The renewed cooperation between Ankara and Cairo signals a strategic alliance that could lead to further returns of artifacts illegally removed from both nations. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence" Sports Get to Know 2025 WWE Evolution Results News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks
American Military News
20-07-2025
- Science
- American Military News
1,600-year-old settlement discovered with Roman military artifacts
A Roman-era settlement estimated to be roughly 1,600 years old was recently discovered by archaeologists in Delbrück, Germany. The archeological discovery included the remains of at least two buildings and hundreds of ancient artifacts. According to Fox News, the Roman-era settlement was recently discovered as part of an excavation by the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe (LWL) at Schafbreite, which is located in Delbrück, Germany. In a statement obtained by Fox News, the LWL confirmed that hundreds of ancient artifacts were discovered at the Schafbreite location, with most of the artifacts traced back to the fourth and fifth centuries A.D. Fox News reported that archaeologists uncovered two 'clearly identifiable' buildings, two wells, two pit houses, a cremation grave, and hundreds of artifacts as part of the excavation. The LWL stated, 'Seven hundred and fifty individual finds were recovered from the ancient cultural layer preserved under a thick ash soil, 600 of which were metal.' According to Fox News, LWL archaeologists noted that the site of the excavation appears to have been 'settled at different times, making it a multi-period settlement site.' 'The finds from various periods also show that the inhabitants had access to Roman material culture,' archaeologists added. READ MORE: Captain Cook's lost ship found off Rhode Island coast Fox News reported that Sven Spiong, one of the lead archaeologists for LWL, suggested that the mysterious excavation provides insight into the Migration Period, which took place from 300 to 600 A.D. Spiong explained, 'Sites like these help us better understand how the people of the region lived and worked during the arrival of the Romans and in the following centuries, what interregional contacts and connections they had, and how the settlement structure changed during the Migration Period.' LWL confirmed that an 'isolated cremation grave' was discovered during the excavation and that archaeologists discovered that a person was buried with a spearhead, a broken bone comb, two garment clasps, a fire steel, and an animal head buckle. 'Experts date this buckle to the 4th or 5th century based on its shape,' LWL stated. 'It further confirms the settlers' contact with the Roman cultural sphere, as it belonged to the Roman military belt.' According to Fox News, while researchers were not able to identify the burial, the archaeological organization suggested that the individual could have been a Germanic mercenary who served in the Roman military. '[It's] a special find, as it is the first burial in East Westphalia where parts of a Roman military belt have been detected, previously only known from surface finds in other regions,' the LWL said.
