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Department of Archaeology |
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Memphis Faience Project
A kiln for the manufacture of a specific type of glazed ceramic known as faience
(dating to the early Roman period) has recently been excavated at Kom Helul,
Memphis under the direction of Paul Nicholson at Cardiff University. The site,
which was first identified and investigated by Petrie in 1888, provides a key
for understanding an industry whose luxury products were exported all over the
Roman world. The recent excavations have made it possible for Petrie's finds,
many of which are currently held by museums throughout the UK, to be put into a
reliable archaeological and technological context.
The kiln has an estimated total height of about 10 metres and it is one of
several that are in evidence, suggesting that the site as a whole was an
industrial complex of great size. A vast quantity of domestic ceramic material
is associated with the kiln and this has provided evidence on the firing of
faience as well as a date for the structure (tpq late 2nd century AD). In fact,
this domestic pottery provides the first well dated assemblage of this period to
have been discovered at Memphis. It will help to characterise the community
working in or close to the industrial complex and contribute towards a wider
study planned on the distribution of Ptolemaic and Roman pottery within Egypt
and beyond.
In July–August 2007, Janine Bouriau and Peter French completed the final study
season for the project and are currently working on the publication, which is
due to be completed in 2009.
