Bakchias — Kom el-Atl Eastern Buried Settlement (Fayum Central-East)
Bakchias East Settlement · Kom el-Atl East · Bakchias Eastern Kom
Ptolemaic to Roman (300 BCE – 400 CE)·Ptolemaic Greek / Roman Egyptian·🇪🇬 Fayum Depression, eastern Fayum, Kom el-Atl (Bakchias) eastern kom east of Soknopaiou road, Egypt
About
About Bakchias — Kom el-Atl Eastern Buried Settlement (Fayum Central-East)
Eastern buried settlement sector at Kom el-Atl (ancient Bakchias) on eastern Fayum central plain, where the Ptolemaic-Roman vineyard village's eastern kom now lies 2–3 m under polders and desert marl east of the main temple kom. 5 m trenched by 2003 Bologna/Leipzig excavations east extension. Founded 3rd c. BCE under Ptolemy II as vineyard klerouchy, Bakchias east handled vineyard press wine for Arsinoe until 4th c. CE desiccation. Wall encloses 12 ha klerouchic plots.
Why it mattersEast settlement proves klerouchic vineyard expansion beyond Bakchias centre; mosaic and wall date Ptolemaic wine economy and Fayum irrigation plot division.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Whether mosaic house is klerouch elite vs village
- 02Attribution of canal to Bahr Saghir branch?
Theories
- 01East kom handled vineyard extension, centre handled temple granary
- 02Wall marks 10-aroura klerouch plot boundary
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- 3rd c. BCE Ptolemy II vineyard foundation; east wall 250 BCE
- Period
- Ptolemaic to Roman (300 BCE – 400 CE)
- Culture
- Ptolemaic Greek / Roman Egyptian
- Builders
- Ptolemaic Greek kleruchs
- Purpose
- Vineyard estate village for Ptolemaic wine monetisation
- Abandoned
- c. 400 CE canal desiccation
- Rediscovered
- 1895; east sector 2003 Bologna east trench
- Excavation
- Buried
3rd c. BCE
Ptolemy II settles kleruchs at Bakchias vineyards
c. 250 BCE
280 m estate wall, house block and canal built east kom
2003
Bologna maps east settlement vineyard wall to –2.5 m
On the ground
Structures & features
29.5480° N · 30.7880° E · -5 m · 3 mapped features
Vineyard Estate Wall (280 m)
wall280 m wall at –1 m enclosing vineyard plots
29.5485° N · 30.7885° EHouse Block with Dionysos Mosaic (60 m)
houseHouse 60 m at –2 m with mosaic fragment
29.5480° N · 30.7880° EHellenistic Canal Branch (40 m)
canalCanal branch 40 m at –2.5 m east kom
29.5475° N · 30.7882° E