Marea — Southern Vineyard and Press Complex at Lake Mareotis South
Marea South Press · Mareotis Vineyard Harbour South
Ptolemaic to Early Arab (300 BCE – 800 CE)·Ptolemaic / Byzantine·🇪🇬 Beheira Governorate, Lake Mareotis southern chora 0.9 km south of Marea central harbour, Mareotid vineyard belt, Egypt
About
About Marea — Southern Vineyard and Press Complex at Lake Mareotis South
5 m wide linking the presses to the lake harbour for amphora barging. 8 m with lake clay containing grape pips (Vitis) and Marean amphora sherds. The presses' vaulted cellars contain 30+ amphorae in situ with pine resin lining (Marean amphorae were pitched). 2 ha, proving intensive Mareotid viticulture rather than extensive pastoral as previously thought. Byzantine papyri (P. Hawara) from the complex list 12,000 amphorae annual export.
Why it mattersOnly Mareotid vineyard–press–canal system with intact grape pips and saqiya — Fayum-style hydraulic analogy for Mareotis; pipt for Alexandria urban provisioning.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Grape variety — Vitis cultivar DNA pending
- 02Whether saqiya lifted brackish lake water or fresh Nile canal
Theories
- 01Southern vineyard irrigated via saqiya from lake, making Marea an early lake-irrigation viticulture model
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.300 BCE Ptolemaic vineyard; presses Hellenistic–Byzantine
- Period
- Ptolemaic to Early Arab (300 BCE – 800 CE)
- Culture
- Ptolemaic / Byzantine
- Builders
- Mareotid viticulturists and saqiya engineers
- Purpose
- Wine production and hydraulic irrigation for Marean amphora export to Alexandria
- Abandoned
- 800 CE Lake Mareotis desiccation ends irrigation
- Rediscovered
- Mareotis chora survey 2018; presses 2020
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c.300 BCE
Ptolemies plant Mareotid vineyards on lake terrace
c.250 BCE
Presses and saqiya built for irrigation
c.550 CE
Byzantine peak — P. Hawara 12,000 amphorae
2020
Polish Centre exposes 4 presses with amphorae in situ
On the ground
Structures & features
31.0145° N · 29.8152° E · -1 m · 4 mapped features
Four Wine Presses in Vaulted Cellars
workshop4 presses 5 × 4 m with 30+ Marean amphorae in situ
31.0147° N · 29.8155° ESaqiya Water Wheel Pit
hydraulic8 m diameter saqiya pit with ceramic gear linking to canal
31.0143° N · 29.8148° EPress-to-Harbour Canal (4.5 m)
canal4.5 m canal 280 m linking presses to central harbour
31.0145° N · 29.8152° EVineyard Corbel Grid
vineyard1.2 ha vineyard trellis corbels covering chora
31.0146° N · 29.8150° E