Philadelphia — Kom el-Kharaba Western Buried City (Fayum East West)
Philadelphia West City · Kom el-Kharaba West · Gharaba West
Ptolemaic to Roman (256 BCE – 400 CE)·Ptolemaic Greek·🇪🇬 Fayum Depression, eastern Fayum, Kom el-Kharaba (Philadelphia) western city west of main granary, Egypt
About
About Philadelphia — Kom el-Kharaba Western Buried City (Fayum East West)
Western buried city sector at Kom el-Kharaba (Philadelphia) on eastern Fayum, where the Ptolemaic Philadelphia's western vineyard and granary quarter now lies 2–5 m under reclaimed field walls west of the main granary enclosure. Distinct from the Kom el-Kharaba buried city main granary locus in wave-6 (eastern granary sector), this western sector preserves a 85 m vineyard estate wall at –1.5 m, 70 m granary quay on Philadelphia canal at –3 m and Zeno archive villa 25×20 m at –2 m excavated by 1924–1935 Michigan and 2008 Cologne. Founded 256 BCE by Ptolemy II via Apollonios and Zeno, Philadelphia west handled Apollonios wine estate (2000 arourae) and grain. Villa yields Zeno papyri accounts.
Why it mattersWestern estate proves Zeno 2000-aroura vineyard scale; wall and quay calibrate Ptolemaic estate monetisation and Zeno archive economics.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Whether vineyard wall is defence or estate boundary
- 02Attribution of 10-aroura plots within wall?
Theories
- 01West handled vineyard, east handled grain storage
- 02Granary quay handled Fayum-to-Alexandria grain barge loading
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- 256 BCE Zeno foundation under Apollonios; west wall 250 BCE
- Period
- Ptolemaic to Roman (256 BCE – 400 CE)
- Culture
- Ptolemaic Greek
- Builders
- Ptolemaic via Zeno
- Purpose
- Zeno's massive vineyard and grain estate harbour
- Abandoned
- c. 400 CE canal desiccation
- Rediscovered
- 1915 Grenfell; west estate 1924 Michigan
- Excavation
- Buried
256 BCE
Zeno founds Philadelphia for Apollonios finance minister
c. 250 BCE
85 m vineyard wall, granary quay and villa built west city
1924–2008
Michigan-Cologne maps west vineyard estate to –3 m
On the ground
Structures & features
29.3550° N · 30.6320° E · -6 m · 3 mapped features
Vineyard Estate Wall (85 m)
wall85 m vineyard wall at –1.5 m western estate
29.3555° N · 30.6325° EGranary Canal Quay (70 m)
quay70 m quay at –3 m on Philadelphia canal
29.3550° N · 30.6320° EZeno Archive Villa (25×20 m)
villaVilla 25×20 m at –2 m with papyri archive
29.3545° N · 30.6322° E