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Quarrying for Augustus: Gebel el-Silsila as a Source for Early Roman Monuments at Dendera

Nilsson, Maria LU orcid ; Ward, John LU and Almásy, Adrienn (2019) In Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections 23. p.1-77
Abstract
This paper presents a selection of epigraphic documents dispersed over three quarry faces (C11–C13) in the Main Quarry (Q34) at Gebel el-Silsila’s east bank, dating from the reign of the Emperor Augustus. The aim is to describe and decipher the various marks and depictions, and to translate the Demotic and Greek texts, in order to determine for what structure the stone from the quarry was intended. Based on the results, it will be argued that the quarry was the source of blocks used to construct the unfinished enclosure wall, sections of the Roman Mammisi, and plausibly the eastern gate at Dendera. That said, any conclusions at this point must be considered preliminary. Documents included here are part of a corpus of 537 quarry marks and... (More)
This paper presents a selection of epigraphic documents dispersed over three quarry faces (C11–C13) in the Main Quarry (Q34) at Gebel el-Silsila’s east bank, dating from the reign of the Emperor Augustus. The aim is to describe and decipher the various marks and depictions, and to translate the Demotic and Greek texts, in order to determine for what structure the stone from the quarry was intended. Based on the results, it will be argued that the quarry was the source of blocks used to construct the unfinished enclosure wall, sections of the Roman Mammisi, and plausibly the eastern gate at Dendera. That said, any conclusions at this point must be considered preliminary. Documents included here are part of a corpus of 537 quarry marks and 52 texts displayed over quarry faces C11–13 (with overviews in Appendix 3). The majority of the inscriptions have been unpublished until now. Due to the high number of documents in the collection, however, in this essay a selection has been made based on marks and texts that best communicate a relationship with the temple. A selection of the Dendera quarry mark corpus is presented, as well. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
This paper presents a selection of epigraphic documents dispersed over three quarry faces (C11–C13) in the Main Quarry (Q34) at Gebel el-Silsila’s east bank, dating from the reign of the Emperor Augustus. The aim is to describe and decipher the various marks and depictions, and to translate the Demotic and Greek texts, in order to determine for what structure the stone from the quarry was intended. Based on the results, it will be argued that the quarry was the source of blocks used to construct the unfinished enclosure wall, sections of the Roman Mammisi, and plausibly the eastern gate at Dendera. That said, any conclusions at this point must be considered preliminary. Documents included here are part of a corpus of 537 quarry marks and... (More)
This paper presents a selection of epigraphic documents dispersed over three quarry faces (C11–C13) in the Main Quarry (Q34) at Gebel el-Silsila’s east bank, dating from the reign of the Emperor Augustus. The aim is to describe and decipher the various marks and depictions, and to translate the Demotic and Greek texts, in order to determine for what structure the stone from the quarry was intended. Based on the results, it will be argued that the quarry was the source of blocks used to construct the unfinished enclosure wall, sections of the Roman Mammisi, and plausibly the eastern gate at Dendera. That said, any conclusions at this point must be considered preliminary. Documents included here are part of a corpus of 537 quarry marks and 52 texts displayed over quarry faces C11–13 (with overviews in Appendix 3). The majority of the inscriptions have been unpublished until now. Due to the high number of documents in the collection, however, in this essay a selection has been made based on marks and texts that best communicate a relationship with the temple. A selection of the Dendera quarry mark corpus is presented, as well. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Gebel el Silsila, archaelogy, fieldwork, stenbrottsmärken, Quarry Marks, Vetenskapsrådet, Ancient Graffiti, ancient quarrying, forskningsresultat, ancient quarrying, Ancient Graffiti, roman epigraphy, Roman Egypt, Augustus, Gebel el Silsila, Fieldwork, Archaeology, Quarry Marks
in
Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections
volume
23
pages
1 - 77
publisher
University of Arizona
ISSN
1944-2815
project
Symbolae sacrae? Quarry marks and their relation to the divine world and writing in Roman Gebel el Silsila (Upper Egypt)
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
032346b6-78e5-4ab2-ab4d-774f133bd31f
alternative location
https://journals.uair.arizona.edu/index.php/jaei/article/view/23531
date added to LUP
2019-09-04 15:13:42
date last changed
2024-02-23 02:29:59
@article{032346b6-78e5-4ab2-ab4d-774f133bd31f,
  abstract     = {{This paper presents a selection of epigraphic documents dispersed over three quarry faces (C11–C13) in the Main Quarry (Q34) at Gebel el-Silsila’s east bank, dating from the reign of the Emperor Augustus. The aim is to describe and decipher the various marks and depictions, and to translate the Demotic and Greek texts, in order to determine for what structure the stone from the quarry was intended. Based on the results, it will be argued that the quarry was the source of blocks used to construct the unfinished enclosure wall, sections of the Roman Mammisi, and plausibly the eastern gate at Dendera. That said, any conclusions at this point must be considered preliminary. Documents included here are part of a corpus of 537 quarry marks and 52 texts displayed over quarry faces C11–13 (with overviews in Appendix 3). The majority of the inscriptions have been unpublished until now. Due to the high number of documents in the collection, however, in this essay a selection has been made based on marks and texts that best communicate a relationship with the temple. A selection of the Dendera quarry mark corpus is presented, as well.}},
  author       = {{Nilsson, Maria and Ward, John and Almásy, Adrienn}},
  issn         = {{1944-2815}},
  keywords     = {{Gebel el Silsila; archaelogy; fieldwork; stenbrottsmärken; Quarry Marks; Vetenskapsrådet; Ancient Graffiti; ancient quarrying; forskningsresultat; ancient quarrying; Ancient Graffiti; roman epigraphy; Roman Egypt; Augustus; Gebel el Silsila; Fieldwork; Archaeology; Quarry Marks}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{08}},
  pages        = {{1--77}},
  publisher    = {{University of Arizona}},
  series       = {{Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections}},
  title        = {{Quarrying for Augustus: Gebel el-Silsila as a Source for Early Roman Monuments at Dendera}},
  url          = {{https://journals.uair.arizona.edu/index.php/jaei/article/view/23531}},
  volume       = {{23}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}