Major presentation of the skeletal material, bioarchaeology, and grave goods from over 800 graves charting the transition from traditional burial practices through the adoption of Christianity.

The adoption of Christianity by the Egyptian populace was well underway by the late third century, but evidence for its presence in the archaeological record from the Nile valley is sparse. This is due, in part, to the loss of ancient settlement sites beneath modern cultivation. By comparison, Ismant al-Kharab, ancient Kellis, in Dakhleh Oasis, was abandoned at the end of the fourth century and many of its structures survive intact. The villagers, moreover, left behind a wealth of artefacts and documentation. By the late third century some had converted to Christianity and by the early fourth century three churches were built to accommodate their growing numbers. The churches afford an unparalleled window into three ecclesiastical complexes that served a single village. The Large East Church, moreover, is the earliest surviving example of a purpose-built basilica in Egypt known thus far. It provides a better understanding of the development of Egyptian church architecture and has forced a reappraisal of the dates of certain features that were previously attributed to the fifth century.

The community established three burial grounds: Kellis 2, with an estimated 3,500–4,000 graves, a funerary church and associated graveyard, and in a reused monumental mausoleum. Christian cemeteries are known throughout North Africa, Europe, and Britain, but in Egypt few are published in anything but a cursory manner. At Kellis, 800+ graves have been excavated; the earliest burials date to the late third century confirming the evidence of an early conversion by some villagers and its rapid expansion thereafter.

This volume provides the first detailed publication of the churches and Christian burial grounds. It incorporates a discussion of the spread of Christianity in Egypt’s Southern Oasis, drawing upon data from the rich textual documentation from the site. The material culture is presented in detail, especially the extensive collection of ceramics, glass, and coins.

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• Map of the Great Oasis: Kharga and Dakhleh
• Introduction
  • Area A Enclosure and the East Churches
  • The West Church Complex and its Surrounds
  • The Cemeteries
  • The State of Preservation
  • Excavation and Recording
    • The Churches, Enclosure 4 Cemetery and North Tomb 1
    • Kellis 2 Cemetery
  • Arrangement of the Volume
  • The Presentation of the Ceramics by Colin A. Hope
    • Brief Description of Dakhleh Pottery Fabrics
• Section I: The Small East Church
  • Excavation History
  • Architectural Description
    • The Earlier Structure
      • The Entrance Systems
      • Rooms 1 and 2
        • Room 2
        • Room 1
    • Modification for the Church
      • The Sanctuary
        • The Apse
        • The North Pastophorium
        • The South Pastophorium
        • The Façade
  • Stratigraphy
    • The Church
      • The Nave
      • Room 2
      • The North Pastophorium
      • The Apse
      • The South Pastophorium
      • Sub-Floor Tests and Building Sequence
        • The North Pastophorium Test
        • The Nave Test
  • Wall Paintings
    • Consolidation of the Wall Paintings by Laurence Blondaux
  • Late Activity
    • Graffiti in the North Side of the Apse by Iain Gardner
  • Finds
    • The Pottery by Colin A. Hope
      • Fill
      • Floor and Floor Deposit
      • Sub-Floor
    • The Coins
    • The Glass by Marie-Dominique Nenna
    • The Lamps by Colin A. Hope
    • The Ostraka
    • Miscellaneous Objects
    • Fauna
    • Flora
    • Samples
  • Discussion
  • Pottery Figures
• Section II: The Large East Church
  • Excavation History
  • Architectural Description
    • The Access Rooms within the West Enclosure
      • Room 7
      • Room 6
      • Rooms 5a and 5b
        • Room 5a
    • Modification of the Western Block for the Church
    • The Church
      • The Entrance System
      • The Return Aisle
      • The North Aisle
      • The South Aisle
      • The Colonnades
        • Screen Walls
      • The Nave
        • The Chancel
        • The Pedestal Feature
        • Benches
      • The East Aisle, Bema and Apse
        • The Bema
        • The Apse
      • The Pastophoria
        • The North Pastophorium
        • The South Pastophorium
      • The South Rooms
        • Room 1
        • Room 2
        • Room 3
        • Room 4
      • Roofs
    • Suggested Building Sequence
  • Stratigraphy
    • The Return Aisle
    • The North Aisle
    • The Nave
    • The South Aisle
    • The East Aisle, Bema and Apse
    • The North Pastophorium
    • The South Pastophorium
    • Room 1
    • Room 2
    • Room 3
    • Room 4
    • Sub-Floor Tests
      • The North Aisle
      • The North Pastophorium
      • The Pit between the Pedestals
      • The South Pastophorium
      • The South Aisle
      • Room 3
    • Sub-Floor Summary
  • Late Activity
  • Wall Paintings
    • Half-Columns
    • Plaster on a Mud Backing
    • Plaster on Flat Surfaces
    • Ceiling Plaster
  • Finds
    • The Pottery by Colin A. Hope
      • Fill
      • Low Fill
      • North Pastophorium
        • Floor Deposits and Floor
      • Sub-Floor Contexts
        • North Aisle
        • North Pastophorium
        • South Pastophorium
        • Room 3
    • The Coins
    • The Glass by Marie-Dominique Nenna
      • Vessels and Bracelets
      • Painted Glass
    • The Ostraka
    • Inscribed Wooden Board
    • The Figurines
      • Bronze by Helen Whitehouse
      • Stone
    • The Terracottas by Anna Stevens
    • The Jar Sealings by Colin A. Hope
      • Recording System
        • Vessel Types
        • Shapes
        • Materials
        • Stoppers
    • Jar Sealings from A/7
      • The Stamp Impressions by Andrew Connor
    • The Lamps by Colin A. Hope
      • Fill Contexts
      • Floor Deposits and Floor
      • Sub-Floor Contexts
    • Metal
      • Hook
      • Handle
      • Finger Rings
      • Discs
      • Bracelet
      • Nail
      • Pieces of Metal
    • Plaster
    • Stone by Colin A. Hope
    • Wood
      • Codex Binding
      • Architectural Elements
      • Wedges
      • Pegs
    • Bone/Ivory
    • Fauna with Charles Churcher
    • Human Remains
    • Flora with Ursula Thanheiser
    • Samples
  • Discussion
  • Pottery Figures
• Section III: The West Church Complex
  • Excavation History
  • Architectural Description
    • The Church, Rooms 1 and 2
      • Room 1
      • Room 2
      • Rooms 9 and 8
      • The Nave
      • The Sanctuary
        • The Apse
        • The North Pastophorium
    • The South Rooms
      • Rooms 3 and 3b
      • Room 4
      • Rooms 5–7
  • Stratigraphy
    • Room 1
    • Room 2
    • Room 9
    • Room 8
    • The Nave
    • The Apse
    • The North Pastophorium
    • The South Pastophorium
    • Room 3
    • Room 3b
    • Room 4
    • Room 5
    • Room 6
    • Room 7
  • Late Activity
    • Collapse Sequence
  • Finds
    • The Pottery by Colin A. Hope
      • Fill
      • Floor Deposits and Floor
    • The Coins
    • The Glass by Marie-Dominique Nenna
    • The Ostraka
    • Jar Sealings by Colin A. Hope
      • The Church
      • Rooms 3–7
    • Mud Ball by Colin A. Hope
    • Basketry
    • Bone Objects
    • Finger Ring
    • Incense Burners by Colin A. Hope
    • Worked Wood
    • Moulded Ceramic Item by Colin A. Hope
    • Fauna with Charles Churcher
    • Flora with Ursula Thanheiser
    • Samples
  • Discussion
  • Pottery Figures
• Section IVA: Enclosure 4 Cemetery
  • Enclosure 4
  • Excavation History
  • Enclosure 4 Graves
    • Graves 1 and 2
      • Grave 1
      • Grave 2
    • Graves 3–5
      • Grave 3
      • Grave 4
      • Grave 5
    • Graves 6–9
      • Grave 6
      • Grave 7
      • Grave 8
      • Grave 9
  • West Church Graves
    • Grave 1
    • Grave 2
  • Building A
    • Architectural Description
    • Stratigraphy
      • Room 1
      • Room 2
  • Other Features
    • Retaining Wall and Channels
    • Drainage Pipe
  • Finds
    • The Pottery by Colin A. Hope
      • The Graves
      • Building A
    • The Coins
    • The Glass by Marie-Dominique Nenna
    • Jar Sealing by Colin A. Hope
  • Discussion
• Section IVB: Christian Burials in North Tomb 1
  • Excavation History
  • The Graves
    • Room 2
      • Grave 1
      • Grave 2
      • Grave 3
      • Grave 15
    • Room 3
      • Grave 4
      • Graves 5 and 6
      • Grave 10
      • Grave 12
      • Grave 16
    • Room 4
      • Graves 7 and 8
      • Grave 9
      • Grave 11
      • Grave 13
    • Room 8
      • Grave 18
    • Rooms 5, 6 and 14
      • Graves 17, 19–24
  • Finds
    • Jar Sealing by Colin A. Hope
  • Discussion
• Section IVC: Kellis 2 Cemetery
  • Excavation History
  • Architectural and Burial Description
    • Grave Types
      • Types 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
      • Type 6
    • Tomb Enclosures
      • Tomb 1
        • Grave 25
        • Graves 31–33
      • Tomb 2
        • Grave 2
        • Graves 100–102
      • Tomb 3
        • Graves 522, 530 and 542
        • Graves 544 and 545
      • Tomb 4
        • Graves 669, 677, 688, 675 and 692
        • Grave 693
        • Graves within the Portico
      • Tombs 5 and 6
        • Tomb 5
        • Tomb 6
  • Tomb Enclosure Discussion
  • Burials in Coffins
    • Pottery Coffins
      • Graves/Burials 636 and 711
      • Grave 453
      • Graves 229, 536 and Tomb 5
    • Wooden Coffin
      • Grave 583
  • Burials with Large Ceramic Vessels
  • Multiple Burials
    • Multiple Burials under a Single Course of Bricks
  • Burials with Red Clay Inclusions
  • Body Treatment
    • Hair Treatment
    • Botanic and Mineral Treatment
  • Wrappings
    • Textiles by Rosanne Livingstone
      • Methodology
      • Shrouds and Ties
      • Linen Shrouds
      • Cotton Shrouds
    • Ties
    • Tunics and Other Textiles, Thread and Fibre
    • Kellis 1 Wrappings: A Comparison
  • Finds
    • The Pottery by Colin A. Hope
    • Miscellaneous Objects
      • Finger Ring
      • Glass Bottle
    • Flora
  • Discussion
    • Demography
    • Wealth and Status
    • Cemetery Organisation
    • Date of Cemetery
    • Parallels
      • Dakhleh
      • Kharga
        • Bagawat
        • El-Deir
      • The Nile Valley
        • Saqqara
      • North Africa, France and England
        • Poundbury
    • Summary
• Discussion: Kellis in Context
  • Evidence for the Arrival of Christians at Kellis and Trimithis
  • Christians in Kharga
  • Manichaean or Mainstream Christians
  • Demise of the Traditional Religion at Kellis
  • The Christian Presence in Dakhleh
    • Churches
    • Cemeteries
  • The Survival of Christianity in the Oasis
  • The Legacy of Kellis
• Appendices
  • 1. Catalogue of Coins
  • 2. Personal Names on the Ostraka from the West Church Complex
  • 3. Catalogue of Fragments of Garments from the Kellis 2 Graves by Rosanne Livingstone
  • 4. Publications on the Bioarchaeology of Kellis
• Bibliography
• Colour Plates