Sacral topography of a monastic landscape and its development

The monastery Deir el-Bakht (ancient monastery of Saint Paulos) stretches over the hilltop of Dra Abu el-Naga in Western Thebes / Upper Egypt. Investigations that have been undertaken at the site over the last decade have shown that the term monastery not only refers to the walled main monastery complex itself but also designates a small-scale sacral topography that developed between the 5th and the 10th centuries ADover the entire hilltop. In addition to the main monastery, this monastic landscape also encompasses several exterior complexes that were inhabited by monks hermitages built into Pharaonic tombs as well as an ancient and complex network of paths including an approach road to a major caravan supply route. Furthermore, the individual units and the main monastery were hierarchically structured and, according to papyrus documents, ostraca and graffiti, were interconnected via a complex, internal organization. In one of the exterior complexes, Unit XXVI, not only a Christian chapel came to light in 2014 but also a hoard of 29 gold coins placed in the column of an altar. The discovery of a chapel makes it clear that Unit XXVI was transformed from a profane space that was originally used as the house of a hermit to a sacred space used for cult practice. The project focuses on the following questions: Which functional, social and religious-cultic relationships exist between the various monastic structures in Dra Abu el-Naga? What triggered the transformation and relocation of the monastic structures from the living space of a hermit in Unit XXVI to a community of monks in the main monastery? Which hierarchies and social structures can be recognized in the monastic community? These questions can only be clarified by archaeological excavations together with a study of the textual records. The monastery of Deir el-Bakht provides us with the unique opportunity to investigate the congruency of the textual and material record on the basis of a single monument and, by means of this connection, to produce a multifaceted and detailed picture of the history of the monastery within its geographical context. No other monastery complex throughout Egypt provides us with the opportunity to reproduce the developmental stages of a monastery from its beginnings as a hermits cell to the establishment of a large monastery. In this way, the evaluation of the textual material together with a coordinate evaluation of the remains of the material culture enables the reconstruction of an ancient sacral topography in every aspect.

The Monastery of St Paulos (Deir el-Bakht) on the hill of Dra` Abu el-Naga in Western Thebes/Upper Egypt comprises various monastic institutions within a complex and extensive monastic landscape: Older anchoritic dwellings in Units XXVI and XXVII, which were inhabited from the 5th century onwards, and a coenobitic community in the main monastery, which did not come into being until the late 6th/early 7th century AD and was abandoned, at the latest, by the beginning of the 10th century. As a result of the excellent state of preservation of the archaeological record at the site, questions about the hierarchies and social structures of the monastic community, the functional, social and religious-cultic relationship between the individual monastic units on the hill, and the transition of the monastic structures from anchoritic dwellings (Units XXVI, XXVII) to a coenobitic community that extends over the entire hillside (main monastery, Units XXVI, XXVII), stand at the forefront of the projects research. Between 2017 and 2020, a second church was identified in Unit XXVI, and the former location of a church in the main monastery could also be reconstructed. While the veneration of the founding father (St. Paulos?) took place in Unit XXVI, probably with region -wide visitors, the church in the main monastery seems to have been predominantly used by the local monastic community. Changes in the main monastery are tangible from the middle of the 8th century, at which point the accommodation buildings were enlarged to integrate workrooms with loom pits, which must have led to an increase in textile production. It was possible to identify an educated elite, who were responsible for special tasks at the monastery and formed a pool from which the later monastery leaders emerged. The list of these superiors could be extended further. In the necropolis, hierarchies can be defined on the basis of the textiles in which the monks were laid to rest. The examination of the papyri resulted in a partial reconstruction of the holdings of the monasterys library. Amongst the textual sources, parchment manuscripts are particularly noteworthy as well as a parchment codex in Latin that is rarely found in Egypt. The library reflects the high level of education of the monks. At the same time, it is a unique opportunity to establish the precise location of the holdings of an Egyptian monastic library, i.e. the Monastery of St. Paulos, which is not possible with museum collections of unclear origin and attribution. Most spectacular, however, is the discovery of fragments of a magical leather manuscript, which may be parts of the famous "Cookbook" from the collection of Robert Hay, held today in the British Museum, London.