Egypt´s southern border in the 6th-11th century AD

This project intends examine the structure and organisation of the frontier between Egypt and Nubia in the late Antique and early medieval period, through the investigation and documentation of the fortresses of Hisn al-Bab. These lie south of Aswan in the immediate vicinity of the ancient frontier. The results of this investigation will be put into their historical context by means of an analysis of contemporary Greek and Arabic textual sources. Our knowledge of the Egyptian-Nubian border and cross border relations from the sixth to eleventh centuries derives almost entirely from textual sources. There has been little opportunity to study relevant material remains, due partly to the destruction of much of the area by flooding after the construction of the Aswan barrage, and partly because the periods have been deemed by scholars to be of little interest. However, the well-preserved remains at Hisn al-Bab present an ideal opportunity to remedy this omission. Here two fortresses, one built over the other, were identified by the applicant in 2007. The later one appears to relate to a series of fortified enclosures known from Lower Nubia, of which the Hisn al-Bab fort is the northernmost example. The older fortress, apparently dating to the 6-7th century AD, remains enigmatic and may be Byzantine or Nubian. The problems posed by the size of the forts, which cover an area of about 2.5 hectares (c 200 x 240 m) and are preserved up to 8 m in height, can only be addressed by the use of modern technology. 3D-scanning will be used to map the remains of both structures, and make detailed documentation of specific features, including the towers, gateways and sections of walling. The following architectural analysis of the scans will give insight into their use as military installations and provide valuable information from which to compare the remains with similar structures. Small- scale targeted archaeological investigation will be used to establish their dating and, alongside the architectural analysis, will provide data relevant to their cultural affiliation. The second part of the project is the study of Greek and Arabic papyrological sources, concentrating particularly on those relevant to the Aswan region. Of especial relevance will be documentation relating to the military organization of the frontier area, and sources referring to cross-border trade.

The aim of the project was the analysis of cross-border relations between Egypt and Nubia, using the site of Hisn al-Bab as a focal point for the study. This lies on the ancient frontier between Egypt and its southern neighbour, Nubia, and consists of a series of fortifications which date from the Late Roman into the Early Medieval period. Investigations took the form of archaeological investigations, architectural documentation and analysis (TUW) and research into textual sources related to the area. The detailed study enabled us to define the nature of occupation and changes in it over time, and to investigate the cultural affinities of the inhabitants as manifested in their material culture. In addition, interactions with neighbouring groups were traced, through, for example, peaceful modes of exchange such as trade, and confrontational modes, such as military activity. The results have been put into a wider context by study of contemporary sites and their remains in Upper Egypt and in Nubia itself, as well as comparison with the historical record. The results demonstrated the shifting nature of control of the border area. An initial Late Roman use a small Romano-Egyptian outpost, guarding a frontier region in which there was little evidence of Nubian activity - was superceded in the later 6th century by a Nubian settlement which reused and expanded the earlier fort. This settlement shows a mix of Egyptian and Nubian elements of material culture, most clearly visible in the ceramics, which were however patterned within an essentially Nubian framework. Whether this expansion of Nubian presence towards the frontier was perceived as hostile by the rulers of Egypt, or whether it was sanctioned remains unclear; however, this occupation of Hisn al-Bab was both relatively short-lived, and came to a violent end. A brief burst of activity in the fort by Byzantine forces after the end of the Persian occupation of Egypt in the earlier 7th century was followed by a lengthy period of abandonment. However, by the 9th century a new fortress was built on the same site, modifications to the architecture of which suggest a lengthy use. This fort, attested historically as al-Qasr, was a politically important Nubian frontier post, but the sparse material culture so far identified is mainly Egyptian. This presents an enigma that will require further investigation. The project has provided a further case study for the understanding of interactions and border region as well as refining of our historical knowledge of the Egyptian/Nubian borderlands.