The Town of Kom Ombo II: the Anglo-Egyptian Fort

This volume describes the results of the excavations in the Anglo-Egyptian fort at Kom Ombo, and places those results in historical context. Built in 1886 as a response to the Mahdiyya in the Sudan as the northernmost point in the defence of the frontier region, the fort was intended to protect the Nile valley from attack from the eastern desert. In fact, the fort was only sporadically occupied as the threat to Egypt quickly dissipated and was out of use by 1901. It is the only fort of the period that survives in Egypt. The fort consisted of an enclosure within which were several separate buildings. Fortunately, their function can be ascertained by reference to plans drawn by the Royal Engineers, which described them as the keep or stronghold, a defensible barrack and a shed. Archaeologically, the latter was the most intensively used part of the fort and saw frequent adjustments over the brief time the fort was in use. Excavation also brought to light structures omitted from the plans. Many small items associated with the soldiery were discovered, including bullets, buttons, smoking materials and fragments of documents, both printed and handwritten, in Arabic, French, English and Italian. They demonstrate cosmopolitan nature of goods available to the garrison, drawn from sources including Austria, France, the United Kingdom and Turkey give a unique insight into the day- to-day life of those occupying the fort.