Excavations at El-Bahnasa (Oxyrhynchus): 1980s-1990s

After a long interval, archaeological work was renewed by the Egyptian Antiquities Service periodically from 1982, and then by a Kuwaiti-financed mission from 1985-7. The Kuwaiti team had a number of objectives, one being concerned with the ruined 15th century mosque of Zain al-Abidin at the north-western edge of the Islamic village. They also made exploratory trenches at a number of other locations near this part of the site. Trench E, under the yellowish walls of the 18th century qubba of Abu Samra, exposed an extensive complex of walls and rooms of various dates, including the handsome paved street shown in photograph in the exhibition, perhaps of the early 10th century AD. The exciting finds made by the team are as yet unpublished.

Photographs and plans © G.Fehérvári

More recently (1992 and later), a Catalan mission has worked at various sectors of the site.

A Millenium of Documents