IFAO

The first session of the IFAO Research Seminar of this academic year 2022/2023, features Fatma Keshk, postdoctoral fellow at IFAO and PCMA and Clara Jeuthe, Senior Research Fellow at the German Archaeological Institute Cairo as discussant.

The seminar is open to all interested parties, both in person, subject to availability, and remotely, through the Zoom application by following this link: [https://us02web.zoom.us/j/............. ]

Abstract:

Due to arid climate and daily life needs, open spaces such as courtyards and terraces have always acted as essential and integral activity areas at the villages of Modern Nubia. This research seminar aims to discuss our understanding of open courtyards’ layouts and functions in ancient Egypt and modern Nubia by revisiting previous typologies of ancient Egyptian houses and through discussing the results of field research carried out between 2015 and 2018 at the village of Bigge. The aim of this fieldwork was to study the layouts and functions of the village open spaces including open courtyards. This research also included a survey of open spaces at other villages in Aswan at Tingar, Gharb Seheil, Heissa and Elephantine.

By using the outcome of the field research on open spaces at Bigge and other Nubian villages, it was possible to propose a methodological approach that allows a clearer understanding of the use of open spaces, and specifically open courtyards, at ancient Egyptian settlement sites through ethno-archaeological approaches. As a result, this interdisciplinary research provides an initial ground to elaborate more methodological tools for the current and future studies of the use of domestic spaces in ancient and modern settlements.