Polish archaeologists found real rarities in Berenike, Egypt. They include, among others: several papyri with lists of centurions, they were officers and commanders of Roman legions, ceramics from Italy and Roman coins.
Papyri with lists of Roman centurions stationed in Egypt, photo: K.Braulińska, website Naukawpolsce.pl
"For Egyptologists and other scientists dealing with antiquity, this is an extremely rare and high-caliber discovery. In this part of the world, there are very few sites from the Roman period. The Egyptians do not promote this time in history, among other things, because it is the moment when they were conquered. However, the rank of these discoveries is truly phenomenal," says Dr. Marta Osypińska from the Institute of Archeology of the University of Wrocław.
An international team led by Dr. Hab. Marta Osypińska examined a unique animal cemetery from the 1st and 2nd centuries in Berenike. Among the animal burials discovered there, archaeologists discovered an accumulation of exclusive ceramics from Italy, the Mediterranean, Africa and India, Roman coins, and a fibula, a coat pin that was characteristic and popular in Europe and was worn by legionnaires. The finds also included ostracons (fragments of texts on ceramics) and, above all, several papyri, which may be an invaluable source of knowledge about the ancient inhabitants of Berenike.
The names appear on the papyri: Haosus, Lucinius and Petronius.
“In this correspondence, Petronius asks Lucinius, stationed in Berenice, about the prices of individual exclusive goods. There is also the statement: I am giving you the money, I am sending it by dromedarius (a unit of legionnaires moving on dromedaries). Take care of them, provide them with veal and poles for their tents," the archaeologist describes.
The animal cemetery where the papyri were found is located on the western outskirts of Berenike. So far, mainly ostrakas have been found there, which - as Dr. Osypińska says - are "objects of desire" for philologists and epigraphists. “It's a direct Roman written source and it's in Egypt. Now, when looking for animal burials, we pull out dozens of these ostracons. However, no one has found papyri at this site so far," he emphasizes.
“However, we secured them and waited for the arrival of the epigraphist, head of the institute of papyrology at the University of Heidelberg, prof. Rodney Asta. Together with his wife, they used these small rolls to put together a puzzle half a meter long and 30 cm wide. They covered them with glass so they could stretch out and were able to fold them into several letters. Now these texts are still carefully studied," the researcher describes.
source - sciencewpolsce.pl, PAP
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