Pýý. ý577 IMPACT THE ARAB OF THE CONQUEST ROMAN LATE ON SETTLEMENT IN EGYPT VOLUME I: TEXT UNIVERSITY LIBRARY CAMBRIDGE This dissertation is for degree the submitted Doctor Philosophy in the of of University Cambridge, March 2002 of ALISON GASCOIGNE DARWIN COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE For my parents love thanks with and Abstract The Impact the Arab Conquest Late Roman Settlement in Egypt of on Alison Gascoigne, Darwin College Arab The conquest of Egypt in 642 AD affected the development of Egyptian towns in The various ways. actual military struggle, the subsequent settling of Arab tribes in discussed in 1, and changes administration are chapter with reference to specific local Chapter 2 sites using and archaeological sequences. whether assesses our understanding of the archaeological record of the century seventh is detailed enough to the dating The Zawyet in allow accurate of settlement changes. site of al-Sultan Middle Egypt burned was apparently abandoned and partly around time the of the Arab Analysis difficulty conquest. of surface remains at this confirmed site the of dating this the basis information. accurately event on of current Chapters 3 4 the two Arab and analyse effect of of mechanisms colonisation on Egyptian towns. First, an investigation of the occupation by of soldiers threatened frontier towns (ribats) is based the Tinnis. Examination on site of of the indicates Tinnis in archaeological remains significant a expansion of the eighth and is by in historical building ninth centuries, which confirmed references the sources to funded by programmes the Second, the ` central government. practice of murtaba al- jund, the its hinterland for seasonal exploitation of town the and the grazing of by animals specific tribal groups is examined with reference to Kharibta in the western Delta. Kharibta had apparently declined in and size prosperity by around the Chapter 5 development important Pharaonic eleventh century. the the considers of Edfu in Upper Egypt. Exposed have administrative centre of archaeological sequences clarified the movement of settlement in town the eastwards during the Islamic period. The final factors have hitherto been two that chapter proposes not given First, importance in the sufficient weight. of military settlement promoting settlement flawed the change; second, and nature of our understanding of the urban for important archaeological record this period. The thesis concludes with suggested a transition, paradigm of urban which will allow greater understanding of the changes in in Roman Islamic Egypt. settlement and Acknowledgements includes is This dissertation is the result of my own work and nothing which the done in Nevertheless, I have help outcome of work collaboration. received advice and from the last four be here. I many people over years, not all of whom can mentioned like Barry Kemp, for his to thank would my supervisor, and encouragement constant Rose Pamela for her for fruitful discussions the guidance, and support and many about her that took time. ceramics and other matters much up so of My fieldwork in Egypt by Gillian Pyke greatly was aided number a of people. in inking drawings in the provided more advice practical and aid generously sherd 5. I to Bourriau, Janine Peter French Roberta Tomber for chapter am also grateful and their help in identifying to Alan Clapham for ceramic material, many valuable to techniques to suggestions relating environmental sampling archaeology and and Will for Schenck lessons in illustration. Sheehan Peter Sara Montgomery pottery and have hospitality during Cairo. to provided encouragement, guidance and my visits Kate Spence, Amanda Dunsmore Nadine Moeller drew from the and of some sherds Zawyet I indebted Nadine for her to al-Sultan; also am company and cheerfulness at Edfu. The Jane in Faiers her fabric to generosity of allowing me use parts of deserves Salima Ikram Nicholas Warner classification system also mention, while and kindly discussed issues variety a of with me. Of fieldwork involved in have been the this possible course, project would not the help the Egyptian Government's Supreme Council for Antiquities and without of its in Minya, Port Alexandria, Said, Cairo Edfu. In many representatives and I like inspectors Leila `Abd (who particular, should to thank the al-Basit provided help in Kharibta), Said `Agami `Arafa `Abbas `Abbas great and company and al- Shinawi (for help Tinnis), Ibrahim `Abd their accommodating and approach at al- Rahman Fustat Muhammad Said Suzi Samir Labib Nagwa `Abd at and al-Din, and al- Magid `Abd Edfu. Funding by the Thomas Mulvey al-Basit at was provided Egyptology Fund the H. M. Chadwick Fund Cambridge University and of and the Seven Pillars Wisdom Trust; I indebted to the these funds. of am administrators of all Another facilitated the the fieldwork Rawya who person greatly administration of was Ismael Egypt Exploration Society's Cairo the tirelessly of office, who visited various behalf; I to for her her help, to the all and government offices on my very am grateful facilities. EES for permitting me the time of their personnel and the use of their Middle In Cambridge, I must acknowledge the generosity of members of the Eastern Studies department. Kate Bennison has been to always willing my answer Rachael Harris Nadira Auty their time to teach questions, she, and and much gave of Arabic. Rachael Harris kindly looked translation Ibn Bassam in me also over my of the Appendix. I would like to thank Clackson Sarah for teaching me Coptic and for help field John Ray Kate Spence for through the guidance and of papyrology, and and their I the the Oriental valuable comments on my research. must mention also staff of Faculty Studies library, been have help the who great a over years. Finally, I like to thank family for their would my constant encouragement and They help. Gascoigne Jo the support. provided also more practical me advised on Paul Wingfield the more scientific aspects of work, while supplied much guidance on I deeply indebted to David Christine Gascoigne, for style. most am my parents, and help factors, importantly with wide a range of most practical support and proof- Without been have them, this thesis reading. would never written. /`ý7.1ý. ýý. 5 List Contents of Abbreviations Chapter 1- Egyptian Urbanism the Arab Conquest 1 and Chapter 2- Problems: Source Burning Zawyet 20 the of al-Sultan Chapter 3- Ribat Settlement: Example Tinnis 46 the of Chapter 4- Murtaba ` the Example Kharibta 74 al-Jund: of Chapter 5- The Old Urban Order: Tell Edfu 87 6- Chapter Urbanism: Egyptian Causes Change 113 of 120 Appendix Translation Anis Bassam Ibn the of al-Jalis of al-Tinnisi - 128 Bibliography Abbreviations Organisations American Research Center in Egypt ARCE Comite Conservation de des Monuments de 1'Art Arabe CCMAA et Egypt Exploration Fund (former EES) EEF name of Egypt Exploration Society EES Institut Francais d'Archeologie Orientale du Caire IFAO SCA Supreme Council for Antiquities, Egyptian Antiquities Service Journals/books Egyptiennes ASAE Annales du Service des Antiquites BAR British Archaeological Reports BASOR Bulletin the American School Oriental Research of of BIE Bulletin de l'Institut d'Egypte BIFAO Bulletin de l'Institut Francais d'Archeologie Orientale BSAC Bulletin Societe la de d'Archeologie Copte BSOAS Bulletin School Oriental African Studies the of of and BS(R)GE Bulletin la de (Royale) Societe Geographie de d'Egypte Egyptienne CCE la Cahiers de Ceramique Orientale FIFAO Fouilles l'Institut de Francais d'Archeologie JARCE Journal American Research Center in Egypt the of JEA Journal Egyptian Archaeology of JNES Journal Near Eastern Studies of JRAS Journal Royal Asiatic Society the of JSSEA Journal the Society for the Study Egyptian Antiquities of of Agyptologie LA Lexicon der MDAIK Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts. Abt. Kairo Memoires (publies les l'Institut de Francais MIFAO par membres) d'Archeologie Orientale ZAS Zeitschrift fir ägyptische Sprache Zeitschrift für Papyrologie Epigraphik ZPE und Chapter 1 Arab Conquest Egyptian Urbanism the and for Conquest and colonisation: mechanisms urban change by lands The conquest and control of external groups of people are recurrent and features human history. They by widespread of also significant a represent mechanism dominance The which civilisations maintain extend and cultural over others. Arab influence throughout the Middle East in the AD is expansion of century seventh By 642, Arab had lands from Yemen to no exception. armies overrun and occupied Syria, Egypt Iraq, incorporated into imperial its to them and an structure with religious Mecca its Medina, Damascus Baghdad. at centre and political at successively one and The Egypt to in colonisation of was result cultural great which changes would mould it inevitable the the the that of shape modern state, and was event an such would affect As Loomba `The "forming country's urban configuration. explains: process of a in land the the community" new meant necessarily unforming or re-forming (1998,2). that there communities existed already' A been have levels number of studies carried out concerning of social and from the late Roman to the Islamic economic change continuity and early period, in in Egypt (see for Adams 1965; Morony 1984; mostly areas of east example papers King Cameron 1994; Schick Morony 1995). that the tendency to and eds suggests is least Muslim regard the conquest cultural a as political and watershed at partly in ignorance developments during from 300-600 (1984,3). The rooted of the period c. began in late Roman times trends and continuation of of urban change which demonstrated in into the Islamic has been continued early period archaeologically Syrian, Jordanian Palestinian (Zeyadeh 1994; Tsafrir Foerster and and settlements MacAdam 1994; 1994). In Egypt, late Alexandria an account of antique provides as brief description development, the an epilogue a of city's post-conquest urban and highlights (Haas 1997; below, 14-15). This again continuity see pp. emphasis on the the towards the `medieval' is, however, evolution of classical urban structure city not Egypt, to generally applicable where only small a number of specialist settlements, I UNIVERSITY LURA, RY CAMBRIDGE Hellenic ideal Alexandria Antinoopolis, to the as such and conformed of orthogonal basis local layout. The danger too the of generalising widely on of conditions prevents the direct application to Egypt, with its distinct cultural traditions, of results gained from This thesis to initiate independent another province. aims archaeological study of development Egypt. the post-conquest of towns the of Morony's Islamic Iraq identifies for study of early various mechanisms `there forms direct two continuity change: and were major of continuity: survivals from before the the through transmission to the period conquest, continuity and Change likewise falls into immediate two the conquerors. categories: short-term results of the conquest, and the more permanent changes introduced by the way life in Arabia institutionalized in Islam certain aspects of pre-Islamic were and brought by Muslim Arab Iraq' (1984,507). How do his for to conquerors mechanisms to Egypt? Butler's the Egypt (1902, apply change great work on of conquest reprinted 1978) indicates that Egypt's towns the battles only small a proportion of were site of fewer damage inhabitants. to or sieges, and even suffered significant property and Among the towns taken by Bilbeis, Umm Dunain, Bahnasa in the or storm siege were Fayyum, Misr, Babylon, Terenouti, Kariun, Ikhna, Balhib Tinnis, Nikiu and while at certain and towns in the Fayyum, the garrison much and of the population was At Pelusium, in disrepair destruction the their massacred. where walls were still after by the Persians few fortress dismantled a years previously, the was churches and destroyed. That events such would had have long term impact on these settlements is, however, unlikely. Robinson, in his Mesopotamia, writes: recent study of post-conquest `Conquest can create new elites (through the distribution of offices, land and titles), as it destroy (through incorporate (through can violence confiscation) and or conversion elites' (2000,59). It is that or assimilation more generally) pre-existing arguable is by from where power seized a minority regime outside, control will automatically become in from to the to more centralised response need remove autonomy places which not are directly regulated. Certainly, the foundation of the Arab garrison town Fustat in and administrative centre of was the most visible change the country's urban Alongside configuration. this new settlement, existing towns and their hinterlands 2 by during Arab were the early period gradually occupied new a administrative in Egypt, hierarchy. Initially, Coptic throughout officials remained place with only a in key for departed Roman few Arab the administrators urban replacements as centres The Arabs in the to increase during the governors. proportion of administration was half Umayyad (c. 715-40), the second of period reorganisation when a placed power firmly into hands Arab (Frantz-Murphy The 1991). increasing the the more of settlers Arabisation the have in the foundation institutions of administration must resulted of diwan in Egypt's towns. such as offices provincial Unlike the the elite the had to be administration, military of old regime immediately. By the Roman Egypt's become had replaced of end rule, soldiery incorporated into farming land local native society, settling and marrying and women. Strong links between its locality existed unit each and military and officials were involved in local (Maspero 1912; Alston Whether 1995). the these affairs majority of Egyptian left the the soldiers, many of whom were not of origin, country after laid down lives, is The their conquest, or simply arms civilian adopted and not clear. Roman forts, in dominate great often centrally situated towns villages and to do fully been have by Arabs. surrounding communities, not appear to exploited the Post-conquest been has demonstrated Babylon, Pelusium activity archaeologically at and Nag' al-Hagar; however, these levels may reflect the incorporation of the fort- enclosures into the surrounding with settlements, the building of houses and churches, than below (see 6-13 for further discussion rather military a occupation pp. of Babylon; `Abd Mustafa 1985; Jaritz 1985; `Abd al-Waseth and al-Maqsoud and Zignani 1992). The in the abandonment of military outposts resulted removal of a level from being by Arab of autonomy provincial towns, with more control exercised in Fustat. military officials Whatever the fate the Roman it is that Arab of army, clear new garrisons were installed key towns Aswan Alexandria, the at such as and with northern coastal region being defended. `Athamina (1997) two particularly well notes specific mechanisms of in Islamic One is based times. these the military occupation early of on concepts of fortified frontier thaghr, to Alexandria ribat and statuses given sites such as to the town the by Arab The encourage settlement of soldiers. other, more exploitative, 3