Hoard of Late Roman Gold Coins from the Dakhla Oasis

Ali Abbas Mohamed, Fatma; Waziry, Ayman; Kadous, Ezzat

doi:10.21608/ijmshr.2023.315541

Hoard of Late Roman Gold Coins from the Dakhla Oasis "Analytical and Comparative Study with Analogues in ancient Egypt"

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ PhD Researcher in the Department of Egyptology, Faculty of Archaeology, Fayoum University, and Curator - Egypt's Capitals Museum

² Professor of Egyptology and Head of the Department of Egyptology - Faculty of Archaeology - Fayoum University

³ Professor of Greco-Roman Archaeology - Faculty of Arts -Alexandria University

10.21608/ijmshr.2023.315541

Abstract

The study aims to uncover a group of late Roman gold coins dating from the era of Emperor Constantius II, which were discovered within the Dakhla Oasis, where impressive group of Roman archaeological evidence found, transferred and preserved in the Egyptian Museum of El-Tahrir in Cairo and registered under special record numbers 3247 and 3248, among which was the subject of the study that deals with the study and publication of five Roman coins registered with special record number 3247. The study aimed to investigate and unveil the artistic elements associated with these coins by researching and studying them in a methodology of analytical and comparative study within a systematic framework that deals with the rooting of these artistic elements to show the extent of their relationship to ancient Egyptian art. This study will deal with the artistic elements on those coins with an analytical and comparative study through rooting of those artistic elements from ancient Egyptian art. The most important artistic element on those coins is a scene of a knight riding a horse and stabbing enemy, where it was noted that one of the most important artistic elements included was a scene of a knight on horseback about to stab an enemy. The methodology of the study requires an explanation of the extent of the influence of ancient Egyptian art on Roman art, which in turn influenced Coptic art later. Through this study the influence of ancient Egyptian art on roman art will be clarified, which in turn affected Coptic art later, where this scene depicted in Christian art and known as St. George (the saint knight Mar Georges). The study was also concerned with clarifying the importance of the Egyptian oases in general and the Dakhla Oasis in particular.

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