Monash University’s Centre for Ancient Cultures and the Egyptology Society of Victoria are delighted to offer a free online public lecture by Dr Paul Kucera.

For several years after the discovery of Greek documents at Kellis (Ismant al-Kharab), which revealed the existence of a Roman military camp (castrum) in the 4th century CE in Dakhleh Oasis, the location of a fort remained elusive for researchers. Between 2006 and 2007, a possible location for the fort was realised when the remains of substantially large walls and unusual structural features were observed at the Islamic settlement al-Qasr. This occurred in conjunction with the discovery of a Coptic ostrakon there mentioning “headmen of the imperial fort”. Commencing in 2008, the Qasr Dakhleh Project (QDP) has undertaken a series of archaeological field seasons to investigate these remnants, the results of which confirmed the presence of a Late Roman fort at the site, and in more recent years the fieldwork has also shed light on the post-Roman era.

This talk presents the results of surveys and excavations that lead to the identification of the fort, further discoveries related to the occupation of the site, and a review of the findings in light of the Roman military presence in the Western Desert.

About the speaker: Dr Kucera is an Australian-based researcher with interests in Roman Egypt, the subject of his doctorate, which was completed at Monash University in 2010. He works as a Heritage Advisor and GIS Specialist in Australia, while in Egypt Dr Kucera’s work is primarily associated with the Qasr Dakhleh Project, of which he is currently the Deputy Director and co-Investigator.

When: 7-8pm (Melbourne time / AEST), Wednesday 19 May 2021

Where: Online, via Zoom

To join, please click: https://monash.zoom.us/j/88084431407?pwd=WUVOZXVrSzhGdlA3blNzQVBSZy9Idz09

Or, go to https://monash.zoom.us/join and enter meeting ID: 880 8443 1407 and passcode: 072620

For more information: Please visit the Egyptology Society of Victoria’s Facebook page or website.