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8 - It’s a Dung Job: Exploring Fuel Disc Production in Egyptian Monasteries

from II. - Production and Consumption of Food and Material Goods

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 April 2023

By
Mennat-Allah El Dorry
Edited by
Louise Blanke  and
Jennifer Cromwell
Louise Blanke
Affiliation:
University of Edinburgh
Jennifer Cromwell
Affiliation:
Manchester Metropolitan University
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Summary

Fuel is one of the key daily commodities needed for heating, cooking, and also industries. It comes in different forms, such as wood/charcoal, plants, and plant wastes. However, above all, animal dung was the most common fuel in the ancient world, including Egypt. So far, an in-depth exploration of dung fuel in Egypt has been lacking. Coptic monastic texts do refer to brethren tasked with sourcing dung that may have been intended for fuel use. Archaeological evidence of actual dung discs has been recovered from the monastic settlements of Deir Anba Hadra, John the Little, and Kom el-Nana. The same sites have also revealed archaeobotanical material that also attests to the production and/or use of animal dung fuel. This chapter discusses methodological concerns in identifying the archaeological evidence of dung fuel, and reviews the history of animal dung fuel in Egypt, focusing on its production and use in Egyptian monasteries.

Keywords

Fueldungarchaeobotanymonastic settlements
Type
Chapter
Information
Monastic Economies in Late Antique Egypt and Palestine , pp. 212 - 232
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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