Archaeologists have uncovered ancient Roman workshops and part of a necropolis in Egypt’s western Nile Delta, offering new insight into the region’s economic and social life more than 2,000 years ago.
The discovery, made at the Kom Al-Ahmar and Kom Wasit sites in the Beheira Governorate, reveals how the area once served as a hub of industry and burial activity during the Roman era.
The excavation, led by a joint mission from Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities and Italy’s University of Padua, revealed a large industrial complex and burial ground dating back to the fifth century BC. The Roman workshops were housed in a multi-room building, with at least six separate sections.
Economic clues from Roman workshops and necropolis in Egypt
Two rooms were used for fish processing. Researchers found approximately 9,700 fish bones, pointing to large-scale production of salted fish, a key economic activity in antiquity.
The remaining rooms appear to have supported the manufacture of metal tools, stone objects and faience amulets. Archaeologists also uncovered unfinished limestone statues and items still in production.
Evidence of imported amphorae and Greek pottery fragments suggests the workshops were active during a period of cross-regional trade. This supports the idea that the area played a significant role in industrial and cultural exchange across the Mediterranean.
Alongside the industrial area, the team discovered part of a Roman necropolis containing various burial types. These included basic in-ground graves, pottery coffins and the burial of children inside large amphorae. The graves held the remains of 23 individuals, including men, women and children.
Human lives and burial beliefs revealed
Cristina Mondin, the mission’s lead from the University of Padua, said bioarchaeological analysis is underway to study the age, sex, diet and health of the buried individuals. Early results suggest they lived under stable conditions, with no strong evidence of serious illness or violent injuries.
Among the items recovered are several complete amphorae and a pair of gold earrings believed to have belonged to a young girl. The artifacts have been moved to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo for preservation and further examination.
Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the findings help researchers better understand how people lived, worked and were buried in inland areas of Egypt, particularly near Alexandria. He noted the discoveries provide new context on settlement patterns, industry and regional connections from the Late Period through the early Islamic era.
Together, the Roman workshops and necropolis findings highlight the historical significance of Egypt’s western Delta as a center for production and cultural exchange.
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