Diachronic Development of a Settlement in the Fayyum Region: Bakchias in Ptolemaic and Roman Times

The scientific expedition of Bologna University has excavated at Kom Umm el-Atl, the ancient Bakchias, in the north east of the Fayyum, for over twenty years. In particular, the latest studies, accomplished in collaboration with Sapienza University of Rome (since 2005), have revealed several new elements which are useful for reconsidering the urban development of the kome. The on-field archaeological research has brought to light numerous structures, both public buildings and private houses, and it has been completed by an intra-site survey and an important review of the papyrological sources, useful for reconstructing the Bakchias topography and landscape. All the data thus obtained were merged together in a GIS environment, in order to collect and manage all the information and to integrate the individual elements into a coherent workflow process. Thanks to these important activities undertaken by the Bakchias team, it has been possible to compile diachronical maps of the town and to outline the site’s evolution during the Ptolemaic and Roman period.