Water and Fire – The History of a Mound of Ash: Water Management in Hellenistic Berenike, Its Environmental and Logistical Setting

Abstract

Archaeological work since 2014 in the Hellenistic areas of Berenike, a key port on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, founded by Ptolemy II Philadelphus in c. 275 BC, has brought extensive evidence of water-related structures: a rock-cut well located inside a rebuilt early-Hellenistic gate and a nearby cistern with an associated rainwater-collection system, that has changed the way in which the sources and uses of water in Hellenistic Berenike is understood today. The research started with the excavation of an ash mound, a characteristic landmark in the western part of the site, which is now believed to be the rubbish dump from the furnace that heated a Hellenistic bathhouse. At this stage in the research, it can be argued that Hellenistic Berenike had sufficient water available on site not only for drinking (hence potable), and agricultural and industrial uses, but also for public bathing. This article summarises the current state of research, presenting recent discoveries of a Hellenistic date at the site within their archaeological, architectural and environmental contexts.