Excavations At Mendes: Volume 1: The Royal Necropolis

This volume constitutes the final report on the excavations at the royal necropolis of the city of Mendes, which occupied 5 summer seasons from 1991 to 1995. The burial of king Neferites I, founder of Dynasty 29 (399-393 B.C.) is described along with other burials, the city walls, the shrine of the fish-goddess and sundry inscriptions. The pottery recovered is treated in extenso, and sheds a flood of light on Mendes' trade relations in the 5th-4th Cent. B.C. with Phoenicia and the Greek islands. Of particular interest is the startling new discovery of a massive destruction layer which can be pinpointed to around 343 B.C. This clearly reflects the reprisals taken by the conquering Persians after they had re-occupied Egypt.