PERZIKEN EN PEPERS IN DE WOESTIJN: VOEDSEL EN HANDEL IN ROMEINS BERENIKE

Samenvatting

Throughout much of the Ptolemaic-Roman pe­riod, Berenike acted as a major conduit on the Red Sea coast in southern Egypt. Analysis of archeobotanical remains from this port and the nearby mountain settlement of Shenshef has re­vealed much information on both subsistence and trade. Staple foods such as wheat, sorghum and Lentils were supplemented by a wide variety of vegetables, spices and fruits. In addition to local cultivation and collecting in the Eastern Desert on a modest scale, bulk goods were imported from the Nile Valley, the Mediterranean area and the Gebel Elba area, as well as from more southerly ports from India.