Dying in the Mines: Necropoleis and Funerary Practices During the Late Antique Period in the Smaragdos (Egyptian Eastern Desert)

This article documents the Late Antique necropoleis in the Smaragdos, a region known in antiquity for its emerald mines. The study analyzes the features of the necropoleis and tombs identified in them within the general context of the funerary practices of the desert communities that lived in the Eastern Desert between the fourth and the seventh centuries CE. Hundreds of these tombs have been identified along the wadis and in the surrounding hills. Unfortunately, it is extremely hard to find any undisturbed tombs, as they have almost all suffered from severe looting. Far better evidence has been recovered since the 19th century from the necropoleis in the Sudanese part of the Eastern Desert, although those have predominantly been royal and elite tombs. The present overview of burial areas and practices in the Smaragdos region of the Egyptian Eastern Desert is based on an archaeological survey conducted by the Sikait Project in the Wadi el-Gemal National Park from 2018 to 2024, which studied more than 800 graves in several necropoleis in this region, mainly from the Late Antique period. It offers one of the most extensive reviews ever conducted of funerary practices in this period in the Eastern Desert.