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  • 8 - It’s a Dung Job: Exploring Fuel Disc Production in Egyptian Monasteries

  • from II. - Production and Consumption of Food and Material Goods
  • Edited by Louise Blanke, University of Edinburgh, Jennifer Cromwell, Manchester Metropolitan University
  • Book:
    Monastic Economies in Late Antique Egypt and Palestine
    Published online:
    14 April 2023
    Print publication:
    20 April 2023, pp 212-232

  • Summary

    Fuel is one of the key daily commodities needed for heating, cooking, and also industries. It comes in different forms, such as wood/charcoal, plants, and plant wastes. However, above all, animal dung was the most common fuel in the ancient world, including Egypt. So far, an in-depth exploration of dung fuel in Egypt has been lacking. Coptic monastic texts do refer to brethren tasked with sourcing dung that may have been intended for fuel use. Archaeological evidence of actual dung discs has been recovered from the monastic settlements of Deir Anba Hadra, John the Little, and Kom el-Nana. The same sites have also revealed archaeobotanical material that also attests to the production and/or use of animal dung fuel. This chapter discusses methodological concerns in identifying the archaeological evidence of dung fuel, and reviews the history of animal dung fuel in Egypt, focusing on its production and use in Egyptian monasteries.