The Monasteries and Monks of Nubia

Book excerpt: The volume is the first study of the archaeology of religion of Christian Nubia. It presents the material record of Nubian monasticism and offers a comparative analysis of this phenomenon. On the basis of archaeological and epigraphic data, the author reconstructs the life in Nubian monasteries. The work features a catalogue of archaeological sites tentatively identified as locations of monastic communities, as well as an overview of pertinent textual sources. Among the focal points are spatial aspects of the Nubian monastic movement, particularly the location of Nubian monasteries and their spatial organisation. Spatial analysis of monastic sites serves as a point of departure for insights into the social and economic matters of monastic communities in Nubia, which are central to the third part of the book. From the scarce sources the author recreates the complex spiritual and social dynamics present in monasteries, their management systems and competing hierarchies.