Alexandria and the Kom el-Shoqafa - Greek, Roman or Egyptian? (exact title tba.)

The city of Alexandria was one of the greatest of the ancient world, renowned for its marvels. Despite this, it has largely been ignored by Egyptologists, who typically have seen it as no more than a point of departure for other sites in Egypt. Classics scholars have filled this vacuum. While most of the ancient city has disappeared, the catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa present a remarkable blend of Roman, Greek and Egyptian images reflecting the multicultural character of the ancient city. How do we interpret these images? Do we view them through Greek, Roman, or Egyptian eyes?

About the Speaker:
Mark is President of the SSEA National and has been a Trustee of the Society on and off since 2006. Ancient Egypt and ancient civilizations in general have fascinated him since about age 13. In pursuit of this long-held interest, Mark is a Departmental Associate at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), a ROM Gallery Interpreter and former executive member for the Friends of Ancient Egypt, also at the ROM. Under the auspices of the SSEA, he has been the lead researcher for the project “In Search of Ancient Egypt in Canada/À la recherche de l’Égypte ancienne au Canada”, putting him in touch with museums across Canada. Mark has presented and published widely on topics related to ancient Egypt and Egyptian antiquities in Canada. He teaches courses for the Kingston Seniors’ Association and the Oshawa Seniors’ Centre in person and, since May 2020, online as well. He has also been assisting Queen’s University’s Master of Art Conservation Program with a project to study and conserve three fragmentary, ancient Egyptian coffins.