Wood and Woodcraft in Egypt from Antiquity to Islamic Times

Proceedings of the first NetWood conference (June 2021)

Auber de la Pierre, Julien (ed.)
Eschenbrenner Diemer, Gersande (ed.)
Schram, Valérie (ed.)

This volume offers a renewed perspective on the study of wood in ancient Egypt—a material long underestimated in Egyptology despite the country’s exceptional preservation conditions. It stems from the online conference NetWood: Wood Networks in Egypt from Antiquity to Islamic Times (June 2021), which brought together specialists from various disciplines to foster interdisciplinary and diachronic dialogue on this material.
The twelve contributions gathered here provide fresh insights through previously unpublished evidence and innovative approaches. The first section examines wood resources and supply networks, challenging modern perceptions of Egypt’s landscapes and highlighting the complex interplay between local and imported materials. The second focuses on craftsmen and workshops, illuminating practices of production, craft skills, and organization. The final section presents new documentary and archaeological corpora of wooden objects, underscoring the material’s versatility and its enduring economic, social, and cultural significance from Pharaonic to Islamic times.