The Towers on the Roman Coptos–Myos Hormos Road in Egypt: Communication Signals or Surveillance Towers?

• Autores: Bérangère Redon, Louis Manière
• Localización: Journal of egyptian archaeology, ISSN 0307-5133, Vol. 111, Nº. 1-2, 2025, págs. 61-76
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • This paper explores the role and chronology of the towers along the Roman Coptos–Myos Hormos road in Egypt, using visibility analysis. This study concludes that their primary role was to monitor traffic rather than to transmit messages across the desert. Initially, a single tower was built next to each fort on the road as an integral part of their defence and surveillance system. However, as insecurity increased in the first half of the second century CE and nomadic attacks multiplied, a full-scale network was created in the second half of this century, providing complete visibility over the road and the adjacent wadis, and guaranteeing optimum security. This is an innovative system in the Roman world as its aim was to protect a route rather than a border, reflecting the importance of the Coptos–Myos Hormos road, as a vital link between the Roman world and the Red Sea.