Karanis in Egypt

The Kelsey Museum of Archaeology is fortunate to have an extensive collection of Roman period textiles from the town of Karanis in Egypt. For more background information on the town of Karanis, click on maps and chronology.

Elsewhere in this virtual exhibition you will find the cloth artifacts from Karanis presented as reflections of the daily work, needs, conveniences, and luxuries of the town’s inhabitants. Special attention is given to evidence of the manufacture and use of these textile artifacts, their archaeological contexts, ancient images of them, and writings about them. This range of evidence helps to explain how these artifacts were produced, acquired, used, and valued so long ago.