Anastasia, Thecla, And Friends: Archaeological And Epigraphic Evidence From The Shenoutean Women'S Monastery At Atripe

In this article, I report on recent archaeological work conducted at the site of Atripe. Sponsored by the William K. Simpson Endowment and conducted by Yale Monastic Archaeology Project (YMAP) in conjunction with the University of Tubingen and the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, this work has focused especially on a Refectory and an adjacent Six-Pillared Hall associated with the administration of goods and the storage of food. My study of dipinti - writings painted on the walls of these spaces - provides the first definitive evidence discovered in situ that the remains at Atripe belonged to the Shenoutean women's monastery. The epigraphic data consist of late ancient writings by the female monastics themselves. This corpus of evidence attests to a number of names and monastic titles and also sheds light on concerns related to the storage of foodstuffs and distribution of water within the women's community.