Re: [INDOLOGY] Spectacular finds
https://www.academia.edu/38147247/Contacts_between_Egypt_and_India_during_the_Ptolemaic_and_Roman_Periods_An_Overview_of_the_Evidence https://www.academia.edu/1467709/THE_ARCHAEOLOGY_OF_EARLY_CONTACT_WITH_INDIA_AND_THE_MEDITERRANEAN_WORLD_FROM_THE_FOURTH_CENTURY_BC_TO_THE_FOURTH_CENTURY_AD?nav_from=da599ed3-41a1-4d9b-b1b0-96386943fdf6 https://intranet.royalholloway.ac.uk/crgr/documents/pdf/papers/iphigeniainindia.pdf https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/hidden-ancient-egyptian-port-reveals-180984485/ Dan > On Dec 2, 2025, at 11:58 PM, Ananya Vajpeyi via INDOLOGY > wrote: > > Just to say, we have been hearing a lot of very interesting things about > Berenike here in Delhi in recent months, from both the writer William > Dalrymple (in his new book, The Golden Road) and art historian Naman Ahuja > (in various lectures and articles). All best, AV. > > > > > > On Wed, Dec 3, 2025 at 3:07 AM Matthew Kapstein via INDOLOGY > mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >> https://www.ancientworldmagazine.com/articles/indian-figurine-pompeii/ >> >> Matthew T. Kapstein >> Professor emeritus >> Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, PSL Research University, Paris >> >> Associate >> The University of Chicago Divinity School >> >> Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences >> >> https://ephe.academia.edu/MatthewKapstein >> >> https://vajrabookshop.com/product/the-life-and-work-of-auleshi/ >> >> https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501716218/tibetan-manuscripts-and-early-printed-books-volume-i/#bookTabs=1 >> >> https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501771255/tibetan-manuscripts-and-early-printed-books-volume-ii/#bookTabs=1 >> >> https://brill.com/edcollbook/title/60949 >> >> Sent with Proton Mail <https://proton.me/mail/home> secure email. >> >> On Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025 at 9:20 PM, Christophe Vielle via INDOLOGY >> mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>> It reminds me the beautiful Indian sculpture found in Pompéi, seen last >>> week in the MANNapoli. >>> >>> Envoyé à partir de Outlook pour iOS <https://aka.ms/o0ukef> >>> De : INDOLOGY >> <mailto:[email protected]>> de la part de Lavanya Vemsani >>> via INDOLOGY >> <mailto:[email protected]>> >>> Envoyé : Tuesday, December 2, 2025 2:11:04 PM >>> À : Indology List >> <mailto:[email protected]>> >>> Cc : Indology List >> <mailto:[email protected]>> >>> Objet : Re: [INDOLOGY] Spectacular finds >>> >>> This indeed is remarkable. Thanks for sharing it. This helps understand >>> Indo-Roman trade and the Egyptian role in depth. >>> Thank you >>> Lavanya >>> Sent from my iPhone >>> >>>> On Dec 2, 2025, at 6:22 AM, Matthew Kapstein via INDOLOGY >>>> mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>> Thanks for sharing this, Jonathan, >>>> >>>> It is indeed spectacular. But in the light of all else we know of >>>> Egypt-India connections over the long term, it does fit in an established >>>> context and seems spectacular in part for the remarkable confirmation it >>>> offers of relations formed on the ancient routes joining India to ancient >>>> Baveru and beyond. >>>> >>>> Matthew >>>> >>>> Matthew T. Kapstein >>>> Professor emeritus >>>> Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, PSL Research University, Paris >>>> >>>> Associate >>>> The University of Chicago Divinity School >>>> >>>> Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences >>>> >>>> https://ephe.academia.edu/MatthewKapstein >>>> >>>> https://vajrabookshop.com/product/the-life-and-work-of-auleshi/ >>>> >>>> https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501716218/tibetan-manuscripts-and-early-printed-books-volume-i/#bookTabs=1 >>>> >>>> https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501771255/tibetan-manuscripts-and-early-printed-books-volume-ii/#bookTabs=1 >>>> >>>> https://brill.com/edcollbook/title/60949 >>>> >>>> Sent with Proton Mail <https://proton.me/mail/home> secure email. >>>> >>>> On Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025 at 10:16 AM, Jonathan Silk via INDOLOGY >>>> mailto:[email protected]>> wrot
Re: [INDOLOGY] Spectacular finds
Just to say, we have been hearing a lot of very interesting things about Berenike here in Delhi in recent months, from both the writer William Dalrymple (in his new book, *The Golden Road*) and art historian Naman Ahuja (in various lectures and articles). All best, AV. On Wed, Dec 3, 2025 at 3:07 AM Matthew Kapstein via INDOLOGY < [email protected]> wrote: > https://www.ancientworldmagazine.com/articles/indian-figurine-pompeii/ > > Matthew T. Kapstein > Professor emeritus > Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, PSL Research University, Paris > > Associate > The University of Chicago Divinity School > > Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences > > https://ephe.academia.edu/MatthewKapstein > > https://vajrabookshop.com/product/the-life-and-work-of-auleshi/ > > > https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501716218/tibetan-manuscripts-and-early-printed-books-volume-i/#bookTabs=1 > > > https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501771255/tibetan-manuscripts-and-early-printed-books-volume-ii/#bookTabs=1 > > https://brill.com/edcollbook/title/60949 > > Sent with Proton Mail <https://proton.me/mail/home> secure email. > > On Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025 at 9:20 PM, Christophe Vielle via INDOLOGY < > [email protected]> wrote: > > It reminds me the beautiful Indian sculpture found in Pompéi, seen last > week in the MANNapoli. > > Envoyé à partir de Outlook pour iOS <https://aka.ms/o0ukef> > -- > *De :* INDOLOGY de la part de > Lavanya Vemsani via INDOLOGY > *Envoyé :* Tuesday, December 2, 2025 2:11:04 PM > *À :* Indology List > *Cc :* Indology List > *Objet :* Re: [INDOLOGY] Spectacular finds > > This indeed is remarkable. Thanks for sharing it. This helps understand > Indo-Roman trade and the Egyptian role in depth. > Thank you > Lavanya > Sent from my iPhone > > On Dec 2, 2025, at 6:22 AM, Matthew Kapstein via INDOLOGY < > [email protected]> wrote: > > > Thanks for sharing this, Jonathan, > > It is indeed spectacular. But in the light of all else we know of > Egypt-India connections over the long term, it does fit in an established > context and seems spectacular in part for the remarkable confirmation it > offers of relations formed on the ancient routes joining India to ancient > Baveru and beyond. > > Matthew > > Matthew T. Kapstein > Professor emeritus > Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, PSL Research University, Paris > > Associate > The University of Chicago Divinity School > > Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences > > https://ephe.academia.edu/MatthewKapstein > > https://vajrabookshop.com/product/the-life-and-work-of-auleshi/ > > > https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501716218/tibetan-manuscripts-and-early-printed-books-volume-i/#bookTabs=1 > > > https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501771255/tibetan-manuscripts-and-early-printed-books-volume-ii/#bookTabs=1 > > https://brill.com/edcollbook/title/60949 > > Sent with Proton Mail <https://proton.me/mail/home> secure email. > > On Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025 at 10:16 AM, Jonathan Silk via INDOLOGY < > [email protected]> wrote: > > Dear All, > > I would like to bring to your attention what I believe to be the first > scientific publication of the results of recent research in Egypt. (Wait, > don't stop reading!). > > Along with Egyptologists, our colleague Ingo Strauch has researched a find > so remarkable that had it not been scienfitically excavated I think > everyone --myself first of all--would have been certain it is fake. > > See now > > Steven E. Sidebotham, Rodney Ast, Marianne Bergmann, Shailendra Bhandare, > Joanna K Rądkowska, Ingo Strauch, Szymon Popławski, Mariana Castro > > Indians in Roman Berenike > > Jahrbuch des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts 140, 2025, § 1–126 > https://doi.org/10.34780/n31wrw90 > > the abstract: > > This paper discusses six Indian, for the most part locally produced > artifacts excavated at Berenike, a Ptolemaic-Roman (third century B.C. – > sixth century A.D.) Red Sea port in Egypt. The objects include a terracotta > soldier, three stone Buddha statuettes, a stone stele with representations > of Vrishni heroes, and a dedicatory stone inscription in Sanskrit and Greek > from the sixth regnal year of the Roman emperor Philip the Arab (A.D. 248). > These artifacts were recovered in 2001 and between 2018 and 2022. > Excavations at Berenike began in 1994 and have documented thousands of > artifacts and ecofacts that attest the port’s impressive commercial and > cultural connections. Berenike was a critical link join
Re: [INDOLOGY] Spectacular finds
https://www.ancientworldmagazine.com/articles/indian-figurine-pompeii/ Matthew T. Kapstein Professor emeritus Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, PSL Research University, Paris Associate The University of Chicago Divinity School Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences https://ephe.academia.edu/MatthewKapstein https://vajrabookshop.com/product/the-life-and-work-of-auleshi/ https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501716218/tibetan-manuscripts-and-early-printed-books-volume-i/#bookTabs=1 https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501771255/tibetan-manuscripts-and-early-printed-books-volume-ii/#bookTabs=1 https://brill.com/edcollbook/title/60949 Sent with [Proton Mail](https://proton.me/mail/home) secure email. On Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025 at 9:20 PM, Christophe Vielle via INDOLOGY wrote: > It reminds me the beautiful Indian sculpture found in Pompéi, seen last week > in the MANNapoli. > > Envoyé à partir de [Outlook pour iOS](https://aka.ms/o0ukef) > --- > > De : INDOLOGY de la part de Lavanya > Vemsani via INDOLOGY > Envoyé : Tuesday, December 2, 2025 2:11:04 PM > À : Indology List > Cc : Indology List > Objet : Re: [INDOLOGY] Spectacular finds > > This indeed is remarkable. Thanks for sharing it. This helps understand > Indo-Roman trade and the Egyptian role in depth. > Thank you > Lavanya > > Sent from my iPhone > >> On Dec 2, 2025, at 6:22 AM, Matthew Kapstein via INDOLOGY >> wrote: > >> >> Thanks for sharing this, Jonathan, >> >> It is indeed spectacular. But in the light of all else we know of >> Egypt-India connections over the long term, it does fit in an established >> context and seems spectacular in part for the remarkable confirmation it >> offers of relations formed on the ancient routes joining India to ancient >> Baveru and beyond. >> >> Matthew >> >> Matthew T. Kapstein >> Professor emeritus >> Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, PSL Research University, Paris >> >> Associate >> The University of Chicago Divinity School >> >> Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences >> >> https://ephe.academia.edu/MatthewKapstein >> >> https://vajrabookshop.com/product/the-life-and-work-of-auleshi/ >> >> https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501716218/tibetan-manuscripts-and-early-printed-books-volume-i/#bookTabs=1 >> >> https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501771255/tibetan-manuscripts-and-early-printed-books-volume-ii/#bookTabs=1 >> >> https://brill.com/edcollbook/title/60949 >> >> Sent with [Proton Mail](https://proton.me/mail/home) secure email. >> >> On Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025 at 10:16 AM, Jonathan Silk via INDOLOGY >> wrote: >> >>> Dear All, >>> >>> I would like to bring to your attention what I believe to be the first >>> scientific publication of the results of recent research in Egypt. (Wait, >>> don't stop reading!). >>> >>> Along with Egyptologists, our colleague Ingo Strauch has researched a find >>> so remarkable that had it not been scienfitically excavated I think >>> everyone --myself first of all--would have been certain it is fake. >>> >>> See now >>> >>> Steven E. Sidebotham, Rodney Ast, Marianne Bergmann, Shailendra Bhandare, >>> Joanna K Rądkowska, Ingo Strauch, Szymon Popławski, Mariana Castro >>> >>> Indians in Roman Berenike >>> >>> Jahrbuch des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts 140, 2025, § 1–126 >>> https://doi.org/10.34780/n31wrw90 >>> >>> the abstract: >>> >>> This paper discusses six Indian, for the most part locally produced >>> artifacts excavated at Berenike, a Ptolemaic-Roman (third century B.C. – >>> sixth century A.D.) Red Sea port in Egypt. The objects include a terracotta >>> soldier, three stone Buddha statuettes, a stone stele with representations >>> of Vrishni heroes, and a dedicatory stone inscription in Sanskrit and Greek >>> from the sixth regnal year of the Roman emperor Philip the Arab (A.D. 248). >>> These artifacts were recovered in 2001 and between 2018 and 2022. >>> Excavations at Berenike began in 1994 and have documented thousands of >>> artifacts and ecofacts that attest the port’s impressive commercial and >>> cultural connections. Berenike was a critical link joining the wider >>> Mediterranean basin with the north- western Indian Ocean. The provenance of >>> recovered items ranges as far west as the Iberian Peninsula and &
Re: [INDOLOGY] Spectacular finds
This indeed is remarkable. Thanks for sharing it. This helps understand Indo-Roman trade and the Egyptian role in depth. Thank you Lavanya Sent from my iPhoneOn Dec 2, 2025, at 6:22 AM, Matthew Kapstein via INDOLOGY wrote:Thanks for sharing this, Jonathan,It is indeed spectacular. But in the light of all else we know of Egypt-India connections over the long term, it does fit in an established context and seems spectacular in part for the remarkable confirmation it offers of relations formed on the ancient routes joining India to ancient Baveru and beyond. Matthew Matthew T. KapsteinProfessor emeritusEcole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, PSL Research University, ParisAssociateThe University of Chicago Divinity SchoolMember, American Academy of Arts and Scienceshttps://ephe.academia.edu/MatthewKapsteinhttps://vajrabookshop.com/product/the-life-and-work-of-auleshi/https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501716218/tibetan-manuscripts-and-early-printed-books-volume-i/#bookTabs=1https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501771255/tibetan-manuscripts-and-early-printed-books-volume-ii/#bookTabs=1https://brill.com/edcollbook/title/60949 Sent with Proton Mail secure email. On Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025 at 10:16 AM, Jonathan Silk via INDOLOGY wrote: Dear All,I would like to bring to your attention what I believe to be the first scientific publication of the results of recent research in Egypt. (Wait, don't stop reading!).Along with Egyptologists, our colleague Ingo Strauch has researched a find so remarkable that had it not been scienfitically excavated I think everyone --myself first of all--would have been certain it is fake.See now Steven E. Sidebotham, Rodney Ast, Marianne Bergmann, Shailendra Bhandare, Joanna K Rądkowska, Ingo Strauch, Szymon Popławski, Mariana CastroIndians in Roman BerenikeJahrbuch des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts 140, 2025, § 1–126https://doi.org/10.34780/n31wrw90the abstract:This paper discusses six Indian, for the most part locally produced artifacts excavated at Berenike, a Ptolemaic-Roman (third century B.C. – sixth century A.D.) Red Sea port in Egypt. The objects include a terracotta soldier, three stone Buddha statuettes, a stone stele with representations of Vrishni heroes, and a dedicatory stone inscription in Sanskrit and Greek from the sixth regnal year of the Roman emperor Philip the Arab (A.D. 248). These artifacts were recovered in 2001 and between 2018 and 2022. Excavations at Berenike began in 1994 and have documented thousands of artifacts and ecofacts that attest the port’s impressive commercial and cultural connections. Berenike was a critical link joining the wider Mediterranean basin with the north- western Indian Ocean. The provenance of recovered items ranges as far west as the Iberian Peninsula and northwestern Africa to as far east as the island of Java. Ongoing excavations have recorded numerous items from South Asia, especially from India. Those discussed here tie Berenike to India and present a highly unusual, in some cas- es unique insight into the Roman world’s connections with the Indian subcontinent.It is good to know that in these sometimes dark times we can now and then be amazed by surprising and glorious bursts of light.Jonathan-- Prof. dr. J.A. SilkProfessor in the study of BuddhismLeiden University Institute for Area Studies, LIASHerta Mohr building 2.142Witte Singel 27A 2311 BG LeidenThe NetherlandsGuest Professor, PI of ERC-Project BEST Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenDepartment für Asienstudien, Institut für Indologie und TibetologieGeschwister-Scholl-Platz 1 80539 München Deutschlandwebsite: www.OpenPhilology.eucopies of my publications may be found athttps://leidenuniv.academia.edu/JASilk ___INDOLOGY mailing [email protected]://list.indology.info/mailman/listinfo/indology ___ INDOLOGY mailing list [email protected] https://list.indology.info/mailman/listinfo/indology
Re: [INDOLOGY] Spectacular finds
Thanks for sharing this, Jonathan, It is indeed spectacular. But in the light of all else we know of Egypt-India connections over the long term, it does fit in an established context and seems spectacular in part for the remarkable confirmation it offers of relations formed on the ancient routes joining India to ancient Baveru and beyond. Matthew Matthew T. Kapstein Professor emeritus Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, PSL Research University, Paris Associate The University of Chicago Divinity School Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences https://ephe.academia.edu/MatthewKapstein https://vajrabookshop.com/product/the-life-and-work-of-auleshi/ https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501716218/tibetan-manuscripts-and-early-printed-books-volume-i/#bookTabs=1 https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501771255/tibetan-manuscripts-and-early-printed-books-volume-ii/#bookTabs=1 https://brill.com/edcollbook/title/60949 Sent with [Proton Mail](https://proton.me/mail/home) secure email. On Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025 at 10:16 AM, Jonathan Silk via INDOLOGY wrote: > Dear All, > > I would like to bring to your attention what I believe to be the first > scientific publication of the results of recent research in Egypt. (Wait, > don't stop reading!). > > Along with Egyptologists, our colleague Ingo Strauch has researched a find so > remarkable that had it not been scienfitically excavated I think everyone > --myself first of all--would have been certain it is fake. > > See now > > Steven E. Sidebotham, Rodney Ast, Marianne Bergmann, Shailendra Bhandare, > Joanna K Rądkowska, Ingo Strauch, Szymon Popławski, Mariana Castro > > Indians in Roman Berenike > > Jahrbuch des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts 140, 2025, § 1–126 > https://doi.org/10.34780/n31wrw90 > > the abstract: > > This paper discusses six Indian, for the most part locally produced artifacts > excavated at Berenike, a Ptolemaic-Roman (third century B.C. – sixth century > A.D.) Red Sea port in Egypt. The objects include a terracotta soldier, three > stone Buddha statuettes, a stone stele with representations of Vrishni > heroes, and a dedicatory stone inscription in Sanskrit and Greek from the > sixth regnal year of the Roman emperor Philip the Arab (A.D. 248). These > artifacts were recovered in 2001 and between 2018 and 2022. Excavations at > Berenike began in 1994 and have documented thousands of artifacts and > ecofacts that attest the port’s impressive commercial and cultural > connections. Berenike was a critical link joining the wider Mediterranean > basin with the north- western Indian Ocean. The provenance of recovered items > ranges as far west as the Iberian Peninsula and northwestern Africa to as far > east as the island of Java. Ongoing excavations have recorded numerous items > from South Asia, especially from India. Those discussed here tie Berenike to > India and present a highly unusual, in some cas- es unique insight into the > Roman world’s connections with the Indian subcontinent. > > It is good to know that in these sometimes dark times we can now and then be > amazed by surprising and glorious bursts of light. > > Jonathan > -- > > Prof. dr. J.A. Silk > > Professor in the study of Buddhism > Leiden University Institute for Area Studies, LIAS > Herta Mohr building 2.142 > Witte Singel 27A > 2311 BG Leiden > The Netherlands > > Guest Professor, PI of ERC-Project BEST > Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München > Department für Asienstudien, Institut für Indologie und Tibetologie > Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1 > 80539 München > Deutschland > website: www.OpenPhilology.eu > copies of my publications may be found at > https://leidenuniv.academia.edu/JASilk ___ INDOLOGY mailing list [email protected] https://list.indology.info/mailman/listinfo/indology
