22 V 2025: Szymon Maślak (UW): Brick Industry in Late Antique Alexandria
Although the PCMA UW excavations at the Kom el-Dikka site, conducted since 1960, have uncovered numerous examples of brick or mixed stone-brick constructions, Alexandria remains comparatively underexplored in the field of brick studies, lagging significantly behind Rome and Constantinople. This case study aims at situating the Alexandrian brick industry of the 4th to mid-7th century AD within a broader context, encompassing not only the immediate hinterland of the City but also the wider Nile Delta and the Eastern Mediterranean. Furthermore, it traces the roots of this industry back to the Roman and Ptolemaic periods, offering a diachronic perspective on local building traditions.
In contrast to other major urban centres of the Mediterranean, such as Constantinople, brick production in Late Antique Alexandria underwent a significant transformation. Whereas earlier bricks resembled flat tiles, from the early fourth century AD they began to be replaced by distinctly smaller, cuboidal forms. This process appears to have been completed by the sixth century AD. Notably, the shift in brick modules coincided with broader changes in the urban fabric, particularly the alteration of street dimensions. Given that bricks are primarily utilitarian rather than decorative, aesthetic motivations for the change can reasonably be excluded. Economic factors thus present the most plausible explanation. In particular, changes in transportation methods within Late Antique Alexandria may have played a decisive role in prompting both the standardisation and reduction in brick size.