Nouvelles approches pour l’étude des plantes en Égypte gréco-romaine autour de deux études de cas (pommiers et sébestiers)

Abstract

The paper presents a recently initiated research project focusing on fruit trees in Greco-Roman Egypt, which be- nefits from the freshly minted online database “Ergaleion – Outil de lexicographie papyrologique de la vie ma- térielle”. Conceived as part of a collaborative project to assist the lexical study of material aspects of life as reflected in the papyrological documentation (5^th century BCE–8^th century CE), this digital tool proves particularly useful for the identification and study of plants mentioned in the Greek papyri. It enables a more systematic, diachronic, and interdisciplinary approach by cross-referencing textual sources and archaeobotanical data, and presents the investigated evidence online. Accordingly, this paper offers an initial overview and results from an ongoing investigation, commencing with a selection of lesser-known trees and fruits, some new to Egypt: apples, quinces, pears, and some already cultivated there: Assyrian plums.