The explorations of Messrs. Hogarth, Grenfell, and Hunt in the years
of 1895-6 and 1898-9 resulted in the identification of the sites of the
ancient cities of Karanis (Kom Ushim), Bacchias (Omm el-'Atl), Euhemeria
(Kasr el-Banat), Theadelphia (Harit), and Philoteris (Wadfa). The work
for the University of California in 18991900 at Umm el-Baragat showed
that this place was Tebtunis. Dime, on the northern coast of the Birket
Karun, the modern representative of the ancient Lake Moeris, is now
known to be the ancient Sokno-paiou Nesos (the Isle of Soknopaios), a
local form of Sebek, the crocodile-god of the Fayyum. At Karanis this
god was worshipped under the name of Petesuchos ("He whom Sebek
has given"), in conjunction with Osiris Pnepheros (P-nefer-ho,
"the beautiful of face"); at Tebtunis he became Seknebtunis., i.e.
Sebek-neb-Teb-tunis (Sebek, lord of Tebtunis). This is a typical example
of the portmanteau pronunciations of the latter-day Egyptians.
Many very interesting discoveries were made during the course of the
excavations of these places (besides Mr. Hogarth's find of the temple
of Petesuchos and Pnepheros at Karanis), consisting of Roman pottery
of varied form and Roman agricultural implements, including a perfect
plough.* The main interest of all, however, lies, both here and at
Behnesa, in the papyri.
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