This chapter explores the archaeology of late antique Egypt, discussing its diverse landscapes, urban centres and cultural transitions. It argues that Egypt’s long history and modern development have shaped archaeological research, with papyrology dominating due to the region’s arid climate preserving written records. To illustrate this the chapter examines papyri, inscriptions, settlements and religious structures. Greek texts dominate as a result of their administrative role, while Coptic gained prominence in the sixth century. Excavations reveal a varied urban landscape, from Alexandria’s intellectual hubs to Nile Valley and desert settlements. Sites like Kom el-Dikka in Alexandria and Karanis in the Fayum offer insights into daily life, while Christian sites illustrate religious shifts. A key argument is that Egypt’s late antique past is difficult to reconstruct due to modern occupation and destruction of later remains. The chapter emphasises the need to study non-elite settlements to build a fuller picture of society. Despite political instability and environmental threats, research in desert oases and urban centres continues to expand knowledge of late antique Egypt. Future efforts should focus on preserving and analysing everyday life remains rather than elite structures, ensuring a more balanced historical perspective.

The Fayum oasis is key to our knowledge of houses in Roman Egypt. The villages and necropolises there have long attracted investigators focusing – in a more or less scientific way – on written documents, especially papyri, and material remains. Recently renewed research, including surveys and excavations, has supplemented the earlier evidence with new archaeological and textual data of the Hellenistic and Roman occupation of the area. This chapter gives an overview of what is known of the housing of the Fayum during that time. By integrating archaeological housing evidence from Fayum sites with papyrological information, this chapter aims to demonstrate that only an approach taking into account both the material and textual sources can result in a comprehensive picture of the appearance, layout, value, inhabitants and occupation history of individual buildings (for example, change of ownership through sale or the division of a single house among various house owners) within the context of entire village quarters. Moreover, this interdisciplinary method allows an improved understanding of the house types that coexisted on the Fayum sites during the Hellenistic and Roman periods, and situates the Fayum evidence in the context of housing in the Graeco-Roman Mediterranean.