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Barca

Historical Overview

  • 554 BCE (?): The city of Barca founded.
  • 525 BCE: Surrendered to Achaemenid Persian king, Cambyses II. 
    • Barca became the satrapy (province) of Egypt. 
  • 510 BCE: Barca sacked by the Persians. 
  • 252 BCE: The port of Barca renamed “Ptolemais.” 
Locations of Coin Hoards by Date
  • 500 BCE: 
    • Rhodes, Greece
    • Damanhur, Egypt
  • 475 BCE: Asyut, Egypt
  • 375 BCE: Malayer, Iran
  • 350 BCE: Naucratis, Egypt
Iconography of Barcan Coins 
  • Obverse: Silphium plant.
  • Reverse: Head of Zeus Ammon
Obverse: silphium plant
Reverse: Head of Zeus Ammon, facing to the right
 
 
Further Readings

Dore, J.N. 1992. “Excavations at El Merj (Ancient Barca): A First Report on the 1991 Season.” Libyan Studies, vol. 23: 101-105. 

Goddard, Farley B. 1884. “Researches in the Cyrenaica.” The American Journal of Philology, vol. 5 (1): 31-53. 

James, Peter. 2005. “Archaic Greek Colonies in Libya: Historical vs. Archaeological Chronologies?” Libyan Studies, vol. 36: 1-20. 

Yorte, Robert A., and David P. Davidson. 2017. “The Harbour at Ptolemais: Hellenistic City of the Libyan Pentapolis.” International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, vol. 46 (1): 48-71.