Modular designs at the Early Byzantine pilgrimage site of Philoxenite, Egypt

Preprint of article submited to Journal of Roman Archaeology

New research at the Philoxenite site in northern Egypt has identified six large building complexes, each based on a modular design. Each building is composed of replicated segments and dates to the 6th century CE. This approach to design, used at Philoxenite, was not seen elsewhere on such a scale at that time. Nevertheless, modular design was deeply rooted in the construction traditions of the Roman and Early Byzantine periods, when it was used primarily for shops, warehouses and cisterns. In Philoxenite, it was used to erect a town district that catered to the needs of pilgrims heading from Alexandria to Abū Mīnā, the largest Christian sanctuary at the time