Abstract
Laure Pantalacci presents the results of her research on this city. Entitled " Coptos, gateway to the desert and trading place with the Orient ", her presentation places all the excavations carried out over the last century within an overall framework demonstrating the fundamental role of this town as a starting point for desert expeditions and a hub for caravan routes. In Graeco-Roman times, Coptos was the headquarters of the military command of the Berenice desert and of the customs offices responsible for assessing the payment of taxes on imported goods and collecting desert entry fees.
