The architectural sculpture produced at Oxyrhynchus, capital of the late Roman province of Arcadia in Middle Egypt, is analysed in detail and related to the development of the architecural ornament and the decorative arts in late-antique centres such as Alexandreia and Constantinople. Sticking to Ptolemaic and Roman traditions, the local stonemasons still adopted current designs and created a characteristic mixture of shape and style. The sumptuous stone decoration adorned the upper-class tombs of Oxyrhynchus, its iconography reflects the religious beliefs of local dignitaries.