Mersa/Wadi Gawasis and Ancient Egyptian Maritime Trade in the Red Sea

Dados Bibliográficos

ID4587587
AutoresKathryn A Bard, Rodolfo Fattovich
Ano2015
Volume78
Fascículo1
Páginas4-11
Data de publicação2015-03-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoNear Eastern Archaeology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1094-2076 • E-ISSN: 1557-5594
EditoraUniversity of Chicago Press (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.5615/neareastarch.78.1.0004
OpenAlexW2490050911
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas2
Referências citadas2

Mersa/Wadi Gawasis was the site of an ancient Egyptian harbor on the Red Sea, which was mainly used during the Middle Kingdom (ca. 2055–1650 b.c.e.) for seafaring voyages to Punt and Bia-Punt. Excavations at the site from 2003–2011 have uncovered ceremonial structures located along a cliff above the shoreline, and eight man-made caves/galleries, which were mainly used for storage. No permanent architecture has been found at the site, suggesting that it was only used as a temporary harbor before and after voyages. Most supplies for the expeditions, including pottery, seeds of emmer wheat and barley, timber and papyrus ropes for the ships, were carried from the Nile Valley across the eastern desert by means of donkey caravans. Foreign ceramics found at the site from the Gash lowlands, Eritrea, and Yemen suggest that Punt was located in the southern Red Sea region

Ancient history · Archaeology · Cave · Cliff · Excavation · Geography · Nile delta · Papyrus · Pottery · Shore · Wadi · Ancient Egypt and Archaeology · Archaeology and Historical Studies · Global Maritime and Colonial Histories · History · Geology · Oceanography