Tuesday, February 28, 2006

More re Wadi Gawasis

Another item covering the find made by Boston University and the University of Naples l’Orientale, who uncovered remains of sea-faring ships and cargo boxes containing goods from the lost-land of Punt, in caves at Wadi Gawasis on Egypt’s Red Sea coast: "In remarkable condition, the unique artifacts of cedar planks and decking timber – some with the mortises and tenons, and copper fastenings still in place – demonstrate that the Ancient Egyptians were excellent ship builders and provide further evidence that they reached Punt by sea. The findings may also help researchers determine the location of Punt, a long-time source of debate among scholars. In addition to the ship timber and cargo boxes, the archaeologists discovered five parallel rock-cut rooms that served as storage areas for ship equipment. 'One of the rooms contained coils of ship rope, all neatly tied and knotted – just as the sailors left them almost 4,000 years ago,' said Kathryn Bard, associate professor of archaeology at BU and co-director of the excavations. 'The view into this cave is truly astonishing.' A large stone anchor, shards of Egyptian storage jars, and a limestone tablet, or stela, of Pharaoh Amenemhat III inscribed with all five of his royal names were also found." The team will renew investigations in December. See the above page for the full story.

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