Archaeological Investigation at Wadi Gawasis (Red Sea - Egypt) of the Italian Institute for Africa and the Orient (Rome) and "L'Orientale" (Naples): December 2002 - January 2003 Field Season

Chronology

The ceramics from the 2002-2003 excavation units supports a dating of Mersa Gawasis mainly to the Middle Kingdom.

The Middle Kingdom ceramics from WG 10 included a great quantity of fragments of big flat-bottomed jars with thickened rim, and some fragments of small bowls. Those from WG 12 included fragments of open bowls, and small round-bottomed bottles. Some fragments of bread moulds were also collected at this site.

An earlier phase of use of the site is suggested by a fragment of thickened rim from a collared jar (compact red ware), comparable to Early Dynastic specimens, from the bottom of the stratigraphic pit at WG 10.[16]

A considerable amount of flint, quartz, and chert debitage and few tools were collected at WG 10, WG 12 and WG 13. They included very small flakes ascribable to a microlithic industry and big pieces with a dark patina. The latter ones were found mainly in the gravel covering the structure at WG 12. Most likely, they were originally scattered on the surface of the terrace and were collected together with the other pebbles to build the mound in Middle Kingdom times. Thus, they may suggest that the site was already occupied in prehistoric times.