Redazione Archaeogate, 28-11-2003
Pag. 6 di 8 
Geoarchaeology
Geological observation at Mersa Gawasis suggests: [20]
1. A sea transgression occurred before the major floods of the wadi and formed a marine terrace as we can infer from the occurrence of marine shells, such as Cypraea, Murex and Conus, and hard calcareous burrows in a reef limestone. The shells are similar to the present ones suggesting that the transgression occurred during the last 100,000 years.
2. This marine transgression was followed by a regression and the later floods of the wadi generated the marina. This regression and floods generated the sandy gravel terrace on top of the lower terrace (about 1 meter above sea level). Perhaps the petrological components and fracturing of this terrace facilitated the erosion of the terrace by the wadi and the opening of the mersa/marina after the formation and deposition of the lower marine and non marine terrace. This process is probably later than 100,000 years ago.
WG 12
Local non marine conglomerate of gravel and sands was used to built the shrine at this site because of its hardness.
Microstratigraphic observation at this site demonstrated that the non marine conglomerate included gravels with a direction parallel to the water stream of the wadi. The archaeological excavation showed that the foundation trenches for the vertical conglomerate slabs of the shrine were excavated down to the base of the conglomerate formation or at the top of the marine terrace. The gravel used to cover the cairn was collected on the top of the terrace.
WG 10
The microstratigraphy in the stratigraphic test at this site showed:
1. An upper stratum of potsherds and timber embedded in sabkhas/salt crust.
2. A stratum of eolic sand mixed with charcoal, about 7-10 cm thick.
3. A stratum of alluvial sands, about 40-60 cm thick.
4. A stratum with potsherd and charcoal.
5. A stratum of mud silt, about 5 cm thick, which could be correlated with the same deposit at the mouth of the wadi.
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