Recent Excavations at the Pharaonic Port of Mersa Gawasis on the Red Sea, 2004-2005 Field Season

WG 24

After over 3 meters of sand were removed along the slope of the coral terrace from this unit, the entrance of a large man-made cave and fourteen carved niches, some with stelae still in situ, were uncovered (Foto 1). The cave was probably extended in size from a natural cavity (area/plan as yet unknown). Both sides of the cave entrance had been carefully reinforced with reused anchors of limestone and conglomerate stone, two large cedar beams, small blocks of stone, and mud-brick (foto 2). Gypsum and mud plaster were also used in this construction. Inside the cave entrance were a well preserved oblong wooden bowl (ca. 47 cm long) and a rope bag, along with a basalt grinding stone with a chert nodule grinder lying on top of it.

To the north of the cave entrance was a carved antechamber leading to two rectangular rooms ca. 12 m x 4 m in area. To the south was a smaller antechamber leading to another rock-cut chamber. These rooms have not yet been excavated and will be investigated in future field seasons after ceiling supports are built by an engineer.

The cave entrance was filled with windblown sand, on the top of which were two cedar steering oars from a ship. These are the first complete parts of a sea-faring ship discovered in Egypt and are the same as those represented on models and reliefs of ships dating to the Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom. Roughly triangular in shape, the two steering oars are ca. 200 cm x 40 cm and 180 cm x 40 cm in size.

Pottery dating to the 17th and early 18th Dynasties (ca. 1600-1400 BC) was found in strata associated with the steering oars and other cedar planks. Also excavated at WG 24 were large ropes, which must have been used for ship riggings. One was still tied in a sailor's knot.

The stelae outside of the cave entrance are similar to typical votive stelae of the Middle Kingdom, which strongly suggests that this cave was a temple or shrine. Two of these stelae were without any inscriptions or decoration. One unfinished stela was decorated with a seated man carved in the lower left corner. A fourth stela had a poorly preserved offering inscription in hieroglyphs, with an offering scene carved below.
A fifth stela was found in a sand deposit near the niches. Carved on this stela was the cartouche of Amenemhat III above an offering scene to the god Min. The hieroglyphic text below this scene is about two officials named Nebsu and Amenhotep, who led expeditions to Punt and Bia-Punt, the location of which is uncertain. This stela provides new historical information about this king, who ordered expeditions to these regions that were previously unknown.

Outside this cave the stratigraphic sequence shows evidence of different phases of use, mainly in the Second Intermediate Period and/or early New Kingdom. A fragment of an imported pot from the Red Sea coast in northern Yemen, most likely dating to the mid-2nd millennium BC, was excavated in this area.