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

Wood

Preserved wood was found, mainly in WG 24 and WG 28. This evidence consisted of tree branches, fragments of boxes/containers, and ship timbers. Some of the box fragments and timbers were covered with a thick white plaster, most likely gypsum. A few fragments had traces of red paint on the surface.

Seven complete timbers were found at the entrance to the cave in WG 24, possibly forming a kind of ramp. Some of the timbers had mortise-and-tenon joints, one of which still had the badly preserved remains of a tenon.

Seven other timbers with mortise-and-tenon joints and pegs were found outside and inside the WG 24 cave. Two of these timbers had fixed tenons at the ends; only two mortises had the remains of badly preserved free tenons inside.

Two blades of a steering oar were also found in WG 24. Blade 1 is ca. 180.0 cm long, 10.0 cm (minimum) to 35.0 cm (maximum) wide, and 7.0-12.0 cm thick. The top of the blade has a shaped cut. Evidence of fastenings consisted of three fragmentary mortises with the remains of two tenons. The tenons through the flat side probably connected this blade with the other one. A hole, 7.5 cm in diameter, also provided a channel for a rope to secure the oar to the hull (see Ward 2000: 96) (foto 6).

Blade 2 is ca. 200.0 cm long, 15.0 cm (minimum) to 40.0 cm (maximum) wide, and 10.0-12.0 cm thick. The top has a shaped cut. Evidence of fastenings consisted of five fragmentary mortises with the remains of four tenons. The tenons through the flat side connected this blade to the other one. A hole, 7.0 cm in diameter, is carved on the surface of the blade. This hole probably provided a channel for the rope used to secure the oar to the hull (see Ward 2000: 96). The part of the blade with mortise-and-tenon joints corresponding to the two trapezoidal cuts contains copper remains.

Some peg fragments of different shapes and sizes, and a tenon, were found scattered in the sand in WG 24. The tenon is similar in shape to tenons from recycled boat timbers at Lisht and in the Dahshur boat at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History (see Haldane [Ward] 1988: 144, Fig. 3; Ward 2000: 118, Fig. 62), but the WG 24 tenon is much smaller, ca. 8.0 cm x 4.0 cm.

Seven badly preserved timbers were found in WG 28. Four of these timbers have mortise-and-tenon joints; one of them was used as a threshold at the cave entrance. Some of these timbers have traces of gypsum(?) plaster on the surface.

Seven fragments of boxes with pegs for edge joints were found. All of these fragments were covered with white plaster, and were smooth and well finished. Five feet, possibly from furniture or deck fittings, were also found. These pieces have a square cross-section ca. 4.0 cm x 4.0 cm at one end and 2.0 cm x 2.0 cm at the other end. The average length of these feet(?) fragments is 10.0-20.0 cm.

Tree branches were found inside the cave entrance in WG 24. The average branch was up to 30.0 cm in length and 1.0-2.0 cm in diameter.
A wooden vessel was found in WG 24, Room 1. Some vegetal remains, probably seeds, were found inside. The vessel has a wide ovoid shape with a shallow tray, 48 cm long, 28 cm wide, and 20 cm deep, with a slightly flattened bottom. The rim of the vessel is 2.0 cm wide on the ends, which are somewhat flattened, and rounded on the longer side edges. Cut from one piece of wood, the vessel has a long vertical texture, and its surface is smooth on both the inside and outside. This vessel is similar to ones in the Petrie Collection, University College London, which are described as "grain-scoops" and most likely date to the New Kingdom (especially UC58978 and UC58979). The Wadi Gawasis vessel is somewhat shorter and wider than those in the Petrie Collection, but it is similar in profile and rim type, and has a similar capacity to the London specimens (foto 7).