Small Harbours in the Nile Delta: the Case of Tell El-Dab‘a

Author: Tomasz Herbich, Irene Forstner-Müller | Pages: 257–272

Abstract

The presence of harbours of different sizes has been demonstrated by recent archaeological research in the Nile Valley and Delta, but nowhere has a full plan been reconstructed. Fieldwork carried out by the Austrian Archaeological Institute has proved geophysical methods to be the best tool for identifying waterfront installations. More than ten years of surveying in the region of Tell el-Dabca in the east Nile Delta has resulted in a magnetic map covering an area of close to 1.5km2. The line of the waterfront along the main branch of the Pelusiac branch of the Nile and subsidiary branches has been recorded in many places. Moreover, a detailed analysis of the shoreline has made it possible to distinguish features that can be interpreted as river harbours. Features discovered in the areas of ‘Esbet el-Ezzawin and ‘Ezbet Mehesin correspond to anomalies up to 30m wide, demonstrating undisturbed values of the magnetic field. The shape and nature of these anomalies suggest a manmade character. The features were found between densely built up areas of the settlement and the riverbed, both of which were indicated by the magnetic prospection. The results of electrical resistivity research confirmed the anthropogenic character of these features. A higher resistivity than in the surrounding area proves of the presence of sand and gravel in the material used in the construction of these features. Preliminary archaeological testing of the feature discovered in ‘Esbet el-Ezzawin (one drilling) has shown a large admixture of sand in the bricks used in construction. The features must have served as an artificial waterfront for convenient trading between boats and land. The waterfront theory has been reinforced by the magnetic image of the riverbed with anomalies that are a reflection of dredging of the riverbed in the immediate vicinity of the waterfront. T. Herbich’s and Ch. Schweitzer’s teams used fluxgate and cesium magnetometers respectively.

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