Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections ­Spatial­Use­of­the­Twelfth­Dynasty­Harbor­at­Mersa/Wadi­Gawasis for­the­Seafaring­Expeditions­to­­Punt Kathryn­A.­Bard Boston­­University Rodolfo­Fattovich University­of­Naples­“l’Orientale” A$%#% Recent excavations at the Middle Kingdom harbor at Mersa/Wadi Gawasis, on the Red Sea, have uncovered evidence of shrines aligned along the shore as well as harbor facilities farther inland, including eight manmade caves located above an ancient lagoon that extended considerably inland om where the present- day shoreline is located. e harbor was used for the seafaring expeditions to Punt, located somewhere in the southern Red Sea region. Hieroglyphic and hieratic texts on stelae, seal impressions, and ostraca—along with associated pottery—have aided in dating the use of different features at the site to the early and later Twelh Dynasty. n­the­1970s,­Abdel­Monem­Sayed­(University­of­Alexandria) Gawasis­dates.­ere­may­also­have­been­threats­on­overland identified­the­remains­of­a­Middle­Kingdom­harbor,­known routes­across­the­Eastern­Desert/Mountains­from­desert­peoples Ianciently­as­ Saww (Sayed­1977), at­Mersa/Wadi­Gawasis­on who­were­belligerent­or­simply­capable­of­robbing­Egyptian­expe - the­Red­Sea,­about­22­km­south­of­the­modern­port­of­Safaga ditions­(Manzo­2010a:220). (Figure­1).­Sayed­found­Twelh­Dynasty­inscriptions­there­on­a Although­there­is­a­small­amount­of­evidence­dating­to­the shrine­of­an­official­of­Senusret­I­named­Ankhu,­and­an­inscribed late­Old­Kingdom­and­early­New­Kingdom­(Perlingieri stele­of­the­king’s­vizier­Intef-iker­(Antefoker).­e­latter­text 2007a:116–117),­most­of­the­excavated­finds­at­Mersa/Wadi describes­ships­that­were­built­in­Coptos­for­an­expedition­to Gawasis­date­to­the­Twelh­Dynasty.­Aer­nine­field­seasons­of ­“Bia-­Punt”­with­over­3,700­men.­Based­on­these­and­other­finds excavations,­we­now­have­a­better­understanding­of­the­use­of­the of­Sayed’s,­­re-­investigation­of­the­site­by­the­University­of­Naples harbor­in­the­Twelh­Dynasty­(Figure­2).­In­the­eastern­sector­of “l’Orientale”­(UNO)­and­Boston­University­(BU)­began­in­2001 the­site,­small­shrines­were­constructed­using­local­materials under­the­direction­of­Kathryn­Bard­and­Rodolfo­­Fattovich. (coral­and­conglomerate­stone),­but­the­major­focus­of­use­of­the e­harbor­of­Saww­was­located­near­the­shortest­overland site­was­in­a­now-inland­area­along­the­slopes­of­the­western­fossil route­from­the­Nile­Valley­in­Upper­Egypt­to­the­Red­Sea,­from coral­terrace,­originally­located­above­the­waters­of­the­ancient Qi­through­Wadi­Qena­and­then­Wadi­Gasus­(Bard,­Fattovich, lagoon.­An­industrial­area­has­also­been­excavated­at­the­base­of and­Manzo,­forthcoming).­Saww­was­the­staging­point­and­har - the­western­terrace­­slope.­e­following­sections­will­explore­the bor­for­pharaonic­seafaring­expeditions­to­regions­in­the­southern organization­and­use­of­the­harbor­in­the­Twelh­­Dynasty. Red­Sea­(Punt­and­­Bia-­Punt)­to­obtain­exotic­raw­materials, including­incense,­ebony,­elephant­ivory,­and­gold­(see­Kitchen T E$%# T## 1993:606).­e­sea­route­to­Punt­was­an­alternative­to­the river/land­routes,­and­was­less­frequently­undertaken­because­of Overlooking­the­Red­Sea­along­the­edge­of­the­eastern­terrace the­complexity­of­the­logistics­required­for­such­expeditions­and at­the­site­are­the­remains­of­six­ceremonial­structures/shrines the­risky­nature­of­­long-­distance­voyages­to­and­from­the­south - (Features­1,­4,­6–8,­10),­most­of­which­had­been­earlier­investi - ern­Red­Sea.­e­rise­of­the­kingdom­of­Kerma­in­the­late­third gated­by­Sayed.­Also­in­this­area,­Sayed­found­fragments­of­five millennium­ bce (see­Bonnet­2004:72),­and­its­eventual­control­of small,­­round-­topped­stelae,­two­of­which­contained­the­car - the­Upper­Nile,­were­probably­the­major­reasons­for­the­organiza - touches­of­Senusret­I.­One­of­these­fragmented­stelae,­in­which­the tion­of­seafaring­expeditions­to­Punt­in­theTwelh­Dynasty,­the toponym­­Bia-­Punt­is­mentioned,­belonged­to­a­man­named period­to­which­most­of­the­excavated­material­at­Mersa/Wadi Yameru­(Sayed­1977:149–150). Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections | http://jaei.library.arizona.edu | Vol. 2:3, 2010 | 1–13 1 K. A. Bard and R. Fattovich | Spatial Use of the Harbor at Mersa/Wadi Gawasis Re­investigation­of­this­area­by­the­UNO/BU­team­did­not reveal­any­other­evidence­of­camp­use­or­activity­by­the­seafaring expeditions:­the­area­was­used­for­ceremonial­activities,­and­at the­same­time­the­shrines­probably­served­as­landmarks­for returning­seafaring­expeditions.­ree­of­these­(Features­6–8) consisted­only­of­­circular/oval­mounds­of­coral­rocks­covered­by gravel,­with­two­small­internal­chambers­defined­by­large,­dressed blocks­of­conglomerate­stone­(Bard­and­Fattovich­2007:39–43; Fattovich­2009:1).­Feature­4­consisted­of­an­oval­enclosure­of rocks­(fossil­coral­and­conglomerate),­inside­of­which­is­a­small, ­horseshoe-­shaped­stone­arrangement­opening­on­the­east,­with no­conglomerate­slabs­used­in­its­construction­(Bard­and Fattovich­2007:41–42).­In­Feature­10,­a­larger,­open,­­horseshoe- ­shaped­space­was­defined­within­a­gravel­mound­(Fattovich 2009:1).­e­most­unusual­of­these­shrine­structures­is­Feature­1, which­consisted­of­an­oval­platform­about­9­×­10­×­1.2­m,­with a­ramp­on­the­west­side.­Originally,­the­top­of­the­platform­was covered­with­slabs­of­conglomerate,­and­over­650­ Lambis lambis shells­were­collected­here­(Bard­and­Fattovich­2007:43–44).­e ceramics­associated­with­these­structures­date­to­the­Twelh Dynasty­(Bard­and­Fattovich­2007:39–44).­ All­six­shrines­along­the­edge­of­the­eastern­terrace­were­ori - ented­to­the­sea—prominent­markers­that­could­be­seen­by ships­leaving­for­and­returning­from­Punt.­Not­only­were­these shrines­landmarks­for­ships,­but­the­fragments­of­small,­per - sonal­stelae­that­Sayed­found­here­suggest­commemorative­activ - ities­associated­with­the­structures.­e­huge­number­of­ Lambis lambis shells­associated­with­the­platform­of­Feature­1­suggests ceremonial­activities,­perhaps­offerings­to­a­marine­deity­by sailors­who­participated­in­the­Punt­expeditions­(Bard­and Figure . Map of Egypt showing location of Mersa/Wadi Gawasis. Fattovich­2007:244). Figure . Mersa/Wadi Gawasis site plan. Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections | http://jaei.library.arizona.edu | Vol. 2:3, 2010 | 1–13 2 K. A. Bard and R. Fattovich | Spatial Use of the Harbor at Mersa/Wadi Gawasis T H#!# The­ancient­harbor­at­Mersa­Gawasis­was­an­open,­pro - tected­bay­with­a­maximum­area­of­560,000­m 2 around­7,500 years­ago­and­a­depth­of­approximately­6–8­m­(Figure­3). Large­ships­could­pass­through­the­channel­at­the­mouth­of the­bay,­which­was­10­m­(maximum)­deep­and­150­m­wide (Hein­et­al.,­forthcoming).­After­reaching­its­maximum­extent as­sea­levels­rose­above­their­modern­levels,­the­bay­rapidly closed­due­to­high­sediment­loads­from­the­adjacent­wadi­dur - ing­a­time­of­significantly­wetter­climatic­conditions.­Rapid aridization­ca. 3000–2000­ bce greatly­reduced­sediment­sup - ply­to­the­lagoon.­Slower­infilling­rates­combined­with­slowly falling­sea­levels­to­allow­for­the­existence­of­a­stable,­shallow lagoon­at­the­site­when­it­was­used­as­a­harbor­in­the­Twelfth Dynasty.­Lagoonal­waters­reached­the­southern­edge­of­the site­near­the­beach­(which­was­used­for­expedition­camps)­and the­­rock-­cut­caves­and­galleries­(which­probably­had­­multiple ­functions,­but­were­mainly­used­for­storage).­Ships­would­have moored­near­the­southern­side­of­the­site,­where­they­were­pro - tected­from­the­northerly­winds­by­the­coral­terrace­on­­land. C %# T## W$%# T## T!" In­the­area­between­the­shrines­overlooking­the­Red­Sea shore­and­the­western­terrace,­along­the­channel­leading­into the­harbor,­there­is­only­one­structure:­the­monument­of Ankhu,­which­dates­to­the­early­Twelfth­Dynasty.­Despite­the Figure . Mersa/Wadi Gawasis paleo-bay. The gray dots repre - construction­of­the­modern­road­and­railroad­through­this­part sent areas where geological coring was done. Drawing by of­the­site­(which­has­also­left­significant­evidence­of­bulldoz - Christopher Hein. ing),­there­is­no­evidence­of­any­other­ancient­features­or­struc - tures­in­this­large­area.­Earlier­surface­surveys­and­a­test­excava - According­to­the­text­of­­Intef-­iker,­he­was­ordered­by tion­in­this­area­in­2010­revealed­no­cultural­­remains. Senusret­I­to­build­ships­(plural,­but­the­number­is­not­given)­at e­monument­of­Ankhu,­a­high­official­of­Senusret­I,­was the­dockyards­of­Coptos,­to­“travel”­or­“send­them­to­­Bia-­Punt” located­overlooking­the­Wadi­Gawasis­on­the­southern­edge­of (Sayed­1977:170).­Also­mentioned­in­this­text­is­the the­terrace,­about­250­m­inland.­e­shrine­consisted­of­three reporter/herald­Ameni,­son­of­Mentuhotep,­who­was­on­the upright,­inscribed­blocks­of­limestone,­resting­on­two­horizon - shore­of­the­Great­Green­(Red­Sea),­building/reconstructing tally­laid­limestone­anchors.­On­the­eastern­block,­Ankhu’s the­ships,­together­with­the­group­of­functionaries­( DADAt ,­of­a titles­are­given,­including­“Chief­Interior-overseer­of­the­Great single­commission;­see­ Quirke 1990:54)­of­the­Head­of­the House”­(i.e.,­palace)­of­Senusret­I.­Also­on­this­block­is­the South­(i.e.,­the­southern­vizierate)­(Sayed­1977:170).­Along king’s­name,­followed­by­“beloved­of­Hathor,­Mistress­of­Punt.” with­Ameni­on­the­shore­of­the­Great­Green­were­the­soldiers Many­of­the­inscriptions­on­the­middle­block­were­only­partially (mSa )­together­with­the­reporters/heralds­( wHmw )­­and: preserved,­but­seem­to­record­the­number­of­troops­and­officials on­the­expedition­as­well­as­the­date­of­its­departure:­first­month 50­Retainers­of­the­Lord­[=­­King] of­winter­in­(Year?)­24­of­this­king’s­reign.­On­the­western­block 1­Steward­of­the­Assembly­( DADAt ) is­an­inscription­about­­Bia-­Punt­and­the­gis/tribute­brought 500­Personnel­of­the­crew­of­the­­Lord from­the­“God’s­Land”­(i.e.,­Punt)­(Sayed­1977:140–178).