A Boat And Horse In The Desert
Ancient Egypt|March / April 2021
Barbara Tratsaert investigates two interesting finds at the Wadi Bakariya gold mining settlement in the Eastern Desert of Egypt.
Barbara Tratsaert
A Boat And Horse In The Desert

At times unusual artefacts or depictions have been found at archaeological locations that make one wonder what they are doing there. Two such items have been found at Wadi Bakariya: a boat depiction and a terracotta horse’s head. Neither find makes much sense as there are no rivers in the desert for boats to sail on, nor were horses used as freight animals in the desert caravans. So why are they here?

The Wadi Bakariya site is an early Roman Period goldmining settlement in the central portion of the Eastern Desert, approximately 110km inland from the Red Sea coast. The horse’s head was found at the centre of the site where the administration was located. Other sections are a residential area, a shrine, a well, and an area that has been identified as the ‘transport zone’ where the boat depiction was found.

Desert Boat

The boat depiction was found in a short side wadi on the perimeter of the gold-mining settlement. This wide, sandy wadi opens up to the western perimeter, leading to the southern border and the rest of the desert. Architectural finds suggest that the mined material might have been transported out of the wadi from here. A cairn built on top of the hill opposite the entrance appears to indicate the way into the wadi. There is no evidence for mining activity such as pits and trenches, as the rock type is coarse-grained biotite granite.

It was the strategic location that made this wadi important, since it is reachable from the centre of the settlement and has easy access to the desert. The remains of huts were found in the wadi (see above and opposite centre right). They have thin walls with a maximum two rooms, and were built with stones found in the vicinity.

Bu hikaye Ancient Egypt dergisinin March / April 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Ancient Egypt dergisinin March / April 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

ANCIENT EGYPT DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
INSIDE THE STEP PYRAMID OF DJOSER
Ancient Egypt

INSIDE THE STEP PYRAMID OF DJOSER

Sean McLachlan explores the recently reopened interior of this iconic Third Dynasty Saqqara monument.

time-read
2 dak  |
July/ August 2021
PER MESUT: for younger readers
Ancient Egypt

PER MESUT: for younger readers

She Who Loves Silence

time-read
4 dak  |
July/ August 2021
Highlights of the Manchester Museum 29: An Offering by Queen Tiye for her Husband
Ancient Egypt

Highlights of the Manchester Museum 29: An Offering by Queen Tiye for her Husband

Campbell Price describes an offering table with a touching significance.

time-read
2 dak  |
July/ August 2021
Highlights Of The Manchester Museum 28: Busts Of Jesse And Marianne Haworth
Ancient Egypt

Highlights Of The Manchester Museum 28: Busts Of Jesse And Marianne Haworth

Campbell Price describes the significance of two statue busts on display in the Museum.

time-read
2 dak  |
May / June 2021
TAKABUTI, the Belfast Mummy
Ancient Egypt

TAKABUTI, the Belfast Mummy

Rosalie David and Eileen Murphy explain how scientific examination of the ‘Belfast Mummy’ is revealing much new information about her life and times.

time-read
9 dak  |
May / June 2021
Lost Golden City
Ancient Egypt

Lost Golden City

An Egyptian Mission searching for the mortuary temple of Tutankhamun has discovered a settlement – “The Dazzling of Aten” – described as the largest city ever found in Egypt (see above). Finds bearing the cartouches of Amenhotep III (see opposite, top) date the settlement to his reign, c. 1390-1352 BC – making it about 3400 years old.

time-read
2 dak  |
May / June 2021
Jerusalem's Survival, Sennacharib's Departure and the Kushite Role in 701 BCE: An Examination of Henry Aubin's Rescue of Jerusalem
Ancient Egypt

Jerusalem's Survival, Sennacharib's Departure and the Kushite Role in 701 BCE: An Examination of Henry Aubin's Rescue of Jerusalem

BOOK REVIEWS

time-read
2 dak  |
May / June 2021
Golden Mummies of Egypt: Interpreting Identities from the Graeco-Roman Period by Campbell Price
Ancient Egypt

Golden Mummies of Egypt: Interpreting Identities from the Graeco-Roman Period by Campbell Price

BOOK REVIEWS

time-read
2 dak  |
May / June 2021
Old And New Kingdom Discoveries At Saqqara
Ancient Egypt

Old And New Kingdom Discoveries At Saqqara

An Egyptian team working on a Sixth Dynasty pyramid complex near the Teti pyramid at Saqqara has made a series of important discoveries.

time-read
1 min  |
March / April 2021
Map Of Egypt
Ancient Egypt

Map Of Egypt

What’s in a name? It is easy for us to forget that the names we associate with the pyramids – such as the Meidum Pyramid, the Bent Pyramid or the Black Pyramid – would have been meaningless to their builders.

time-read
3 dak  |
March / April 2021