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Red Sea harbour

1 December 2016
Archaeology

At www.haaretz.com/jewish/archaeology/1.754616 … a harbour going back to the Old Kingdom of Egypt, 4600 years ago (specifically to the reign of Khufu (Cheops), and the pyramid building period). It was used to import various materials, products of the Sinai and further afield. It was discovered by divers at Wadi al Jauf …

     … the harbour was located 180km sout of Suez but is nowhere near Giza. Copper and turquoise was mined in southern Sinai and papyri found at the site are economic texts shedding light on the vast organisation behind the building of the pyramids.

The Old Kingdom pharaohs also traded extensively with the Levant, and the port of Byblos is also being investigated by divers in search of the old harbour – see www.ekathimerini.com/213862/article/ekathimerini/life/patra-university-e… … and marine archaeology seems to be more popular. The old harbour is well below modern sea level.

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