Geological Investigations of a Middle Kingdom Harbor: Wadi Gawasis, Egypt

Sedimentological studies conducted at a Middle Kingdom Egyptian site located along the Red Sea Coast of Egypt have located an ancient (active ~ 4 kya) harbor and documented wadi infilling sequences. Mersa Gawasis is located on a fossil coral terrace at the northern end of the Wadi Gawasis, 22 km south of Safaga, Egypt. Archaeological investigations at the site, active since 2001, have discovered evidence for occupation on the top and at the base of the coral terrace, including temporary shelters, rock-cut caves, ceremonial structures, and industrial areas for metal working. This site is interpreted to have been a harbor from which seafaring ships departed for trade routes along the African Red Sea Coast. Geological investigations at Wadi Gawasis were conducted over several years to determine the geological setting at the time of occupation; these studies included Ground penetrating radar, auger and pulse auger coring, sedimentological analyses, foraminiferal studies, and radiocarbon analyses.

The base of the corraline cliffs consists of a narrow coral-beach rock platform presently buried by anthropogenic, eolian, and colluvial sediments. A number of occupation sites has been identified within one meter above this beach rock surface. Ubiquitous medium fine wadi sediments are found underlying and beyond the beach rock. Based on sedimentological and malachological analyses, these sediments are interpreted to have been deposited in a tidal lagoon. Mollusk and foraminifera distributions indicate that much of paleo-bay was protected and a low energy environment that received infrequent freshwater inputs. During the time of occupation, the lagoon was closing as wadi processes infilled the bay at rates on the order of .25 cm/year; Mersa Gawasis was likely abandoned due to the rapid infilling of the embayment.