Berenike fortress on the Red Sea coast found
Archaeologists in Egypt have found the fortress that protected the Berenike port, on the coast of the Red Sea, which along with other ports on the coast also served as a passage of war elephants for the army of the Ptolemies.
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Section of the northern defensive wall of Berenike, viewed from the west [Credit: S.E. Sidebotham/Antiquity] |
A complex measuring approximately 160 m long and 80 m wide is the largest and most fortified part of the Berenike fortress. It consists of three large courtyards and several structures forming an enclosed complex of workshops and stores.
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The gatehouse of Hellenistic Berenike, viewed from the northeast [Credit: S.E. Sidebotham/Antiquity] |
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Gate of Hellenistic Berenike, viewed from the north-west [Credit: S.E. Sidebotham/Antiquity] |
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Internal chamber of the Hellenistic gate, showing the entrances of four rock-cut niches and the tunnel, viewed from the west [Credit: S.E. Sidebotham/Antiquity] |
A well cut on the rock and several drains and pools found within the gatehouse were used to collect and distribute water drawn from the ground or gathered from rain. Two of the pools, the largest ones, had a capacity of over 17,000 litres. This also indicates the climate at the site was very different than what is the case today.
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Complex of rock-cut foundation trenches of the north-western tower of a defensive/industrial building, viewed from the south [Credit: S.E. Sidebotham/Antiquity] |
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Water in the fully excavated chamber of the Hellenistic gate. On the right, the shape of the first phase of the well, viewed from the north [Credit: S.E. Sidebotham/Antiquity] |
The fortifications were probably deemed unnecessary after a while by the city’s administrators, and some of them were dismantled soon after their construction. They were probably constructed in the first place because the Ptolemies were not sure how local people would react to their presence, a common practice of theirs. Archaeologists found no evidence of attack against the city.
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Inside one of the niches, the researchers discovered the remains of amphoras that were used for extracting water from a well in the gatehouse [Credit: S.E. Sidebotham/Antiquity] |
The town became a significant trade centre after Rome took over Egypt in 30 BC, with commercial relations stretching to Greece and Italy as well as South Arabia, India, the Malay Peninsula, Ethiopia and East Africa.
journal Antiquity. The team was led by chief directors Steven Sidebotham, professor of ancient history and archaeology at the University of Delaware, and Iwona Zych, the deputy director of the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw. Research at the site was carried out with the financial support of the Polish National Science Centre.
Source: Archaeology and Arts [January 08, 2019]
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