Buto – Buried Harbour of the Cobra Goddess Wadjet, Tell el-Fara'in
Pr-W3ḏyt · Buto · Pe-Dep · Tell el-Fara'in
Predynastic to Late Antique (4000 BCE – 400 CE)·Egyptian Predynastic / Early Dynastic / Saite / Ptolemaic·🇪🇬 Kafr el-Sheikh Governorate, Desouk, Egypt
About
About Buto – Buried Harbour of the Cobra Goddess Wadjet, Tell el-Fara'in
Buto (Pe-Dep) was the cult centre of Wadjet cobra goddess and Early Dynastic capital before Memphis; twin towns Pe (mound A, predynastic) and Dep (mound B, Late Period temple) flank a sebkha-filled Sebennytic Branch harbour (~500x200 m). Excavations by German Archaeological Institute (1983–) revealed Early Dynastic palace (3400 BCE, 4 m mudbrick), Saite temple of Wadjet and the silted harbour quay with limestone mooring blocks at +2 m sebkha. The harbour handled 26th Dyn naval traffic to Sais and later to Alexandria via the Bolbitine canal. Buto exported linen and papyrus. Harbour silted after Sebennytic Branch avulsion to Rosetta branch 3rd c. BCE; Roman town moved to higher mound.
Why it mattersOnly Delta city with twin Predynastic mounds (Pe-Dep) and Sebennytic Branch harbour sebkha showing Early Dynastic palace harbour administration.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Whether Predynastic Buto palace hosted Narmer unification negotiations
- 02Location of Wadjet temple harbour quay warehouses
Theories
- 01Buto harbour silted due to Sebennytic to Bolbitine branch capture in 3rd c. BCE
- 02Twin town layout reflects Horus vs Wadjet cult dual harbour
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 4000 BCE Predynastic Buto (Pe-Dep twin mounds)
- Period
- Predynastic to Late Antique (4000 BCE – 400 CE)
- Culture
- Egyptian Predynastic / Early Dynastic / Saite / Ptolemaic
- Builders
- Egyptians / Butonians
- Purpose
- Cult centre of Wadjet and Early Dynastic capital; later Saite naval harbour
- Abandoned
- c. 400 CE after Sebennytic branch migration and Arab shift
- Rediscovered
- 1888 by Flinders Petrie; German DAI excavations 1983–
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
c. 4000 BCE
Predynastic Buto Pe-Dep founded as Wadjet cult centre
c. 3100 BCE
Early Dynastic palace built (4 m mudbrick)
664 BCE
Saite revival; Wadjet temple harbour enlarged
1983
DAI excavates harbour sebkha quay
On the ground
Structures & features
31.1975° N · 30.7408° E · 8 m · 2 mapped features
Sebennytic harbour sebkha 500x200 m
harbour500x200 m harbour sebkha at +2 m with mooring blocks
31.1980° N · 30.7410° EEarly Dynastic palace 3400 BCE
palace40x30 m niched mudbrick palace 3400 BCE 4 m thick
31.1960° N · 30.7390° E