Wadi Gawasis — Mersa Gawasis Pharaonic Harbour at Saww (Red Sea) — v2
Mersa Gawasis · Saww Harbour · Gawasis Pharaonic Port
Old Kingdom to New Kingdom (2500 – 1400 BCE)·Middle Kingdom Egyptian·🇪🇬 Red Sea Governorate, Mersa Gawasis bay, Wadi Gawasis mouth, Eastern Desert, south of Safaga, Egypt
About
About Wadi Gawasis — Mersa Gawasis Pharaonic Harbour at Saww (Red Sea) — v2
Middle Kingdom pharaonic harbour at Mersa Gawasis (ancient Saww), where Senusret I–Amenemhat III Red Sea fleet to Punt now lies 1–2 m behind reef spit in Wadi Gawasis bay. Distinct from Myos Hormos/Quseir classical harbours batch, this 12th dynasty harbour preserves limestone anchor shrine with Senusret stele at –1 m, cedar ship timber display at –0.5 m and 8 circular anchor anchors 4 m diameter at –1.5 m mapped 2001–2011 Rodolfo Fattovich–Kathryn Bard BU-UNO Wadi Gawasis Mission excavations. Ancient Saww launched Punt ivory/election expeditions 2000–1700 BCE; anchor caves above preserve 5th dynasty wood and Middle Kingdom chisels. Harbour silt seals 3rd dynasty copper ingot horizon.
Why it mattersMersa Gawasis is classic Middle Kingdom Punt harbour; Senusret stele and cedar anchors prove Egyptian Red Sea sailing rigging and Saww-Punt voyage chronology anchor.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Whether Mersa Gawasis is Saww proper or sub-port to Wadi Gawasis inland
- 02Attribution of Punt to African Horn or Arabian?
Theories
- 01Saww harbour moved as Wadi Gawasis spit prograded north after 12th dynasty
- 02Punt fleet was punctuated elite expedition not annual trade
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. 2000 BCE Senusret I Saww harbour; shrine Sesostris I, harbour Sesostris III
- Period
- Old Kingdom to New Kingdom (2500 – 1400 BCE)
- Culture
- Middle Kingdom Egyptian
- Purpose
- Pharaonic Punt fleet harbour — Saww shipped ebony, ivory and electrum from Punt via Red Sea
- Abandoned
- c. 1400 BCE (New Kingdom fleet to Mersa Gawasis shift?), silted behind reef
- Rediscovered
- 1977 Sayed Mersa Gawasis is Philoteras; 2001 Bard-Fattovich anchor cave excavations
- Excavation
- Submerged
c. 2000 BCE
Senusret I founds Saww harbour at Mersa Gawasis with anchor stele
12th dynasty
Cedar ship-timber anchors and limestone shrine built for Punt fleet
2001–2011
BU-UNO excavations map shrine at –1 m and 8 anchors at –1.5 m in Gawasis bay
On the ground
Structures & features
26.5580° N · 34.0350° E · -1 m · 3 mapped features
Limestone Anchor Shrine with Stele (6×6 m)
shrine6×6 m limestone shrine at –1 m with Senusret I anchor stele
26.5585° N · 34.0355° ECedar Ship Anchor (4 m dia.)
anchor4 m cedar anchor at –1.5 m with rope groove, one of 8 anchors
26.5575° N · 34.0360° ECedar Ship Timber Display (12 m)
timber12 m cedar ship timber display at –0.5 m with mortise planks
26.5580° N · 34.0340° E