US Egypt Cooperative Research: Advanced Underwater Archaeological Survey of the North West Coast of Egypt

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This collaborative research project is being undertaken by Dr. Brendan Foley, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), and Dr. Emad Khalil, Alexandria University of Egypt in order to conduct the first systematic underwater archaeological survey along the Egyptian Western Desert/Mediterranean Sea coastline utilizing advanced WHOI Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) technologies and in situ sensors in combination with SCUBA divers. Drs. Foley and Khalil will seek to discover fundamentally important shipwreck sites that will allow new interpretations of the human maritime activities in different periods and hence the interconnections between cultures. They will document a Roman-era shipwreck discovered east of Marsa Matrouh and will then survey fifteen square nautical miles of unexplored sea floor, documenting any shipwreck sites detected by the AUV. Of particular interest to the research team is the sea floor off Marsa Matruh and the Bronze Age fortress temple of Zawiyet Umm el-Rakham, built by pharaoh Ramesses II approximately 1280 B.C. Shipwreck discoveries dating to that period would be among the oldest sea-going vessels ever located and would deliver new understanding of different aspects of ancient civilization. Any ceramic artifacts recovered from the wrecks will be analyzed for ancient DNA to identify original cargo components. SCUBA divers will investigate any shipwreck discovered in 40 m of water or less.This technically project presents an innovative approach to coastal marine archaeological survey and has the potential to yield significant results. Further, the incorporation of DNA analysis into archaeological interpretation is interesting component of the research plan. The international partnership is integral to the success and accomplishment of the research and will serve as a platform for the first academic program in maritime archaeology in the Middle East region. The project is funded under the US-Egypt Joint Fund Program, which provides grants to scientists and engineers in both countries to undertake cooperative research.