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

这一合作研究项目由伍兹霍尔海洋研究所的Brendan Foley博士和埃及亚历山大大学的Emad Khalil博士共同实施，目的是利用世界卫生组织先进的自主水下机器人(AUV)技术和现场传感器与潜水员相结合，沿着埃及西部沙漠/地中海海岸线进行第一次系统的水下考古调查。Foley博士和Khalil博士将寻求发现根本上重要的沉船遗址，这些遗址将允许对不同时期的人类海洋活动以及不同文化之间的相互联系进行新的解释。他们将记录在Marsa Matrouh以东发现的一艘罗马时代的沉船，然后将调查15平方海里的未勘探海底，记录AUV探测到的任何沉船地点。研究小组特别感兴趣的是Marsa Matruh附近的海底和Zawiyer Umm el-Rakham的青铜时代堡垒神庙，由拉美西斯二世法老在公元前1280年左右建造。这一时期的沉船发现将是有史以来发现的最古老的海船之一，将使人们对古代文明的不同方面有新的了解。从残骸中找到的任何陶瓷文物都将被分析古代DNA，以识别原始货物组件。潜水员将调查在40米或更少的水中发现的任何沉船。这一技术项目为沿海海洋考古调查提供了一种创新的方法，并有可能产生重大成果。此外，将DNA分析纳入考古解释是研究计划中有趣的组成部分。这一国际伙伴关系是这项研究成功和完成不可或缺的一部分，并将成为中东地区首个海洋考古学术项目的平台。该项目由美国-埃及联合基金计划资助，该计划向两国的科学家和工程师提供赠款，以开展合作研究。

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.