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Ancient Workshop for Construction, Repair of Boats Unearthed in Northern Sinai


Tue 12 Feb 2019 | 04:19 PM
Ali Abu Dashish

 

By: ِAli Abu Dashish, Yassmine ElSayed

CAIRO, Feb. 12 (SEE) - Egyptian archeological team, working in Northern Sinai, discovered the remains of a limestone building constituting a repair workshop for boats and vessels dating back to the Ptolemaic and Roman times.The building is located in the southern side of the hill ‘Abusifi’ in Qantara east (formerly known as the city of Silla Roman).

Dr. Mustafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, explained that the workshop consists of dry basins for repair and construction of ships, separated by a rectangular structure. The largest basin is located to the east and consists of the remains of a wall. Its width is 6 meters for ships to be pulled inside for repair. The location extends to the south toward the ancient lake.On her part, Nadia Khadr, head of the Central Department of northern Archeology, said that most of the large limestone blocks that the workshop is made up from, were taken from their original places for reuse in later eras, after the port were no more in use, as well as the water feeding the place were dried.She added that the remains of dهecomposed wood were arranged inside the large basin in the form of layers, perhaps they were remains of a boat, as well as many bronze and iron nails of various shapes and sizes used in boat construction and repair.

On other hand, Hisham Hussein, general director of the northern Sinai antiquities, said that the remains of Nile fish bones, famous at the place, were also found, as one of the Nile lanes was passing south of the place. In addition, quantities of local pottery and imported pottery were detected.Hussain pointed out that the work of this season for the Egyptian archaeological team in the area came to complete the work of the discovery of the area, which was launched during the beginning of 90s, and is part of the plan to enhance the archaeological discoveries in northern Sinai.