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Far away from the main tourist routes along the Nile are countless interesting objects waiting to be discovered, most of which were found within the ruins of some of the most important cities of ancient Egypt such as Tanis and Bubastis.

M.i.N. stands for “Museums in the Nile Delta”, a project founded in order to introduce the public – through publication –  to some of the lesser-known treasures on display in the various small museums spread across the Nile Delta, i.e. the region to the north of the city of Cairo.

The project’s main aim has been to gather as much information as possible about the artefacts in order to make this knowledge available to other scholars. Also invaluable has been the contact with the Egyptian archaeologists who conducted excavations at the various sites in the Delta.

The project was begun by Prof Dr Mohamed I. Bakr, formerly President of the Egyptian Antiquities Organization (EAO), and Dr Helmut Brandl.

M.i.N. Museums in the Nile Delta is affiliated with the  Institute of Archaeology – Egyptology und Archaeology of Northeastern Africa at Humboldt University Berlin.

The citadel with an old military road was used as a trading post in the east of Egypt, and also to protect the eastern borders from invaders.

Archaeologists found in the same area a church with fifteen large stores of weapons and ammunition as well as a small palace.

Translated from Amigos de la Egiptología

Fortified Garrison Town Discovered in the Northeastern Delta

The northeast Delta held a special position in Egypt; the area acted as a major centre for trade with the east, and was also the location of an ancient military and trade route known as the Ways of  Horus, which connected Egypt with the East. The area was used as a strategic position by the Late Period kings (ca. 747-525 B.C), especially those of the 26th Dynasty, in order to defend the eastern borders of Egypt from invaders.

Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the SCA, stated that King Ramesses II of the 19th Dynasty (ca. 1279-1212 BC) chose the site of Tell Dafna to erect a fortress or fortified town at Egypt’s eastern border in order to repulse Egypt’s enemies. The newly discovered fortress shows that King Psmatik I (ca. 664-610 BC) also built fortifications here.

Dr. Mohamed Abdel Maksoud, Head of the Central Department of Lower Egyptian Antiquities and the director of the mission, said that the newly discovered fortress covers an area of about 380×625m, while the enclosure wall is about 13m in width. It is considered to be the largest fortress discovered in the eastern Delta.

The mission also discovered a large mudbrick temple, consisting of three halls. There is also a group of storage magazines at the eastern and western sides of the temple. A small mudbrick palace was also discovered at the northeast side of the temple, consisting of eight rooms.

Furthermore, the mission discovered a group of drainage networks for rain water inside the ancient structures, consisting of pottery tunnels that end with a group of pottery vessels buried vertically in the sand to a depth of about three meters.

drhawass.com

Climate change could irreversibly affect the northern Delta region, Environment Minister George Maged said told a parliamentary committee earlier this year. Government and independent analysts alike are warning that if action is not taken to curtail global warming and climate change, Egypt will be facing a disaster on unprecedented levels—one that could force people to relocate.

The Nile Delta region is home to approximately half of Egypt’s population of 80 million people. According to the U.N.’s Environment Program, a rise in only 0.5 meters (20 inches) would displace at least four million people and damage 1,800 square kilometers (700 square miles).

A one-meter rise (39 inches) would displace at least six million Egyptians and damage more than double the farmland.

The Alexandria municipal government is spending approximately $300 million constructing concrete walls to protect the city’s beaches, and dumping sand in some areas sand in an effort to counter erosion.

Environment Minister Maged’s stark prediction that this region could be submerged within half a century.

Government and independent analysts do disagree on how long it will take for the effects of global warming and climate change to hit the north of Egypt.

While it may be too early to predict the extent of climate change in Egypt, the facts on the ground appear to hint toward a calamitous situation that could see much of the northern part of the country awash with water. The question appears to be not if Egypt will face devastation, but when.

Excerpted from an article by Joseph Mayton for wrmea.com