Full-text resources of CEJSH and other databases are now available in the new Library of Science.
Visit https://bibliotekanauki.pl

Results found: 20

first rewind previous Page / 1 next fast forward last

Search results

Search:
in the keywords:  Red Sea
help Sort By:

help Limit search:
first rewind previous Page / 1 next fast forward last
EN
The Red Sea is a deep rift between Africa and Asia, yet asan aquatic “highway” it links Europe to the Indian Oceanworld. While the existence of Greco-Roman trade downthe Red Sea to the wider eastern world is relatively wellknown,we are still investigating the harbors and destinationpoints along the shores of the Red Sea. Understandingthe geographical, and indeed geological, aspect ofthe sea is a key factor in the finding of ancient harborsand anchorages. Coupled with this is the need to discernthe technology of the maritime tools — navigation, ship-building technology, sailing practices — of the variouseras and cultures of the Red Sea.This paper explores these aspects through the growingbody of evidence and theory of Red Sea maritime endeavors, as well as by the author’s own archaeologicalinvestigations in Eritrea and Saudi Arabia.
EN
This paper concerns a probable shipwreck cargo of Aqaba amphorae, which was discovered during the second season of the survey project along the Saudi Arabian coast, initiated by nautical archaeologists of Philipps-University Marburg and conducted in cooperation with members of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Heritage in autumn 2013. Seafaring and sea trade was, according to the few ancient sources and modern research activities, a hazardous endeavor in antiquity. Transport containers like the Aqaba Amphorae played a major role in sea trade, a significant number of which have been detected on various sites along the Red Sea coast and its hinterland. The chronological classification as well as the application is far from complete, and recent archaeometrical investigations help to clarify the logistical aspects of manufacturing and distribution of Aqaba amphorae. Finding a number of remains of Aqaba amphorae at a supposed shipwreck site close to Jeddah delivers new insight into the maritime routes and activities along the western coast of Saudi Arabia. The documentary material currently available is the baseline for further research in the field of maritime archaeology as it pertains to trade in the Red Sea.
3
Publication available in full text mode
Content available

Aynuna on the Red Sea

51%
EN
Aynuna was excavated by a Saudi-Polish team from 2014 t0 2018. It is a Nabataean port dated to the first century BC, with a later occupation in the fourth century AD and with some Islamic presence. It is composed of two sites: a commercial factory and a fortified settlement. We identify it with Leuke Kome mentioned by the Periplus and by Strabo in connection with Aelius Gallus expedition to Arabia.
EN
This essay evaluates the relative importance of the maritime trade between the Roman Empire and India along two routes that were in use: one started and ended on the Egyptian shore of the Red Sea, the other at the head of the Gulf. Both continued on land along caravan tracks to the Nile valley or through the Syrian desert to Palmyra. The latter land route, longer and presumably more cost-consuming, was used only during the 1st to 3rd centuries AD. The land link with the Far East, the so-called Silk Road, does not seem to have been regularly used. A document from Palmyra allows to estimate the value of the trade along the Syrian route as much smaller than that of the Red Sea traffic. It could have been mainly of local, Syrian importance, and lasted only as long as political circumstances allowed.
EN
Key information on the location, size and dating of the Ptolemaic fortifications of Berenike Trogodytika comes from archaeological excavations carried out in 2013–2015, following the 2012 season when the presence of military architecture in the Red Sea harbor was first discovered and identified (Woźniak and Rądkowska 2014). Sections of a thick wall constructed of gypsum anhydrite blocks on a wide foundation were recorded in the northern part of the site (trenches BE-13/90 and BE13-93). The wall was part of the defenses protecting the harbor from the north, the only land access to the site through marshy ground on the fringes of the so-called “northern lagoon”. Further work in trenches BE14-97 in 2014 and BE15-104 in 2015 uncovered the remains of a well preserved early Hellenistic fortified city gate, built of gypsum anhydrite blocks and chunks of coral. The complex has no parallel at present anywhere in the Red Sea region. A series of shallow basins interconnected by pipes made of truncated necks of early Hellenistic amphorae, found to the east of the gate, served probably to collect rainwater. The water function? of the gate was confirmed further by a large basin or cistern, about 1 m deep, abutting the complex on the southwest. A subterranean network of four rock-cut chambers(?) was discovered at the bottom of the internal gate chamber. A corridor in the east wall of the gate shaft, with a covered channel in the floor, led off to the northeast, in the direction of a rectangular anomaly observed on the magnetic map, which could be another rock-cut shaft.
EN
Amphorae and jar stoppers (excavated/recovered)found during the 2010–2014 seasons of the Polish–American excavations at Berenike in the Red Sea are found mainly in the early Roman trash dumps, although single finds come from all over the ancient city. Altogether 54 stoppers were studied. More than 60% were preserved fragmentarily, some were stamped and colored. As a category they are typical of the Eastern Dessert. Numerous finds come from Myos Hormos and Mons Claudianus, single finds from Mons Porphyrites and Sikait. They reflect Egyptian wine production during the Roman and late Roman periods. They consist of plug and sealing mixture, made from various materials like plaster and mud, ceramic elements (bowls, lids, roudcuts(?), sherds), natural cork, wood or textile.
EN
Berenike Trogodytica was one of the key harbours on the Red Sea coast during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods and was a major trade and exchange hub connecting the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean. Berenike’s geographical position was extraordinarily propitious owing partly to its natural harbours, protected against the prevailing northern winds, as well as its location in the vicinity of an ancient viewshed, the large peninsula of Ras Benas. This paper discusses how multifaceted geoarchaeological approaches to the study of ancient ports can contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms and logistics of maritime trade, as well as fluctuations in its quality and quantity. It also sheds new light on the significance of the effect that local and regional palaeoclimatic, landscape, seascape and environmental changes had on the development and decline of the port, and its changing role within the Red Sea–Indian Ocean maritime network.
EN
Excavations by the American–Polish project in Berenike on the Red Sea, co-directed from 2008 by Steven E. Sidebotham (University of Delaware) and Iwona Zych (PCMA University of Warsaw), have aimed at uncovering and reconstructing the ancient landscape of the southwestern embayment, tentatively identified as the harbor of the Hellenistic and early Roman city, and its immediate vicinity. A review of the evidence from the excavation of several trenches in this area paints a picture of the bay—still incomplete—and contributes to a reconstruction of the cultural and economic landscape, the "lived experience" of the town's inhabitants and incoming merchants and sailors during the heyday of "Imperial" Berenike, that is, in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD.
EN
This paper focuses historical and archaeological evidence for the ‘valuables’ passing through Suakin, as part of the Red Sea-Indian Ocean trade. The main locations on Suakin Island Town investigated 2002-2013 are briefly described. Interviews show that at Suakin, in the later 19th century/early 20th century, imported valuables included fabrics from Europe, perfume oils, cloths and wooden chests from India; porcelain from China and Turkey; rugs from Persia/Iran and glass from Italy. Interviews and early modern European accounts indicate the range of products from the hinterland, such as cotton, gold, ivory, ostrich feathers, slaves, horses, gum arabic, ebony, musk, tobacco, rubber and coffee. Local fishermen supplied fish, shells, pearls and mother-of-pearl. The archaeological evidence indicates pottery and porcelain from the Arabian Peninsula, south-west Asia, south Asia, China and south-east Asia, while identifications of wood samples indicates teak from south and south-east Asia. A combination of archaeological, historical and ethnographic evidence is needed to build up a picture of the trade in valuables.
EN
Archaeological work since 2014 in the Hellenistic areas of Berenike, a key port on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, founded by Ptolemy II Philadelphus in c. 275 BC, has brought extensive evidence of water-related structures: a rock-cut well located inside a rebuilt early-Hellenistic gate and a nearby cistern with an associated rainwater-collection system, that has changed the way in which the sources and uses of water in Hellenistic Berenike is understood today. The research started with the excavation of an ash mound, a characteristic landmark in the western part of the site, which is now believed to be the rubbish dump from the furnace that heated a Hellenistic bathhouse. At this stage in the research, it can be argued that Hellenistic Berenike had sufficient water available on site not only for drinking (hence potable), and agricultural and industrial uses, but also for public bathing. This article summarises the current state of research, presenting recent discoveries of a Hellenistic date at the site within their archaeological, architectural and environmental contexts.
EN
The site of Wakarida is situated near the eastern edge of the Tigray plateau, dominating the Afar depression. The study on the site has started in 2011 with a short archaeological and geophysical survey. During the three campaigns of excavations between 2012 and in 2013, carried out in two areas, the archaeologists unearthed typically Aksumite buildings accompanied by abundant ceramic material, with a significant proportion of fine ceramics. The buildings have been dated between the 3rd and the 6th century AD, period confirmed by C14 analyses. In several places, the remains of walls visible on surface and pottery shards testify to the existence of other ancient structures. The site of Wakarida, covering some 9 ha, was probably a small city or a village during the Aksumite period. The survey of its region has enabled to study the landscape, mostly shaped by man, and to discover other archaeological sites, two of which are comparable in size to Wakarida.
EN
The trade facility in Wadi Aynuna, as well as the adjacent settlement and tentative location of an ancient port are believed to be the ancient Leuke Kome, a Nabatean port which connected Petra with the Red Sea trade network. In this brief paper the author reviews some data that bring light to bear on the issue of the nautical challenges posed by sailing conditions in the Red Sea, their potential influence on the maritime trade, and the importance of Aynuna as a port in northern Arabia which, taken together, support with greater strength the identification of this location with the Leuke Kome from the ancient written sources
EN
The passage of Israelites across the Red Sea is one of the most important events, which has been deeply imprinted on the memory of this nation. Exegetes are still trying to explain how it was conducted. It is not an easy task, though, as Israelites in different periods of history refreshed the memory of his event seeing in it the action of God Yahweh. That has led to creating a few traditions, which are included in Exo. 13, 17–14, 31. The exegesis of the text allows to draw conclusions which can be summarized in two statements that are basic for Israelites’ faith. The first of them reads: the God Yahweh is the real God who should be adored, He has the power, He rules the nature and reigns the history. The second one expresses itself in the truth that Yahweh formed an alliance with the people of Israel choosing them to be his people and freed them from the yoke of Egypt. The miracle of passage across the Red Sea started a new era in the life of people of Israel and strengthen in them the faith in goodness and the might of God.
EN
More than 200 beads and pendants were found in seven trash middens excavated at the 4th/5th to the 6th century AD settlement site in Shenshef in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. The site lies close to the Sudanese border and the Red Sea coast, and about 20 km to the southwest of the ancient port of Berenike. Although the purpose of the settlement has not been established, excavations provided a wide range of imports from the Mediterranean region and the Indian Ocean. An overview of the materials and manufacturing techniques applied in the production of the beads and pendants confirms the short- and long-distance contacts of Shenshef inhabitants. In addition to the many bead parallels that link the site with the Red Sea ports and the Nile Valley region up to the First Cataract, the presence of South Indian/Sri Lankan beads at Shenshef is especially meaningful. They may be proof of the intermediary role played by the Shenshef inhabitants in trading overseas imports into the Nubian Nile Valley region.
EN
A recent study proved that Aynuna has been settled since at least the Hellenistic period and was the major settlement on the Arabian coast of the northern Red Sea in the Nabatean/Roman period, serving as the port of Petra. Scientific literature is mostly concerned with the identification of Aynuna with ancient Leuke Kome, leaving aside the later history of the site. In the late Roman/Byzantine period its significance as a trade centre slowly diminished, although it might have remained a tax collection point. In the early Islamic period, Aynuna served as a local agricultural centre and war port for the Arabian forces conquering the Eastern Desert. Later on, accessibility of fresh water made it a stop on the Egyptian Hajj Route, and antique Aynuna/Leuke Kome finally became Islamic ‘Aynūna. This paper aims to present a diachronic analysis of the changing functions of the site using published archaeological reports and Arabic written sources.
EN
Brief overview of two seasons of archaeological survey and excavation carried out in 2012 and 2013 at the site of Berenike on the Red Sea coast and in two sub-projects in the Eastern Desert: the prehistoric cattle cemetery at Wadi Khashab and the Roman-era emerald mines at Sikait and Nugrus. Highpoints of the work at Berenike included discovery of the Hellenistic fort and fortifications that mark the original settlement of the site in the third quarter of the 3rd century BC, continued clearance of harbor-related structures in the southwestern bay interpreted as the early Roman harbor of Berenike and the uncovering of an earlier phase of the late Roman harbor temple (so-called Lotus Temple) of the 5th–6th century AD in the harbor.
EN
Al-Qusayr is located 40 km south of modern al-Wajh, roughly 7 km from the eastern Red Sea shore. This site is known since the mid-19th century, when the explorer R. Burton described it for the first time, in particular the remains of a monumental building so-called al-Qasr. In March 2016, a new survey of the site was undertaken by the al-‘Ula–al-Wajh Survey Project. This survey focused not only on al-Qasr but also on the surrounding site corresponding to the ancient settlement. A surface collection of pottery sherds revealed a striking combination of Mediterranean and Egyptian imports on one hand, and of Nabataean productions on the other hand. This material is particularly homogeneous on the chronological point of view, suggesting a rather limited occupation period for the site. Attesting contacts between Mediterranean merchants, Roman Egypt and the Nabataean kingdom, these new data allow a complete reassessment of the importance of this locality in the Red Sea trade routes during antiquity.
EN
The report brings a comprehensive summary of archaeological fieldwork and survey carried out in Berenike on the Red Sea coast of Egypt and in the Eastern Desert hinterland over the course of two seasons in 2014 and 2015. The completed magnetic map of the site is discussed in some detail, assessing the potential for future excavations. The report covers the most important discoveries of the two seasons, which include fragments of Middle Kingdom Pharaonic stelae, possibly pushing back the foundation of the harbor, archaeological evidence of a rock-cut watercollection system forming part of the Hellenistic-age fortifications and two inscribed stone bases, one of which records a secretary of an aromatics warehouse at Berenike, discovered undisturbed in the courtyard of the Great Temple of Berenike (also called the Serapis Temple). A previously unknown religious(?) complex was discovered on the western outskirts of the site thanks to work with Corona satellite imagery. In turn, analysis of the magnetic mapping of the city revealed an administrative(?) complex in the northern part of the town; the later, 5th and 6th century layers were examined inside a chamber with niche forming part of this complex. Work also continued in the early Roman harbor, uncovering among others a complete timber ship frame, and a collection of garnets in subsidiary buildings in the late Roman temenos located in the entrance to the southwestern bay.
EN
More than 250 beads and pendants have been registered from the Harbor Temple and its surroundings, the so-called “harbor temenos”, in the Red Sea port of Berenike. The Harbor Temple assemblage is dominated by South Asian glass beads dating from the 4th through early 6th centuries AD, but the bead finds from the presumed temenos show much greater variety in both type and date, the latter spanning the centuries from the 1st to the 5th century AD. Rather than being accidentally lost, the quantity and find context of the beads support the idea of a votive offering function. Stylistic similarities of some objects found in the Harbor Temple have led to their association with South Arabia or Axum (Rądkowska, Sidebotham, and Zych 2013); yet a much closer affiliation might also be considered. Similar ritual objects, as well as beads and pendants, have been recorded at contemporary temples and shrines in Nubia
20
26%
EN
The Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt was the most important event in the history of the Chosen People. The historical and theological context of the biblical events contained in Exodus 1:1–14:31 was described. The aim of the research became the analysis and interpretation of the theological message contained in the first part of the Exodus recounting the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery (Exodus 1:1–14:31). In the analysis and exegesis of biblical texts, the intertextual method was used, as well as the historical-critical method over the issue of Moses’ mission. As a result of the study, it can be concluded that: 1) the knowledge of the God of Israel and His intentions is the key theme of the first fifteen chapters of the Exodus. Yahweh is the main protagonist of the events described in the Book of Exodus. He is their author and perpetrator; 2) the theme of the first part of the Exodus is the conflict over whom Israel is to serve; 3) the historical sources do not reflect in their entirety the facts known from the biblical account, for the reason that the Bible is not a historical chronicle, but a record of God’s revelation. Its main task is to convey theological content. The conclusions to be drawn are: 1) the revelation that was to Moses also applies to the Israelites, as well as to the Egyptians. However, the times and the manner of revelation change. God’s words are addressed to everyone, including modern people. The study conducted does not exhaust the subject of Moses’ mission to Israel. It is not a complete characterization of Moses. At the same time, it is necessary to keep in mind the further impact of the message of the Exodus on subsequent generations of Israel, as well as on modern times. The study can become a contribution to further theological reflection on the message of the Exodus.
PL
Wyjście Izraelitów z Egiptu było najważniejszym wydarzeniem w historii narodu wybranego. Został opisany kontekst historyczno-teologiczny wydarzeń biblijnych zawartych w Wj 1,1–14,31. Celem badań stała się analiza i interpretacja przesłania teologicznego zawartego w pierwszej części Księgi Wyjścia opowiadającej o wyzwoleniu Izraelitów z niewoli egipskiej (Wj 1,1–14,31). Przy analizie i egzegezie tekstów biblijnych wykorzystano metodę intertekstualną, a także historyczno-krytyczną nad zagadnieniem misji Mojżesza. W wyniku przeprowadzonych badań można stwierdzić, że: 1) poznanie Boga Izraela i Jego zamiarów jest kluczowym tematem pierwszych piętnastu rozdziałów Księgi Wyjścia. Jahwe jest głównym bohaterem wydarzeń opisanych w Księdze Wyjścia. On jest ich sprawcą i autorem; 2) tematem pierwszej części Księgi Wyjścia jest konflikt o to, komu służyć ma Izrael; 3) źródła historyczne nie odzwierciedlają w całości faktów znanych z relacji biblijnej, dlatego że Biblia nie jest kroniką historyczną, lecz zapisem objawienia Bożego. Jej głównym zadaniem jest przekaz treści teologicznej. Wnioski, jakie należy wyciągnąć to: 1) objawienie, które było do Mojżesza, dotyczą także Izraelitów, jak i do Egipcjan. Zmieniają się jednak czasy i sposób objawienia. Słowa Boga skierowane są do wszystkich, również do ludzi współczesnych. Przeprowadzone badania nie wyczerpują tematu misji Mojżesza względem Izraela. Nie jest pełną charakterystyką Mojżesza. Należy przy tym pamiętać o dalszym oddziaływaniu przesłania Księgi Wyjścia na kolejne pokolenia Izraela, a także na czasy współczesne. Badanie mogą stać się przyczynkiem do dalszej refleksji teologicznej nad przesłaniem Księgi Wyjścia.
first rewind previous Page / 1 next fast forward last
JavaScript is turned off in your web browser. Turn it on to take full advantage of this site, then refresh the page.