The Egyptian archaeological mission working at the Tell el-Haruba archaeological site in the Sheikh Zuweid area of North Sinai has uncovered a military fortress from the New Kingdom. It is one of the largest and most important fortresses discovered on the ancient Egyptian military road known as the Ways of Horus, which is located along the Eastern Mediterranean coast.

The discovery adds to confirming the sophistication of the military planning of the New Kingdom pharaohs, who built a series of fortresses and defensive fortifications to protect Egypt’s eastern borders and secure the most important strategic routes that connected ancient Egypt to Palestine.

The Finds

According to Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, excavation work revealed a portion of the fortress’s southern wall, approximately 105 meters long and 2.5 meters wide, with a 2.20-meter-wide secondary entrance in the middle, in addition to eleven defensive towers that have been discovered so far. The northwestern tower and parts of the northern and western walls were also uncovered, with the mission facing significant challenges due to the shifting sand dunes that covered large parts of the site.

Professor Mohamed Abdel Badie, head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector, added that the mission also uncovered a 75-meter-long serpent-shaped (zigzag) wall on the western side of the citadel, dividing it from north to south and surrounding a residential area designated for soldiers. This distinctive architectural design from the New Kingdom period reflects the ability of ancient Egyptian architects to adapt to the harsh environment.

The large amount of pottery found in the site includes shards and intact or almost intact vessels. Foundation deposits beneath one of the towers date back to the first half of the 18th Dynasty, while a vessel handle is stamped with the name of King Thutmose I. Quantities of volcanic stones found on the site were likely transported by sea from the volcanoes of the Greek islands. A large oven for baking bread, adjacent to which were quantities of fossilized dough, confirms that the fortress was an integrated center for the daily lives of soldiers.

Dr. Hesham Hussein, head of the Central Department of Lower Egypt Antiquities, explained that preliminary studies have shown that the citadel underwent several stages of restoration and modification over the ages, with the design of the southern entrance having been modified more than once. Meanwhile, the mission hopes to complete excavation work to uncover the remaining walls and associated structures. It is expected to find the military port that served the citadel in the area near the coast.

He added that the area of the newly discovered citadel is approximately 8,000 square meters. This is equal to three times the area of another fortress discovered at the same site in the 1980s, which is located approximately 700 meters southwest of the newly found one (for more  p. 87. online here, and for an update in p. 161, 165-167 here). This fort is a new addition to a series of forts identified along the ancient “Ways of Horus” military road, most notably Tell Habua (identified with the key ancient Egyptian border crossing of Tjaru), Tell el-Borg, and Tell el-Abyad, all of which date back to the New Kingdom  (for an overview see p. 161 here).

For the record, earlier research in Tell el-Haruba during the late ’70s and early ’80s had identified a cluster of three Egyptian militarysites, two of which had been identified as “administrative centers” and one as a “fort” (pp. 165-167 here). It is not stated whether the present find is identified with any of these, previously known, sites, or if it is a completely different, fourth site.

Statements

Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy commented on the discovery, stating that this is a tangible embodiment of the ancient Egyptians’ genius in building an integrated defense system to protect the land of Egypt. According to Mr. Fathi, it “adds new chapters to Egypt’s rich military history and reinforces Sinai’s position as a land bearing unique cultural evidence throughout the ages”.

On his part, Dr. Khaled sees the discovery of this massive fortress as an important step in reconstructing the complete picture of the Egyptian fortification network on the eastern borders during the New Kingdom. He added that each fortress discovered “adds a new building block” to our understanding of the military and defensive organization of Pharaonic Egypt, confirming that Egyptian civilization was not limited to temples and tombs alone, but rather was a state of strong institutions capable of protecting its land and borders.

For research regarding the water sources supplying the fortresses along the Ways of Horus, see here.