UK | FF UK | CZECH | CONTACT | 
| 
Celetná 20, 110 00 PRAHA 1, Česká republika
Tel: 00420-221619611, Fax: 00420-221619618
UK | FF UK | CZECH | CONTACT | |
Celetná 20, 110 00 PRAHA 1, Česká republika
Tel: 00420-221619611, Fax: 00420-221619618
12.11.2005 Miroslav Bárta
In the course of the International Conference of Egyptology that took part in Cairo in the year 2000, Egyptian government representatives called leading Egyptological institutions to assist in the exploration of the immediately endangered areas on Egypt’s territory. One of the foremost areas mentioned in this context was the Egyptian western desert. This area has lately belonged among the archaeologically most monitored sites, since the newest explorations show that here, in the eastern Sahara, the process of primary neolitization and cattle domestication had taken place. To no small surprise of the expert public, the Neolithic culture of East Sahara playas played a significant part in the rise of ancient Egyptian civilization.
In response to this appeal, Czech Institute of Egyptology acquired in 2003 the permission to work in the Bahariya oasis in the Egyptian western desert. In the years 2003 – 2005, the institute managed to secure financial means from private Czech sources (the UNIS company) to launch three multidisciplinary expeditions to the hitherto basically archaeologically unexplored oasis el-Hayez in the so-called Black desert about 450 km to the southwest of Cairo.
The exploration of the desert extending to the east and west from the fertile Nile valley belongs to the latest “hits” of world Egyptological institutions and several individuals. Discoveries made in the last years have significantly changed our views of the roots and beginnings of ancient Egyptian civilization the development of which reached one of the first peaks in the building of monumental pyramids, tombs of the rulers of the empire on the Nile, about 4600 years ago. For example the site of Wadi Howar, where the hitherto oldest known pottery on African continent decorated with curving lines was discovered, belongs already to the 9th millennium BC.
After an approximately four hours’ drive by an off-road car to the southwest of Cairo and approximately 400 kilometres, we arrive to the Bahariya oasis. This oasis is one of the five oasis located nowadays in the Egyptian Western desert (together with the Kharga, Dakhla, Farafra, and Siwa oases). Since most ancient times, these places were centres of life in the desert. No wonder: it was here where the water sources were concentrated, that can change the desert into a fertile and life-giving earth. Oases were important stops for desert caravans travelling across from north to south and from the west to east and bringing valued goods from the heart of the African continent. In the time of Ancient Egypt, oases formed a natural buffer zone protecting Egyptian peasants in the Nile valley from the destructive raids of desert nomads.
We do not know much of the most ancient history of the Bahariya oasis. In the time of the Old Kingdom (1994 – 1797 BC) the oasis was known as Zeshzesh and was under direct control of the Egyptian kings. The area was connected with the Nile valley by the desert road called today Darb el-Benhasa (the Benhasa road). The first important finds made hitherto are dated to the time of the New Kingdom (14th – 13th centuries BC). They include the tomb cut in the rock cliff and belonging to Amenhotpe and some others at the Karet Hilwa cemetery at the southern entrance to Bawiti.
The oasis flourished mostly in the following times, i.e. in the Late and Roman periods. This can be seen for example at the site of Karet es-Salim with the decorated tombs of the officials Benantiu and Djedkhonsuefankh. The oasis became famous through the discovery made in the year 1996 by the Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass several kilometres to the south of Bawiti, at the so-called 6th kilometre, where a large cemetery of the Roman period is located. Of the over 100 hitherto analysed mummies, some have been decorated with gilded cartonnage. Their expensiveness and appearance made this cemetery famous throughout the world.
In February and March 2003 (28th February to 25th March) Czech Institute of Egyptology launched the exploration of the El-Hayez oasis, situated in the southernmost tip of the Bahariya oasis in the Egyptian Western desert. This area is currently only sparsely populated, and its most ancient history is almost unknown. The first scholarly exploration of the accessible monuments of this area was conducted by the Egyptian Egyptologist Ahmed Fakhry, who first visited the site between the years 1938 – 1939, i.e. after over 100 years had passed since the visit of the first European, Giuseppe Belzoni (1818). The earliest period, the Stone age, was explored only by Fekhry Hassan. Recently, excavations were conducted under the leadership of the Inspectorate of the SCA at Bawiti in the area of El-Riz and Ayn el-Khabata (the 1990s).
The first stage of the current Czech project is planned for 2 to 3 years, 2003 – 2005. Its main task is to plot a detailed archaeological map of the el-Hayez area including the main sites, description of their character, archaeological potential, state of preservation, structure, and the relationship of these monuments to the ancient landscape. In the year 2004 even archaeological excavations were conducted and this year (2005) should culminate in the exploration of communication roads, i.e. ancient caravan paths that connected el-Hayez with the Siwa oasis further to the northwest.
In the course of the first two seasons, our headquarters were located in the secluded El Bishmu hotel, which serves as the base for many expeditions travelling through this part of the Egyptian desert. For about a month during the season we leave every morning to the south, on the asphalt road connecting Bahariya with the Farafra oasis. About twenty minutes after leaving the Bahariya oasis, the road enters the area of El-Hayez, which extends along both sides of the road over at least 20 kilometres.
Reis (foreman) Ahmad el-Kereti from the Upper Egyptian Quft became our indispensable guide. From Quft traditionally come the best foremen and workmen working on archaeological excavations since the 19th century. Only few discoveries were made without their assistance. At the site, we are joined by the inspector of the SCA and the local chief of monument guards Asheri.
It is he who ought to help us to map all known sites in the oasis. Our work consists of the documentation and detailed survey of all monuments for the archaeological map of the whole area. Empty spaces thus gradually filled with the individual tombs and entire cemeteries, settlements, desiccated bottoms of prehistorical ponds, wells, and many other objects. The further stage of collecting of information is archaeological exploration, which we have been conducted since the year 2004. Its most attractive results include the discovery of a large Roman court, the walls of which could not at first be seen under the desert surface. However, archaeological excavations revealed that the walls of the complex are at places preserved to the height of three metres. Not far from this agricultural settlement we have discovered a battery of almost completely preserved potter’s kilns.
Finally the third discovery of the 2004 season is the large rock cut tomb, where we found over thirty burials dating to the Roman period.
We are, however, also interested in the modern life of this secluded area. The present inhabitants had arrived here about 150 years ago from the Kharga oasis located to the south from here when searching for new water sources. These people derive their origin from the nomadic Libyan tribes and even now it is not difficult to find women who adorn themselves with typical Bedouin jewels and are tattooed. Altogether about 7000 inhabitants live here in no more than a dozen of small hamlets. Most of them work at Bawiti. An interesting aspect of life here is also the fact that this population is strictly monogamous (every man has only one wife).
Already in the first days of work, our expectations have been fulfilled. Each day we recorded new sites, some of them very extensive, so it took us two seasons to map their main features. Since we always work in two groups, we are able to collect evidence from both prehistorical and historical times.
It appears that contrary to expectations, the area was populated already 500 000 years ago. This culture was called Acheulean and lasted incredible 400 000 years. In the so-called Epipaleolithic (late paleolithic) and early Neolithic periods, between 13000 – 7000 BC, settlements and traces of human activities in the oasis were concentrated in two areas. The first were the areas of quality stone resources. In their immediate vicinity we were able to map workshops, where stone tools were pre-worked before they were carried elsewhere. On the other hand in the areas of the so-called playas, desiccated bottoms of ponds, settlements were concentrated. The banks of these water sources offered ideal conditions for living, including opportunities for fishing and hunting animals that also had to concentrate in such areas.
It is certain that at that time Sahara did not yet look the same as now. It was probably in part an evergreen oasis, which contained pastures for cattle and rich water sources. First since the end of the 4th millennium BC, Sahara began to gradually dry out again (it is not an irreversible process, periods of draught and rains alternate each 6000 years). With the scarcity of rainfall, life began to fade and concentrated in areas with lasting water sources. Thus, the Egyptian oases in the Western desert were created.
The time of the 7th – 3rd millennia BC belongs to the least explored periods on our concession. There is almost no evidence from this time. However, the possibility still persists that this part of history may still be discovered.
The main development of the area began in the time around the birth of Christ, in the Roman periodm when Egypt was considered the granary of Rome. In this time, Hayez contined many settlements of an agricultural nature, some extending over 10 hectares. Two fortresses were built at rthe edge of the settled areas. They probably maintianed security in the area, controlled trade routes and took care of order in the entire region. Most of the settlements of this time are nowadays hidden under merciful sand drifts. The potential for discoveries is thus large and a find like the one made several years ago in the Valley of the golden mummies is only a matter of time.
The amazing creations of human spirit include above all the many kilometres long network of the so-called manawars, underground tunnels for the collection of subterranean water. This system consisted of underground slightly inclining tunnels, accessible every approximately 10 meters by vertical shafts that were used for their boaring and subsequently cleaning. Each manawar line led to the lowermost place of the area, where there were wells in which the collected water was concentrated. By leading it under ground level, surface evaporating was eliminated and the possibility of loss of the valuable liquid, which was the basic precondition of life in its time and conditions, was prevented.
It is almost certain that intensive agriculture in Hayez in the Roman period led to the gradual desiccation of water sources, deforestation and final drying out of the entire region. History repeats itself now, the moders settlement is gradually disappearing, people move out due to lack of water sources. The only possible solution consists of undergroud drills to the depth of 1 km, where pure underground water can be found. The price on one such drill reaches 5 million crowns (about 200 000 euros) and they are thus outside the possibilities of this region. The situation is further cimplicated by the influx of sand dunes from the surrounding desert. Some villages thus gradually die out and are swallowed by a sea of sand, which can extend over more than 1 meter a year. Unfortunately we cannot exclude that the entire area will one day turn into barren desert. Our work in the area is even more important.