A Harbor for the Land of the Gods
On a fossil coral terrace overlooking the Red Sea, archaeologists found the remains of Egypt's most important harbor for expeditions to the fabled Land of Punt. The site, known in antiquity as Saww, was active during the Middle Kingdom's 12th Dynasty (circa 1985–1773 BCE). Excavations led by Kathryn Bard and Rodolfo Fattovich uncovered eight man-made caves carved into the rock. These were not tombs, but galleries for storing the components of entire seagoing vessels.
Inside these caves, researchers found a collection of nautical equipment: massive cedar ship timbers, some over a foot thick, coils of rope, limestone anchors, and curved steering oars. The ships were constructed in the Nile Valley from Lebanese cedar, then disassembled for a 150-kilometer overland trek through the desert to Saww. Once at the coast, workers reassembled the vessels for the long voyage south. This unique construction method, using un-pegged mortise-and-tenon joints secured with rope, allowed the ships to be built and taken apart as needed. After returning from Punt, the ships were again dismantled and stored in the caves, ready for the next expedition.
Evidence of the Punt Trade
The link between Saww and the mysterious Land of Punt is explicit and direct. Archaeologists discovered wooden cargo boxes with painted hieratic inscriptions, including one that reads "wonderful things of Punt". These boxes once held the exotic goods imported from the south: frankincense, myrrh, gold, ebony, ivory, and live animals like baboons. Fragments of obsidian likely from Eritrea or Yemen and pottery from the southern Red Sea region have also been found at the site.
Numerous limestone stelae, or inscribed tablets, discovered in niches outside the caves provide further detail. These commemorative stones record specific expeditions and the officials who led them under pharaohs like Senusret I, Amenemhat II, and Amenemhat III. One stela from the 28th year of Amenemhat II's reign records the safe return of a fleet from Punt. More than 25 heavy stone anchors, some made of limestone and weighing up to 110 kg, were also found. Many were repurposed as bases for shrines and stelae, physical monuments to successful voyages to "God's Land". The site was eventually abandoned around 1500 BCE as the harbor silted up.