A Gateway into the Desert: History, Exploration, and Cyclical Rediscovery of Wadi Tumilat.
Guest Lecturer: W. Benson Harer Egyptology Scholar in Residence, Aleksandra Ksiezak
Wadi Tumilat is a 31-mile-long dry river valley on the Eastern periphery of the Nile Delta. In antiquity, the wadi was a major communication artery for caravan trade between Egypt and her neighbours to the east, and its importance was recognized by many great strategic minds of their day. Across Wadi Tumilat are numerous archaeological sites, and among them the impressive waterway now called the Canal of the Pharaohs. Despite its significance, over the centuries Wadi Tumilat faded in and out of the scholarly attention. This lecture aims to summarize the meandering history of the discovery of Wadi Tumilat and our understanding of its place in Egyptian archaeology.