Geoarchaeological results from the harbor of Taposiris and implications concerning the construction of the harbor
Résumé
The harbor of Taposiris was once a gateway to Egypt during the Roman period, and possibly even as early as the Hellenistic period. Built on the northern shore of Lake Mariout, the probable harbor was separated from the lake by a long artificial levee. A channel provided a link between the lake and the closed area that would have encircled the harbor basin. Our geoarchaeological study revealed a brackish environment influenced by the phreatic level and the Canopic branch that provided fresh water. The generally silty sediments proved to be difficult to analyze and contained few elements for discrimination between natural lake deposits and man-altered harbor deposits. A numerical model of circulation of water masses has been used to discern the spatial distribution of currents and the most active zonation for sediment re-suspension. This model emphasizes the fact that only very fine particles could reach and be deposited in the area of Taposiris. Our study illustrates the fact that the most striking element of the harbor (the EW levee) was entirely man-made and did not take advantage of any apparent natural feature. The bottom of the lake was more or less flat and devoid of any preexisting underwater ridge that could have facilitated the construction of the levee.