Tell el-Maskhuta e il Canale dei Faraoni: novità dagli scavi CNR-ISPC

Tell el-Maskhuta is an archaeological site located in the eastern part of the Wadi Tumilat (Eastern Delta, about 17 km west of Ismailiya), investigated for several years by the Multidisciplinary Egyptological Mission of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR-MEM), Institute of Heritage Science (ISPC). CNR-MEM works at Tell el-Maskhuta using advanced technologies, such as geophysical surveys and the implementation of numerical models of the tell and its structures. This approach allows for highly precise documentation of the archaeological site. Tell el-Maskhuta, identified as the ancient city of Tjeku and located not far from the Suez Canal, hides a vast ancient city whose importance stems from its position along the Wadi Tumilat, on Egypt’s northeastern border, along one of the most important routes to Palestine. Furthermore, in ancient times, a navigable canal – the so-called Canal of the Pharaohs or Canal of the Two Seas – was dug along the Wadi Tumilat to connect the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, like the Suez Canal today. The site, first investigated in 1883 by Édouard Naville, was recognized by him as the biblical Pithom, as the remains of a temple of Atum were found there. In some inscriptions, in fact, alongside the name Tjeku, the name pr-ἰtm – house/temple of Atum – appears, which in the Septuagint version becomes Pithom. Ancient Tjeku was a large city, prosperous due to international trade. Parts of a massive enclosure wall (about 200 m per 300 m) have been excavated, with some sections preserved at their full height. The northern side of the enclosure has remarkable dimensions, reaching at least 28 m in thickness. During recent excavation campaigns, a large ramp was found, extending from the top of the enormous northern wall downwards. It has been documented so far for about 40 m in width but has not yet been completely excavated. Additionally, a large dump of Roman amphorae was found, only partially excavated which lies partly on the large ramp. The dump provides valuable data on ancient trade and suggests the proximity of a port on the navigable canal. The best-documented type among the amphorae so far is classified as AE 3-2. Some specimens, of Egyptian production, were found in good condition and still contain material that is hoped to be analysed soon. These amphorae are dated between the late 1st and 2nd centuries AD. Below the ramp, Ptolemaic pottery was also found. The large northern wall has thus been identified as a civil infrastructure of the port on the navigable canal, datable to the time of Ptolemy II, whose interventions in the city and in relation to the navigable canal are well documented by the so-called Pithom Stele. The canal in Roman times must have been nearby, probably a little further north. CNR-MEM performed coring in the depression north of the ramp to verify the paleoenvironment and the presence of a watercourse. Field sedimentological investigations have identified six primary lithological units, each representing distinct environmental phases. Overall, these stratigraphic units indicate dynamic paleoenvironmental changes in the Wadi Tumilat area, ranging from high-energy fluvial conditions to stable alluvial plain environments. These findings reveal a complex network of water resources, emphasizing the strategic role of Tjeku as a commercial centre. In conclusion, recent campaigns have uncovered new and significant data regarding the course of the ancient navigable canal that connected the Mediterranean and the Red Sea in antiquity, specifically during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods.