Situated in the Sinai Desert, the Tell Abu Saifi archaeological site is known as ancient Egypt’s “Fortress of the East” for its extensive military infrastructure. New excavations at the site are further illuminating the area’s strategic importance during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods.
New Findings Reveal “Secrets of Eastern Egypt’s Military Fortifications”
Archaeologists at the Tell Abu Saifi site in the northern Sinai Desert discovered new details about two previously identified military fortresses from ancient Egypt‘s Ptolemaic and Roman periods. They also unearthed a strategic defensive trench, living quarters for soldiers and their families, and a limestone-paved road. Stretching 36 feet wide and 330 feet long, the road leads from the eastern gate of the Roman-period fortress into the center of the Tell Abu Saifi site. It would have been used by ancient military units traveling to the fortress.
Over 500 circular clay pits were found lining the road. These were most likely used to plant trees that once lined the entrance to the fortress during the Ptolemaic period. Sherif Fathy, Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, said the excavation is “providing new insights into the defensive infrastructure that protected Egypt’s eastern borders during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. It sheds light on the secrets of Eastern Egypt’s military fortifications.”
Military and Industrial Significance of Tell Abu Saifi
The latest archaeological findings at the Tell Abu Saifi site reaffirm the region’s strategic importance in ancient times. During the Ptolemaic period (332 to 30 BCE), the “Fortress of the East” and its surroundings in the Sinai Desert served as “Egypt’s eastern gateway and first line of defense,” according to Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary-general of the Egyptian Council of Antiquities.
Alongside the military infrastructure, archaeologists found four large kilns at the Tell Abu Saifi site. These were used for producing quicklime, which indicates the site’s transformation into a primarily industrial hub by the end of the Roman period (30 BCE to 642 CE). Archaeologists also unearthed four corners of a structure that may belong to a fortress from an even earlier period. The team is still working to verify the dates and purpose of these remains.
