Dakhla Oasis
Dakhla Oasis
الواحات الداخلة | |
---|---|
Oasis | |
UTC+2 (EST ) | |
Capital | 'Ain Basil (Balat) (c. 2500 BCE-c. 1500 BCE) Mut (c. 1500 BCE- ) |
Dakhla Oasis or Dakhleh Oasis (
Etymology
The Arabic (singular) word واحة means a green spot in the desert or in a barren [1].
History
Prehistory
The first contacts between the pharaonic power and the oases started around 2550 BCE. The human history of this oasis started during the Pleistocene, when nomadic tribes settled sometimes there, in a time when the Sahara climate was wetter and where humans could have access to lakes and marshes. But about 6,000 years ago, the entire Sahara became drier, changing progressively into a hyper-arid desert (with less than 50 mm of rain per year). However, specialists think that nomadic hunter-gatherers began to settle almost permanently in the oasis of Dakhleh in the period of the Holocene (about 12,000 years ago), during new, but rare episodes of wetter times.
In fact, the drier climate didn't mean that there was more water than today in what is now known as the Western Desert. The south of the Libyan Desert has the most important supply of subterranean water in the world through the Nubian Aquifer, and the first inhabitants of the Dakhla Oasis had access to surface water sources. In the third millennium BC the probably nomadic people of the Sheikh Muftah culture lived here.
Pharaonic period
During the late
Deir el-Hagar
Deir el-Hagar, (
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Gateway of the temple
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Roman emperor as pharaoh making offerings to Isis and Osiris
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Graffiti of Sarapammon with ram and baboon
Qasr ad-Dakhla
The fortified Islamic town of Qasr ad-Dakhla or el-Qasr (
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General view of Qasr el-Dakhla
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Streets of Al-Qasr
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Abuyyid minaret
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Lintel in Qasr el-Dakhla
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Hieroglyphic inscriptions
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Inside the Nasr el-Din mosque
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Clay house
After 1800
Sir
Recent discoveries
In August 2017, archaeologists from the
Some of the tombs are completely large containing several burial chambers, while one tomb has a roof built in the shape of a pyramid and some of them with vaulted roofs.[10]
Geography
Dakhla Oasis consists of several communities, along a string of sub-oases. The main settlements are Mut (more fully Mut el-Kharab and anciently called Mothis), El-Masara, Al-Qasr, together with several smaller villages.
Climate
Dakhla Oasis has a
Climate data for Dakhla | |||||||||||||
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Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 33.2 (91.8) |
40.1 (104.2) |
44.8 (112.6) |
46.1 (115.0) |
48.0 (118.4) |
49.5 (121.1) |
45.2 (113.4) |
45.5 (113.9) |
45.2 (113.4) |
44.2 (111.6) |
39.3 (102.7) |
32.9 (91.2) |
49.5 (121.1) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 21.5 (70.7) |
24.0 (75.2) |
28.1 (82.6) |
33.6 (92.5) |
37.3 (99.1) |
38.9 (102.0) |
39.0 (102.2) |
38.4 (101.1) |
36.4 (97.5) |
32.9 (91.2) |
27.1 (80.8) |
22.8 (73.0) |
31.7 (89.1) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 12.0 (53.6) |
14.2 (57.6) |
18.3 (64.9) |
23.6 (74.5) |
28.4 (83.1) |
30.8 (87.4) |
30.9 (87.6) |
30.4 (86.7) |
28.4 (83.1) |
24.3 (75.7) |
18.1 (64.6) |
13.7 (56.7) |
22.8 (73.0) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 3.5 (38.3) |
5.1 (41.2) |
8.7 (47.7) |
13.4 (56.1) |
18.3 (64.9) |
21.6 (70.9) |
22.3 (72.1) |
21.6 (70.9) |
20.2 (68.4) |
16.2 (61.2) |
9.9 (49.8) |
5.3 (41.5) |
13.8 (56.8) |
Record low °C (°F) | −3.9 (25.0) |
−3.8 (25.2) |
−0.8 (30.6) |
2.1 (35.8) |
7.4 (45.3) |
12.4 (54.3) |
15.4 (59.7) |
15.2 (59.4) |
12.2 (54.0) |
7.7 (45.9) |
1.0 (33.8) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
−3.9 (25.0) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 |
Average relative humidity (%)
|
47 | 41 | 35 | 29 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 31 | 36 | 43 | 47 | 34.4 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 294.5 | 279.7 | 316.2 | 315.0 | 356.5 | 366.0 | 384.4 | 375.1 | 336.0 | 328.6 | 300.0 | 291.4 | 3,943.4 |
Mean daily sunshine hours | 9.5 | 9.9 | 10.2 | 10.5 | 11.5 | 12.2 | 12.4 | 12.1 | 11.2 | 10.6 | 10.0 | 9.4 | 10.8 |
Source 1: NOAA[11] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: Arab Meteorology Book (sun)[12] |
Dakhleh Oasis Project
The Dakhleh Oasis Project (DOP) is a long-term study project of the Dakhleh Oasis and the surrounding palaeoasis, initiated in 1978 when the Royal Ontario Museum and the Society for the Study of Egyptian Antiquities were awarded a joint concession for part of the Oasis.[13] In 1979, the Centre for Archaeology and Ancient History at Monash University began to cooperate in the project.[1]
The DOP studies the interaction between environmental changes and human activity in the Dakhleh Oasis.[14] The excavations at Ismant el-Kharab (ancient Kellis),[15] Mut el-Kharab (ancient Mothis),[16] Deir Abu Metta and Muzawwaqa[17] were undertaken with the cooperation of Monash University. The DOP has also excavated at 'Ain el-Gazzareen,[18] El Qasr el-Dakhil,[19] Deir el Hagar[20] and Ain Birbiyeh.[21]
In 1985, the Petroglyph Unit of the Dakhleh Oasis Project was created by
In addition, excavations were undertaken at Amheida[23] and Balat under the auspices of the IFAO.[24] In 2018, the fossilized remains of a large dinosaur were discovered here.[25] In 2019, two ancient tombs were discovered at Ber El-Shaghala archaeological site, that date back to Roman Egypt.[26]
Dakhleh Trust
The Dakhleh Trust was formed in 1999 and is a
References
- ^ a b c d e "Dakleh Oasis Projects, Arts, Monash University". Monash University. September 24, 2010. Archived from the original on February 18, 2011. Retrieved 2011-02-08.
- ^ Scribes and craftsmen: the noble art of writing on clay. Archived May 29, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Feb 29, 2012; UCL Institute of Archaeology
- ^ Posener-Kriéger 1992; Pantalacci 1998.
- ^ Parkinson and Quirke 1995:20.
- ^ "TM Places". www.trismegistos.org. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
- ^ "Deir el-Hagar". egyptian monuments. March 13, 2009. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
- ^ Su (March 31, 2009). "Qasr Dakhla, Egyptian Monuments". Retrieved February 8, 2011. (blog)
- ^ August 2017, Owen Jarus 24 (August 24, 2017). "Photos: 2,000-Year-Old Tombs Found in Egyptian Oasis". livescience.com. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "2,000-year-old Roman tombs uncovered in Egypt". Deccan Herald. August 27, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
- ^ "2,000-year-old Roman tombs, artifacts and inscribed pottery discovered in Egypt". DNA India. August 27, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
- ^ "Dakhla Climate Normals 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
- ^ "Appendix I: Meteorological Data" (PDF). Springer. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
- ^ "SSEA Dakleh Oasis Project". Society for the Study of Egyption Antiquities. 2006. Archived from the original on April 16, 2009. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
- ^ Chandler, Graham (2006). "Before the Mummies: The Desert Origins of the Pharaohs". Saudi Aramco World. Vol. 57, no. 5. Aramco Services Company. p. 7. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
- ^ "Ismant el-Kharab, ancient Kellis". Monash University. November 12, 2010. Archived from the original on February 18, 2011. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
- ^ "Excavations at Mut el-Kharab, Dakhleh Oasis". Monash University. December 9, 2010. Archived from the original on February 18, 2011. Retrieved 2011-02-08.
- ^ "Deir Abu Metta and Muzawwaqa, Dakhleh Oasis". Monash University. November 5, 2010. Archived from the original on February 18, 2011. Retrieved 2011-02-08.
- ^ "'Ain el-Gazzareen". Dakhleh Trust. 2005. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
- ^ "El Qasr el-Dakhil". Dakhleh Trust. 2005. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
- ^ "Deir el Hagar". Dakhleh Trust. 2005. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
- ^ "Annual Report 2008, Ain Birbiyeh Temple Project" (PDF). Monash University. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 24, 2011. Retrieved 2011-02-08.
- ^ a b "Dakhleh Oasis". pcma.uw.edu.pl. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
- ^ NYU. "NYU Excavations at Amheida". Retrieved February 8, 2011.
- ^ l'IFAO, Cellule Web de (February 23, 2024). "IFAO - Institut français d'archéologie orientale". www.ifao.egnet.net (in French). Retrieved August 18, 2023.
- . Retrieved October 18, 2018.
- ^ "Two Ancient Tombs from the Roman Era Discovered in Egypt". Live Science. January 16, 2019. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ^ The Dakhleh Trust Retrieved May 1, 2020.
Further reading
Published works
- Boozer, A. "Archaeology on Egypt's Edge: Archaeological Research in the Dakhleh Oasis, 1819-1977" in Ancient West & East: 12: 117–156. 2013.
- Fakhry, A. The Oases of Egypt, I : Siwa Oasis, Le Caire, Amer. Univ. in Cairo Press.
- Fakhry, A. The Oases of Egypt, II: Bahriyah and Farafra Oases, Le Caire, Univ. in Cairo Press, c. 2003.
- Giddy, L. Egyptian Oases: Bahariya, Dakhla, Farafra and Kharga during Pharaonic Times, Warminster, Aris & Philips, 1987.
- Jackson, R. At Empire's Edge: Exploring Rome's Egyptian Frontier, New Haven et Londres, Yale University Press, 2002.
- Thurston, H. Island of the Blessed : the Secrets of Egypt's Everlasting Oasis, Toronto, Doubleday, 2003.
- Vivian, C. The Western Desert of Egypt: an explorer's handbook, AUC Press, le Caire, 2000.
- Wagner, G. Les oasis d'Égypte à l'époque grecque, romaine et byzantine, d'après les documents grecs, Le Caire, Recherches de papyrologie et d'épigraphie grecques, 1987.
External links
- IFAO Page for Balat Site Excavations
- Dakhla in the Old Kingdom
- Travel guide Archived February 1, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- (in German) Dākhla on Wikivoyage