The subject of this paper is the range of potential mechanisms for travel along the Mediterranean coast, from the western edge of the Nile Delta towards Cyrenaica. More specifically, it is concerned with the ways in which travel along this stretch of coast in the period from c. 1300-1150 BC may have been affected by the presence of Zawiyet Umm el-Rakham, an Egyptian fortress-town 300 km west of the Nile Delta, founded (and probably abandoned) during the reign of Ramesses II. The problems of transit through the region are examined, especially the nature of the supply-chain for the large Zawiyet Umm el-Rakham garrison, and Egyptian evidence relating to the question of the possible mass-migration along the Marmarican coast of Libyan groups during the Ramesside Period.

This paper discusses the surviving traces of the roads linking the Hatnub travertine quarries in Egypt’s Eastern Desert with the Nile Valley from the Old Kingdom to the Late Period. This archaeological evidence is placed in the context of texts and images, primarily from the Old and Middle Kingdoms, that relate to transportation of travertine blocks. The paper also uses archaeological and textual evidence to consider the extent to which the quarried stone was already worked into finished objects prior to transportation along the road.

Rivers, changeable features of earth surface and in the meantime fixed conspicuous elements of any landscape, have been chiefly chosen by human settlements as natural corridors for their expansion, trade and culture. Nile is a paradigmatic example of such a twofold function of water courses, having created with its peculiar regime of discharge suitable conditions for the development of a great civilization which played a central role in the man history. Significant examples of geo-archaeological researches, conducted for more than 20 years along the Nile valley, will be reported and commented, taking into account their representativeness and distribution in time and space.

This article deals with the results of the 2012 fieldwork in the Central-Eastern Desert of Egypt and the studies in progress on some of the major related subjects. The project - promoted by the Italian Embassy in Egypt and directed by Irene Bragantini - is a joint collaboration of different Italian and Egyptian institutions (Università degli Studi di Napoli “L’Orientale”, University of Cairo, Faculty of Geology, and University of Helwan, Faculty of Archaeology), and is aimed at investigating the central area of the Eastern Desert. The cooperation between archaeologists and geologists aims at conducting a geo-archaeological survey of the region in order to investigate the natural resources, their exploitation in the different periods, and the economic and commercial potential of the area. The methodology followed and the problems confronted with, demanded in fact the cooperation of different scientific grounds in order to reconstruct a geo-economic landscape. The Archaeological activity is sponsored by UNO and the Ministero Italiano degli Affari Esteri (MAE). The technical instrumentation for graphic and photographic records is provided by CISA (Centro Interdipartmentale di Servizi per l’Archeologia of UNO). The area to be investigated is that part of the Eastern Desert which extends just east of the Theban region, an area extremely important in almost all the periods of the Egyptian history; the zone is located in a strategic position because of the roads which bound the Nile Valley to the Red Sea (where they are closest to one another), and the geological nature of the area, characterized by a large outcrop of pre-Cambrian basement, which brought to the location of numerous rock quarries (particularly igneous), used for Egyptian architecture and statuary, and mines of different metals such as gold, copper, lead, iron and talc. In Roman period, the imperial administration has put on and maintained a complex system, in order to control the exploitation of the natural resources and the commercial potential of the area: the joint archaeological activity plans to investigate this system, in order to “read” the landscape on the basis of its natural resources. The northern limits of the grant includes the Wadi Hamamah, while the southern passes to the north of Wadi Hammamat, a way that - because of its importance and of the very numerous inscriptions and rock carvings scattered along most of its course - has been much studied in the past as well as in more recent times. Therefore we can regard the area as limited northwards and southwards by numerous other archaeological projects of surveys and excavations conducted by Institutions of different countries; one may mention the investigations on Mons Claudianus and Mons Porphyrites to the North, and the whole area from Qoptos to Qusseir and Qusseir al Qadim to the South.

This paper aims at introducing the general subject of this book, both formally and theoretically, by addressing the various regional, historical and methodological case studies presented in the contributions. Starting from the specific character of ancient road traces in barren regions, and considering the various methods how to study and analyse them, it is argued for establishing an archaeology of desert roads as a new, multifaceted field of research. It is implicit that such an approach has strong links to the archaeologies of mobility and nomadic people, yet it highlights a special kind of mobility, as well as a pronounced multi-disciplinary character, facing the various sources and aspects of the theme. Keywords: communication, journey, landscape, mobility, traffic, trade, transportation, linear structure, trail, path, route network, conservation

This article deals with the results of the 2012 fieldwork in the Central-Eastern Desert of Egypt and the studies in progress on some of the major related subjects. Information on other subjects, still waiting for future analyses and studies (Site 2: a ancient - ? - square shaped well; Site 5-6: petroglyphs sites and Site 10: Umm el Howeitat el Bahri) can be found in Bragantini, Pirelli (2012). For a short report see also Bragantini, Pirelli (2013). The Italian project in the Central-Eastern Desert - promoted by the Italian Embassy in Egypt and directed by Irene Bragantini - is a joint project of different Italian and Egyptian institutions (Università degli Studi di Napoli “L’Orientale”, University of Cairo, Faculty of Geology, and University of Helwan, Faculty of Archaeology), and is aimed at investigating the central area of the Eastern Desert1. The cooperation between archaeologists and geologists aims at conducting a geoarchaeological survey of the region, in order to investigate the natural resources, the exploitation in the different periods, and the economic and commercial potential of the area. The methodology we want to follow and the problems we will be confronted with, demand in fact the cooperation of different scientific fields in order to reconstruct a geo-economic landscape.