The project commenced with Prof. Abel Minim Abel Harlem Eli-Slayed’s visit to the Mersa/Wadi Gawasis area, aiming to find traces of commercial activities linked to this ancient Egyptian departure point for voyages to the Land of Punt. At the start of this century, a collaborative effort between the University of Naples and Boston University initiated archaeological investigations, resulting in the discovery of several caves that served as living quarters and storage for shipbuilding materials. Currently, the University of Naples is independently advancing research in this region. My master’s degree focused on fastening methods in ancient Egyptian shipbuilding from the Early Dynastic to the Late period, which is why I am involved in this mission. This site is particularly important to me as it pertains to maritime activities during the Pharaonic era, with the discovery of ship planks being crucial for my thesis, which catalogues ships from that period, including those from Wadi Gawasis, primarily dating to the Middle Kingdom. These discoveries have shed light on the construction and fastening methods employed in ancient shipbuilding.

This opportunity allowed me to connect with archaeologists, and I felt truly privileged to gain extensive knowledge from their expertise. Moreover, being involved in a site of considerable historical and archaeological significance, especially in the realm of underwater archaeology, deeply influenced my interaction with the underwater artifacts I examined firsthand. This experience also improved my proficiency in utilizing contemporary tools for documentation, particularly through 3D models, which is expected to produce innovative outcomes in data analysis.