ʿAin ʿAskar - ʿAin ʿAskar

Landscape in ʿAin ʿAskar. The Qurn Gināḥ rises in the background
ʿAin ʿAskar · ‏عين عسكر‎
Governorate	New valley
height	42 m
no tourist info on Wikidata:
location
ʿAin ʿAskar

'Ain' Askar (Arabic:عين عسكر‎, ʿAin ʿAskar, „Army source") Or 'Ain el-'Askar (Arabic:عين العسكر‎, ʿAyn al-ʿAskar) is the name of a source and the associated ordered country in the egyptian Sink el-Chārga in the north of Qaṣr el-Ghuweiṭa and south of the sandstone rock Qurn Gināḥ. The ancient remains of a Roman settlement and a settlement from the Second Intermediate Period were found in the vicinity of the spring. The latter, used by archaeologists now Umm Mawāgīr is currently the only site from this period in the El-Chārga depression.

background

The area of ​​ʿAin ʿAskar is north of the road leading to the temples of Qaṣr el-Ghuweiṭa and Qaṣr ez-Zaiyān about halfway between Qaṣr el-Ghuweiṭa and the Qurn Gināḥ. The area is about 400 meters from north to south and 300 meters wide. The source that gave it its name has silted up today. However, there is still water from new wells to irrigate the local palm garden, which belongs to the el-Muʿizz family from the city of el-Chārga.

It has been known since the 19th century that the site could be archaeologically interesting. The Briton George Alexander Hoskins (1802–1863) found underground qanats from Roman times in the plains of the Qurn Ginā as early as 1832, from sources in the area of ​​the village Gināḥ were fed.^[1]

The local antiquities authority (Egyptian Antiquities Organziation) under the direction of Bahgat Ahmed Ibrahim and Magdi Hussein Mohammed had the site examined in 1997 as part of an excavation season. Two cemeteries were found, one from the Roman period in the west and one from the Second Intermediate Period in the northeast. In the north, traces of settlement from these two epochs could also be detected. The dating was based on the pottery found here.^[2]

The local antiquities administration recommended John Coleman Darnell of Yale University and director of the Theban Desert Road Survey / Yale Toshka Desert Survey digging at this point as they were looking for evidence of the end of the Middle Kingdom and the times in between. It was already known from documents from the Middle Kingdom that at least officials were active in the El-Chārga depression. The first excavation results were able to provide archaeological evidence of the settlement of the depression at this time.

Settlement remains from this period were uncovered and examined over an area of ​​around 10 × 10 meters. The most spectacular result was the discovery of a bakery with two large ovens in the form of bread molds or baking troughs, so that the excavators gave this small area the modern name Umm Mawāgīr (Arabic:أم مواجير‎, „Mother of all forms of bread") gifts. Such forms (singular Arabic:ميجار‎, Mīǧār, Plural Arabic:مواجير‎, Mawāgīr) are still in use today in some of the families living here. On the basis of these first finds, it was immediately postulated that it was a trading town that was about 1000 meters long (north-south) and 250 meters wide and in which several thousand people lived. There are large administrative buildings. The bakeries were big enough to produce food for the troops stationed there. But the latter still has to be verified.

A modern form of bread, a mīǧār. At the upper edge it has a diameter of about 50 centimeters.

The settlement was probably founded in the Middle Kingdom and existed until the New Kingdom. It flourished at the end of the Middle Kingdom and in the Second Intermediate Period. An important trade route that Darb el-Arbaʿīn in the area of ​​today's trunk road, passed the settlement a short distance away.^[3] Apart from the newspaper reports, no scientific publications have been submitted so far.

getting there

You can get to this site by car or taxi. You drive from the city el-Chārga coming on the trunk road to Bārīsuntil you come to a signposted after approx. 18 kilometers 25.29530.5452781 Branch(25 ° 17 '42 "N.30 ° 32 '43 "E) went east to Qaṣr el-Ghuweiṭa. The vehicle can be parked in the area of ​​the guard house on the north side of the street.

Note: You should give the taxi driver the destination ʿAin ʿAskar. The locals do not know the modern name Umm Mawāgīr.

mobility

The terrain can only be explored on foot. The ground often consists of loose sand.

Tourist Attractions

Old well of ʿAin ʿAskar

Parts of the ancient settlement of Umm Mawāgīr

The entire area is currently still being scientifically examined by Yale University, so viewing it is not yet easy. It makes sense to coordinate a visit with the local antiquities inspector or the antiquities administration in el-Chārga in advance.

You may be accompanied by a local supervisor, who will of course be happy about a baksheesh.

Perhaps it makes sense to visit the old one Source ʿAin ʿAskar and the landscape, as they are actually more spectacular than the excavation area. The well, which has now fallen dry, is about 500 meters north of the road. A ditch in the north of the site leads to the old one 25.2972530.5592781 Fountain(25 ° 17 ′ 50 ″ N.30 ° 33 '33 "E.)who was in a house made of limestone blocks. The palm garden is located southeast of the fountain.

To the east of the guard house, about 170 meters north of the road, there is a small, about 10 × 10 meter area, the actual 25.29419430.5588332 Umm Mawāgīr(25 ° 17 ′ 39 ″ N.30 ° 33 '32 "E.) on which the floor plans of adobe buildings emerge. As inconspicuous as this area may be, the finds from the Second Intermediate Period represent an important link in the pharaonic history of the valley.

Kitchen and accommodation

Usually, people choose accommodation and a restaurant in town el-Chārga.

trips

The visit of the local site can be compared to that of the temple complexes of Qaṣr el-Ghuweiṭa and Qaṣr ez-Zaiyān connect.

Web links

• Theban Desert Road Survey / Yale Toshka Desert Survey, Yale University

Individual evidence

This is a complete article as the community envisions it. But there is always something to improve and, above all, to update. When you have new information be brave and add and update them.

25 ° 17 '42 "N. 30 ° 33 '36 "E