The ancient river-port town of Naukratis was established at the end of the 7th century BC on the Canopic branch of the Nile, as a base for Mediterranean traders in the Nile Delta of Egypt. According to the Greek historian Herodotus, Naukratis once had a monopoly on Mediterranean trade coming into Egypt. The crucial maritime trade role of the site has been investigated by a British Museum fieldwork project, which started in 2012. This article presents preliminary results regarding the riverscape, riverfront infrastructure, maritime activities, and ship technology at Naukratis, with a brief discussion on how Mediterranean trade may have been organised at Naukratis during the politically and economically volatile period of ca. 600–300 BC.
