The Western Nile Delta Project: Reappraising the American Survey in 1977–1983

An extensive survey conducted by W.D.E. Coulson and A. Leonard Jr. between 1977 and 1983 explored more than 30 ancient sites in an area of about 800 km2 in the western Nile Delta. The project focused on the direct hinterland of Naukratis, investigating a previously (largely) unstudied area using modern survey and excavation techniques. While other surveys were later undertaken in this part of Egypt, this survey remains a significant archaeological exploration of the region especially as many sites have since suffered significant destruction. The British Museum project aims to reassess and update in the light of current scholarly knowledge the extensive, but little published, fieldwork documentation. Covering the history of a significant region from the 3rd millennium BC to the late 1st millennium AD, this research provides insight into the scale and resolution of settlements within a dynamically changing natural landscape that was a substantial inter-cultural contact zone. This paper presents some preliminary and selected interpretations of the survey and excavations data.