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A large ancient Egyptian fort in the northern Sinai Desert had an luxuriant landscape painting of 500 tree leading to its entrance more than 2,000 years ago , novel excavations reveal .
Archaeologists made the determination while uncovering more of a fortress that was rebuilt and modify over several centuries . The existence of the fortress has been known for decades . However , new finds by archaeologists from Egypt ’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities shed light on what the fort was like more than two millennium ago .
This area shows parts of the fortress that archaeologists are uncovering in the Sinai Desert of Egypt. It was rebuilt and modified over a period of centuries.
Located at the site of Tell Abu Saifi , the fortress was in use during the Ptolemaic period ( circa 304 to 30 B.C. ) , when Ptolemy I — a worldwide ofAlexander the Great — and his descendants ruled Egypt , and the R.C. menstruation ( circa 30 B.C. to A.D. 642 ) , whenEgyptwas a province in theRoman Empire .
They found that during the Ptolemaic period , there were 500 planting circles border with Lucius Clay on both sides of a route that led to the entrance of the fortress . These would have contained trees , the ministry say in a translatedstatement . It ’s not clean-cut what exactly the climate was like in the Sinai Desert around 2,000 years ago .
They also institute that , during Ptolemaic times , the fortress was border by a trench ( a moat ) that was more than 6.6 feet ( 2 meters ) deep . This trench would have facilitate soldier defend the fortress . The Ptolemies front a act of resister at dissimilar times , including the Seleucid Empire , theRoman Republicand rebel groups operating in Egypt .
(Image credit: Photo courtesy of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)
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These circle held trees that led up to the entry of the fortress .
The fort was in use for centuries and was rebuilt and renovated over clock time .
(Image credit: Photo courtesy of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)
The planting circle are an interesting find , Elizabeth Macaulay , a classics prof at the City University of New York Graduate Center who was not involved in the excavation , told Live Science in an e-mail .
" It is sure enough possible that clay planting circle could have been used to plant trees , " Macaulay said . " 500 trees would have been a lot , but we have evidence from papyri and archaeology for the large - scale cultivation of plant — vines , fruits , Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree — in Ptolemaic Egypt . " She noted that if the excavation squad uncover the remains of roots , it would help confirm that these lot were used for planting . It might also allow for the recognition of the tree diagram mintage .
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The archaeologists made several other breakthrough , including living quarter of soldier and perhaps their class . In increase , they unearth a stretching of route that was 328 feet ( 100 m ) long , 36 base ( 11 m ) across-the-board , and paved with limestone slabs . It would have been used for military units traveling to the fortress .
In an unexpected finding , archeologist excavate four corner of a structure that may be from an even early period . It ’s possible that this body structure is also a fortress , but the team has not been capable to date stamp it or verify its role .
Live Science contacted the archeologist who hollow the site but did not listen back by the clip of publication .
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