Waterways, settlements and shifting power in the north-western Nile Delta

The reconstructed landscape of the north-west Nile Delta in Egypt suggests that in antiquity (c. 300 bc to the ninth century ad), the lagoons, marshes and river channels provided a watery environment that was exploited to the maximum to support the major political power centres of the time. Archaeological evidence from the lagoonal areas of Mareotis, Abuqir, Edku and Burullus as well as the main river branches of Canopus and Bolbitine–Rosetta suggests that the location of settlements may have been a key factor in the network of monitoring and control of goods and raw materials travelling from place of production to urban centres. In addition, the creation of ‘new’ administrative units, including Alexandria, confirms the significance of the control of water systems and the sustainability of the areas in which they were located with abundant agricultural and fishing resources. Only modern developments in road and rail transport have changed this ancient system. The article examines these developments from an archaeological perspective.