SOUTH SINAI

El-Markha 6

	Other Discoveries in El-Markha Plain:			South Sinai (El-Markha) Arabic Summary Arabic Report Bibliography Sources for El-Markha Sites 346 and 345 El-Markha 1 Project Personnel Introduction El-Markha 2 Site 346: Tell Markha El-Markha 3 Topographic Mapping El-Markha 4 Site 346: Unit B-4 & C-3 Copper Smelting Furnace El-Markha 5 Site 346 Trench & Waterfall El-Markha 6 Other discoveries in El-Markha Plain El-Markha 7 Interaction with Local Bedouin El-Markha 8 Site 345: Tell Ras Budran El-Markha 9 Site 345: Units 1 to 4 El-Markha 10 Site 345: Pottery & Artifacts Satellite Imaging Image Interpretation in El-Markha Plain
	Sites 346a and 346b: In June 2001, during a reconnaissance survey of northern El-Markha Plain, G. Mumford and S. Parcak observed two separate, small surface scatters of potsherds, which originated from amphorae identical to jar rims found at Site 346. The pottery scatters lay on higher ground, beside small wadi beds at the base of foothills, and are located 1-2 km south of Site 346, before El-Markha Plain broadens eastwards. The small pottery scatters were designated as Sites 346a and 346b, and consisted of only a dozen or so sherds apiece. South Sinai: Site 346a (Photo: G. Mumford)
	Site 346c: In July 2002, during a foot survey along the 1.78 km stretch between Site 345 (Tell Ras Budran) and Site 346 (Tell Markha), this writer observed an isolated patch of stone fragments (granite), a couple of badly weathered potsherds, and some lithics (flakes). This area lay about 500 metres south of Site 346, up to 200 metres from the Red Sea, and immediately west of the northern end of the village of Kilo Tisa. This cultural patch has been labelled Site 346c. Seh Baba: In June 2002, Reis Ayad, G. Mumford, S. Parcak, and M. Rezk visited Seh Baba, which lies on the southern side of the entrance to Wadi Baba. This site is characterized by heaps of manganese, which have long been noticed by travelers to this region. A climb to the top of a high hill beside Seh Baba revealed one wheel-made potsherd on the surface. Unfortunately, this sherd was non-diagnostic and came from the body of a medium-sized to large vessel (amphora?). The enigmatic stone structures reported by W. M. F. Petrie at Seh Baba are no longer clearly visible.

	Above: Seh Baba (Photos: G. Mumford)
	Southwestern El-Markha Plain: In July 2002, G. Mumford, S. Parcak, and M. Rezk visited the southern side of El-Markha plain, examining the area west of the modern road where Wadi Sidri fans out into multiple tributaries to the Red Sea. This area revealed multiple, small clusters of "Neolithic" to "Early Bronze Age I" sites (dated by M. Rezk), which contained definite granite grinding basins, pounders, lithics, and sporadic, small stone piles (tumuli) and small rings of stone (a little small for hut circles). The foot survey, which extended as far as the southern end of El-Markha Plain, failed to reveal any evidence for a southern pharaonic site associated with Wadi Sidra and the route to the mines at Wadi Maghara.

	Above: Neolithic to Early Bronze Age I site in southern El-Markha Plain (Photos: S. Parcak)

	Neolithic to Early Bronze Age I site in southern El-Markha Plain (Photo: G. Mumford)
	Wadi Sidra: The same group (above) also visited Wadi Sidra, observing minimal evidence for lithics along the northern hilltops lining the first few kilometers of this wadi. This wadi would repay a closer examination in the future.

	Wadi Sidra (Photos: G. Mumford)