Ras El Hekma Area Analysis
1.1. Geological and geographical setting
Ras El Hekma area is a part of NW coast of Egypt, it lies on the Mediterranean Sea west of Alexandria City for about 220 km, it seems as triangle headland extending into the Mediterranean sea for about 15 km, it covers about 230 km² (Fig.1).
Fig.1: Location map of the study area and selected field surveying sites
The major geomorphic features of Ras El Hekma area are oriented in E/W direction, parallel to the present shoreline. The geology of the study area consists of parallel coastal ridges composed of aeolionites and paleosols along the recent coast line, which can be used as indicator of former shore lines. The Miocene Marmarican homoclinal plateau can be used as the southern border of the study …show more content…
“Hermaea” harbor (Fourtau,1893) or “Cap Leuke” (Muller, 1901) was located on the NE side of Ras El Hekma’s triangle, a short distance from the headland, it was constructed inside a bay and protected from the northern waves by a tombolo, and bordered to the west by some coastal dunes accumulated upon calcareous ridges, in addition to a coastal sabkha and wadi mouths (Fig.12).
At the moment some archaeological evidence were discovered by the authors in two locations in Ras El Hekma area; first location in site #2, it can be considered as a part of “Hermaea or Cap Leuke” ancient harbour, all found indicators lies under recent sea level for about 3-4 m as a result of sea level change and monoclinal subsidence, but some basaltic blocks accumulated on the shore by stormy waves (Fig.12 & 14a). The second location in site #6 at Tell El Zaytoun area, some archaeological evidence were found it can be consider for the ancient harbor were used during the II world war and Roman period
Ras El Hekma area is a part of NW coast of Egypt, it lies on the Mediterranean Sea west of Alexandria City for about 220 km, it seems as triangle headland extending into the Mediterranean sea for about 15 km, it covers about 230 km² (Fig.1).
Fig.1: Location map of the study area and selected field surveying sites
The major geomorphic features of Ras El Hekma area are oriented in E/W direction, parallel to the present shoreline. The geology of the study area consists of parallel coastal ridges composed of aeolionites and paleosols along the recent coast line, which can be used as indicator of former shore lines. The Miocene Marmarican homoclinal plateau can be used as the southern border of the study …show more content…
“Hermaea” harbor (Fourtau,1893) or “Cap Leuke” (Muller, 1901) was located on the NE side of Ras El Hekma’s triangle, a short distance from the headland, it was constructed inside a bay and protected from the northern waves by a tombolo, and bordered to the west by some coastal dunes accumulated upon calcareous ridges, in addition to a coastal sabkha and wadi mouths (Fig.12).
At the moment some archaeological evidence were discovered by the authors in two locations in Ras El Hekma area; first location in site #2, it can be considered as a part of “Hermaea or Cap Leuke” ancient harbour, all found indicators lies under recent sea level for about 3-4 m as a result of sea level change and monoclinal subsidence, but some basaltic blocks accumulated on the shore by stormy waves (Fig.12 & 14a). The second location in site #6 at Tell El Zaytoun area, some archaeological evidence were found it can be consider for the ancient harbor were used during the II world war and Roman period