Speakers

Dr Basem  Gehad
Conservator, Conservation Center, Grand Egyptian Museum, Ministry of Antiquities, Egypt

Biography:

Basem Gehad Fathy is a conservation professional at the Conservation Centre of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), and a Research Fellow at the French Institute of Oriental Archaeology (IFAO). He holds an MA in conservation science of archaeology from the Faculty of Archaeology, Cairo University, and a PhD in conservation science of mural painting and archaeometric studies for painting techniques in Ancient Egypt from the Faculty of Archaeology, Cairo University. He was a member of the Abu Rawash mission of IFAO (2012/2013), the Tutankhamun project (2013), and the Dakhla Oasis Project (2011). He was also a conservator at the Italian Centre for Restoration (2003/2004), Aga Khan Cultural Centre (2005), and SCA, Tell el-Amarna (2005). He has several published papers, including Study, Restoration and Conservation of Roman Plaster at Douche Temple, Kharga Oasis, as well as An Archaeometery Study on the Oldest Boat in Egypt Dated 2950 BC.

Abstract:

Abou Rawash Boat: Preliminary Report
Mohamed Abd El-Maguid
Basem Gehad
Mohamed Ragab
Nour Badr

In 2012, a joint venture between of the IFAO and Macquarie University, revealed a boat related to the Mastaba no.M06, in the archaic cemetery (M) at Abu Rawash; the boat pit was located towards the northern side of the Mastaba, with an axis east-west. The boat's grave measures approximately 16m long and 1.5m wide. Only 6.53m long and 1.30m wide wooden planks remained forming about 55% of the hull. In situ molding/coping of the profile or the section of the pit was made using molded and reshaped wood to fit accurately with the pit shape or section. This wooden copy was taken to the laboratory in order to calculate depth, profile and curvature angel. The remains of the wooden boat, now housed in GEM, were scanned using a 2D-high-resolution scanner; the remains of the boat were then compared to most of the boat findings from Ancient Egypt; a 3D model was created based on the information, which confirms that the hull shape was a flat bottom boat, which could be found nowadays in Egypt, functioning as a means of transportation in small river canals.