Pelusium is located east of what is modern day Port Said. In 1910, Jean
Cledat, a French Egyptologist, came to Pelusium and made a sketch map of
the ancient city. Later in 1982 after Israel returned the Sinai Peninsula
to Egypt, another excavation of Pelusium began. This excavation was led
by Mohammed Abd El-Maksound who was the chief inspector for the North Sinai.
In 1991, the site was again under notice when it lay in the path of the
Peace Canal. Once discovered that the site was in the path of the Peace
Canal, it, along with the surrounding sites, were divided up among teams
from Egypt, Canada, Switzerland, and Britain. The surrounding sites such
as Tell el-Makhazan and Kanais were believed to be parts of a “Greater
Pelusium.” A joint Canadian-Egyptian team was assigned to excavate the
western side of the Pelusium site while the Swiss team surveyed around
Kanais and a British team surveyed around the southern side of Pelusium.
Pelusium was an ancient city, which was once located
between the two easternmost branches of the Nile. The site of Pelusium, which
is also known as Tell el-Farama, is four miles long and today is surrounded by
the soft, salt-covered mud that once held the branches of the Nile. When the
city was in use, historians had described Pelusium as a busy port city. It
once contained quays, magazines, and customs offices for the trading
activities, some of which occurred with Asia. There was also an industrial
section to the city with salt vats, pottery kilns, fish tanks, and textile
workshops. In the city, one could also find temples, baths, theaters, and
racetracks.
Aside from being a busy port city, Pelusium also
served as a military fort. During the 26th dynasty, it faced
Palestine and served as the main fortress against attacks from the east. The
written accounts of Herodotus describe Pelusium as being the land granted by
Pharaoh Psammetichus I to his Ionian and Carian mercenaries. No
seventh-century remains have yet to be found from the site to prove Herodotus
was correct. Herdotus also reports that in 525 B.C.E. the Persian army led by
Cambyses defeated Pharaoh Psamtik III at Pelusium. So far, though, there have
been no archaeological evidence unearthed to support Herdotus’ accounts. What
was unearthed at the site was a twenty-acre fortress. In the fortress there
were thirty-six towers, three gates, and seven-foot-thick walls. It has been
dated by the Egyptian and German experts to be from the late 6th
century C.E. The destruction by fire can still be seen in traces on the
fortress, which may have been caused by the Persian invasion of 619 C.E.
During the Graeco-Roman period, the city of Pelusium
served as a major production and export station since it was on the trade route
to the Red Sea. The city exported salted fish and garum, or fish sauce. This
was also when the city was known for its dyed linens. Pelusium also imported
items from the Mediterranean such as wine, honey, and oil. This changed,
though, and later, Sinai and Palestine became the main trade partners.
References:
“Pelusium.” Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. 2003. Encyclopaedia Britannica. 19 September 2003 http://concise.britannica.com/ebc/article?eu=400128
“Pelusium: Gateway to Egypt” Krzysztof Grzymaski http://www.archaeology.org/online/features/pelusium. 19 September 2003
“Pelusium” http://www.1upinfo.com/encyclopedia/P/Pelusium.html 19 September 2003
Written by Sara Hoadley