Researchers have identified ancient rock inscriptions in the Sinai Desert, in a dry area called Wadi Khamila, in the southwest of the peninsula
These inscriptions, approximately 5,000 years old, provide direct evidence of how ancient Egypt dominated and controlled the region during its early history.
Among the images found is a representation of a boat, a common symbol in ancient Egyptian art that often indicated naval power or expeditions.
There is also the name of a pharaoh that has been deliberately erased, a practice known in later periods when new rulers sought to eliminate the legacy of their predecessors.
These features point to an Egyptian military or expansion campaign in Sinai, a strategic area due to its trade routes, mineral resources (such as copper and turquoise), and its role as a corridor between Egypt and the Levant.
The discovery reinforces what texts and archaeological findings already suggested: from the earliest Egyptian dynasties, pharaohs sent expeditions and established a presence in Sinai to protect their economic and military interests.
The engravings, preserved in the rocks of the dry valley, offer a rare perspective on how these ancient rulers demarcated territories and recorded their victories in stone.
This type of find helps specialists to better reconstruct the history of the interaction between Egypt and neighboring regions in the early Bronze Age, demonstrating that control over Sinai was not something recent, but dated back millennia.
Published in 02/04/2026 00h19
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.
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