Mohamed Salama

Photogrammetry and GIS technologies are developing rapidly and becoming more affordable. They have also emerged as significant archaeological tools as a result of an increasing level of automated workflow in data acquisition and processing. Moreover, these techniques offer considerable reduction in the cost of underwater archaeological research. That is in addition to significant enhancement in research plans, management, and results, especially in extended seabed archaeological projects. Therefore, these technologies are utilized as essential aspects of the underwater archaeological research project in the site of Marsa Bagoush, Egypt. The site is located 250km west of Alexandria, and it takes the form of a bay, almost 650,000 m2. Marsa Bagoush (ancient Zygris) was mentioned by Claudius Ptolemaeus in the 2nd century AD as one of the main anchorages along the northwest coast of Egypt between Alexandria and Marsa Matrouh (ancient Paraetonium). 
This paper presents the results of the on-going digital documentation of the site which is a major part of an underwater archaeological investigation project. The paper will discuss the promising application of photogrammetry in underwater archaeology. It will also look at the integration of GIS Database techniques, which represent accurate methods of documenting topographical and archaeological elements and obtaining three‐dimensional digital models of the site and its contents.

The Sadana Island shipwreck is located c.35km south of Hurghada along the Egyptian Red Sea coast. The wreck settles at the foot the reef north of the Sadana Islands at a depth between 27m and 45m. Between 1995 and 1998 the Sadana Island shipwreck was partially excavated by the Institute of Nautical Archaeology-Egypt (INA-Egypt). During the excavation it was realized that the ship was 50 meters long, 18 meters wide, and able to carry 900 tons, and it probably dates to the 1760s. The Sadana shipwreck was probably part of a fleet of merchant vessels that operated within the Red Sea during the Ottoman period, and it sank during its voyage northwards on its way to Suez.
The excavation resulted in the discovery of a cargo of Chinese Qing Dynasty porcelain manufactured for the Middle Eastern market, large quantities of ceramic water jars, in addition to an array of organic remains such as coffee, pepper, coriander, cardamom and frankincense. More than 3,000 excavated artefacts are now in the Alexandria Conservation Laboratory for Submerged Antiquities.
However, the Sadana Island shipwreck was not fully excavated in the 90s as hundreds of artifacts were left underwater, which made it subject to looting by sport divers. Moreover, the ship's hull was not fully planned Therefore, in 2017 the Alexandria Centre for Maritime Archaeology and Underwater Cultural Heritage revisited the site of the Sadana Shipwreck in order to assess its present conditions and develop a plan of the site' management. This paper will be looking at the current situation of the Sadana Island Shipwreck and the potentials for its further study.
مترا بين عامي 1995و 1998 تمت أعمال الحفائر على جزء من حطام سفينة جزيرة سعدانة من قبل المعهد الامريکي للآثار البحرية من خلال الحفائر، تم التوصل الى أن السفينة کانت بطول50مترًا وعرض 18 مترًا وقادرة على حمل900طن، وربما يرجع تاريخها إلى ستينيات القرن التاسع عشر ربما کانت سفينة سعدانة جزء من أسطول السفن التجارية التي تعمل داخل البحر الأحمر خلال الفترة العثمانية، وغرقت أثناء رحلتها شمالا في طريقها إلى السويس.
أسفرت الحفائر عن اکتشاف مجموعة من الخزف الصيني والتي تم تصنيعها لسوق الشرق الأوسط، وکميات کبيرة من عبوات المياه الخزفية، بالإضافة إلى مجموعة من البقايا العضوية مثل القهوة والفلفل والکزبرة واللبان. يوجد الآن أکثر من 3000 قطعة فنية محفوظة في معامل ترميم الإدارة المرکزية للآثار الغارقة بالاسکندرية.
ومع ذلک، لم يتم التنقيب الکامل عن حطام سفينة جزيرة سعدانة في تسعينات القرن الماضي، حيث تُرکت مئات القطع الأثرية تحت الماء، مما جعلها عرضة للنهب من قبل غطاسين رياضيين. علاوة على ذلک، لم يکن هيکل السفينة مسجلا بالکامل.
لذلک، في عام 2017، قام مرکز الإسکندرية للآثار البحرية والتراث الثقافي الغارق بإعادة زيارة موقع حطام سفينة سعدانة من أجل تقييم ظروفه الحالية ووضع خطة لإدارة الموقع. سوف يقوم هذا البحث بعرض الوضع الحالي لحطام سفينة جزيرة سعدانة وإمکانية مواصلة دراستها.

يتناول هذا البحث استخدام تقنية الواقع الافتراضي في دراسات علم الاثار بوجع عام وعلم الاثار البحرية بوجه خاص. فعلي مدي العقدين الماضيين ظهرت فکرة  الاستعانة بتقنية الواقع الافتراضي في توثيق ثم عرض المواقع الأثرية، وتم الاستعانة بتلک التقنية في العديد من المشروعات الأثرية مثل مشروع ميناء بورتوس بايطاليا ومشروع ميناء زيا في اليونان.
من ناحية اخري ظهرت العديد من الفوائد لاستخدام تقنية الواقع الافتراضي في مجال التعليم في علم الاثار. ومن ثم، فإن البحث سوف يعرض لمميزات وعيوب تلک التقنية من حيث تطبيقاتها الأثرية مستشهدا بعدد من المشروعات التي تمت في هذا المجال سواء داخل مصر أو خارجها.  من ناحية أخري سوف يتناول البحث تطبيقات الواقع الافتراضي في المتاحف والدور التي لعبته تلک التقنيات في تطور العرض المتحفي.

In August 1968, the late pioneer Oceanographer Professor Anwar Abdel Aleem discovered a the remains of an ancient shipwreck in Marsa Bagoush, 50 kilometers east of Marsa Matrouh. As a none-archaeologist he dated the ship wreck based on the types of its cargo to the Greco-Roman period. He published a short note about his discovery in the International Journal of Nautical Archaeology. Marsa Bagoush was known in ancient times by the name Zygris. In addition, The geographer Potolemy Claudius (first century A.D) mentioned it as one of the ports that one located east to Marsa Matrouh (Praetonium). Marsa Bagoush is now the location for the annual summer camp of Alexandria University .The small bay is well protected by a rocky headland that projects from its eastern end and by a series of submerged reefs that reduces wave action inside the bay. This made the place a suitable anchorage for ships in ancient times. However, the existence of submerged reefs close to the surface represents a hazard for ships entering the bay, particularly during bad weather. In July 2015, the Alexandria Centre for Maritime Archaeology and Underwater Cultural Heritage – Faculty of Arts – Alexandria University, in collaboration with the Department of Underwater Archaeology - Ministry of Antiquities, conducted the first underwater archaeological survey in the area of Marsa Bagoush c. 250km west of Alexandria. It is the first All-Egyptian underwater archaeology mission to be conducted by an Egyptian University in Egypt since the introduction of underwater archaeology by the late Honor Frost in the early 1960’s. A number of significant underwater remains were discovered and recorded including evidence for at least four ancient and historic shipwrecks (Hellenistic, Early Roman, Islamic and pre-modern era). In 2016, and with the generous fund of the Honor Frost Foundation the CMA Alexandria started its second season of underwater survey and systematically recording the remains in situ by using 3D photogrammetry, this presentation will outline the research targets, methodology, challenges and results.