Geoarchaeology of Bani Salama (Wadi El-Natrun, Egypt)

This research deals with the palaeogeography of the Bani Salama site in Wadi El Natrun depression in Egypt as one of human occupation sites in the past. The site of Bani Salama has been exploited by humans since the age of the 12th Pharaonic Dynasty (1991: 1759 BC) and through the Roman era (31 BC: 395 AD) until the seventh century. This research aims to reconstruct the palaeogeography environment in the study area during the period of human occupation in the past, and the methods that used is to get the samples from the site and then the procedure Different laboratory analyzes of these samples.
The drilling equipment was used to extract one core from the Holocene sediments at the site. The depth of the sediment core is 8 meters from the surface. The core consists mainly of three sedimentary layers: a 2-m sand layer in the lower part, a 3-m lacustrine layer in the middle, and a third layer of marshy silts deposited in the first 3 meters of the core. Eight samples have been radiocarbon dated along this core. Several laboratory analyzes were carried out on the rest of the core samples, such as dry sieving, Ostracods analysis and pollen analysis.
This study concluded with important results on the natural history of Bani Salama site. These results were linked to the Civil History of the ancient human being. This study also succeeded in reconstructing the palaeo-environment on the site. This study recommends that these results be taken into account by the executive authorities represented by the Ministries of Tourism and Antiquities, in the development of the study area, which will benefit the economic and tourist activation at Wadi El Natrun depression.