Egypt - Khashm al-Minayh

The French archaeological mission that studied the Myos Hormos road from 1994 to 1997 decided in 1998 to move over to the Berenice road to excavate the small, well-preserved forts located there. The most impressive was the one designated on modern maps as Khashm al-Minayh. It is the closest to the paved road from Qift to Qusayr (making it easier for the archaeologists to receive their supplies) and its midden promised a veritable treasure trove. Khashm al-Minayh was not a virgin site, however: from 26 December 1990 to 3 January 1991, a superficial survey was completed at the site as part of a mission exploring the eastern desert, led by Professors Henry T. Wright and Sharon Herbert of the University of Michigan. The rest, however, located at a distance from current travel routes, had thankfully suffered little looting and damage. The French mission lasted three seasons, from 1998 to 2000.