COMPOSITION OF HOLOCENE SEDIMENTS FROM ABANDONED PELUSIAC NILE DEPOSITS, NORTHWEST SINAI, EGYPT

Archaeological sites representing the eastern frontier of New Kingdom Egypt (c. 1479-1069 BC) are located in the NW Sinai, east of the Suez Canal near Qantara, Egypt. The paleogeography during the New Kingdom was different than the present coastal desert; the eastern delta region was influenced by active distributaries of the now abandoned Pelusiac branch of the Nile. Our objectives were to obtain textural and mineralogical compositions of Holocene sediments associated with the ancient eastern delta collected during field mapping of the area and to compare them with other Holocene sediments in the Nile system.

For textural analysis, the samples were washed to remove salts and dissolvable impurities. Hydrometer analysis was used to determine percent sand, silt, and clay. Overall, the samples are rich in sand and clay, with low silt content. Average percent of sand is 62.6% with a range of 37.6% to 86.8%, of clay 28.5% with a range of 7.3% to 59.5%, and of silt 8.8% with a range of 0% to 36.7%.

Mineralogical analysis for clays was performed by x-ray diffraction; a pipette method was used to prepare the slides. Samples were run dry and glycolated to specify clay peaks. Average percent kaolinite is 39% with a range of 28% to 55%, of smectite 44% with a range of 29% to 69%, and of illite 17% with a range of 0% to 36%.

These results are not identical, but comparable to texture and clay mineral compositions of other ancient and modern Nile fluvial deposits.