Emily Chan
The location would have put troops in the best position to confront groups approaching the Nile Delta from the western desert or by the Mediterranean Sea.
“It’s an important discovery for understanding the strategy and especially the logistics of Egypt’s military under Ramesses II,” said Peter Brand, a history professor and director of the Karnak Great Hypostyle Hall Project at the University of Memphis in Tennessee. He was not involved with the excavations.
Other military sites built by Ramesses II have been discovered in northwest Egypt, but they are not as well-preserved as the barracks.
According to Brand, the weaponry at the barracks suggested that the soldiers were armed and prepared to fight. They may have even been able to produce weapons at the site.
The existence of the military barracks also corresponded with historical texts that described how a group called the Libyans was becoming a formidable threat to Egypt. So, the fortress was erected to control who could enter Egypt.
Since the barracks were well-stocked with weapons, the soldiers may have been successful at fending off invasions. However, if that is the case, it is unclear why the complex was abandoned with so many valuable items.
