In 2006, archaeologists discovered the remains of an Ancient Egyptian trading ship in a desert cave near the Red Sea. The ship was loaded with gypsum-covered wooden boxes labeled “Treasures from the Land of Punt.” The exact location of Punt is unknown, but it is likely the fabled kingdom was in the area of present-day Somalia, East Africa. Punt is recorded as being the source of many luxurious goods that were imported to Egypt, among them spices, ivory, resin, and animal hides.

Dr. Zahi Hawass, former Egyptian Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs, has previously said that the ancient Egyptians were masters of navigation and that they successfully conducted many long-distance sea voyages.

The ship, built around 1500 BC, during the time of the New Kingdom, belonged to the merchant fleet of Queen Hatshepsut (“The Revered One”). The vessel would have sailed from Egypt along the Red Sea to Punt on the Horn Africa.