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Wa He was one of the two COMPANIONS OF THE DIVINE
HEART, associated with the cosmogonic traditions of
Egypt and with the cult of the god Ré. AAwas the other
companion.

wabt This was the site of embalming, located either in
the VALLEY TEMPLESof the pyramids in the royal mortuary
complexes or in the institutions provided for this essen-
tial aspect of the funerary preparations. Also called wabet,
the “house of purification,” or PER-NEFER,“the residence
of beauty,” the sites were governed by the rituals of
purification and preparation for the actual chemical pro-
cesses of embalming.
See also MORTUARY RITUALS.

wadi An Arabic term for a gully or dried riverbed, used
in the modern designation of sites, the major wadi loca-
tions in ancient Egypt include
Wadi Abbada site east of Edfu in Upper Egypt,
where gold mining operations were conducted in the
New Kingdom Period (1550–1070 B.C.E.). SETI I (r.
1306–1290 B.C.E.) erected residential compounds and
wells for workers there, as well as a temple. The gold
mine in the site was given to the temple of Abydos in a
special decree.
Wadi Abul Suffiana Nagada Predynastic cultural site
at HIERAKONPOLIS. Black tipped and polished red ware was
discovered there, as well as feline pottery masks, straw-
tempered vessels, and a cylinder vessel. The skeletal
remains of four humans and a cow were buried on the site.
See also EGYPT.
Wadi Alakia site near QUBANat the second cataract
of the Nile in NUBIA(modern Sudan), favored for its gold

resources. Wadi Alaki underwent repairs and restoration

in the reign of RAMESSES II(1290–1224 B.C.E.), and other

pharaohs of the Nineteenth Dynasty also restored the

area. Ramesses II dug a well on the site to aid the work-

ers. He also reopened shafts of previous mines to further

enhance the output.

Wadi es-Sebuaa site south of ASWAN in NUBIA,

which was excavated and moved to save it from rising

waters caused by the Aswan High Dam. RAMESSES II(r.

1290–1224 B.C.E.) erected a temple there honoring RÉ

and his own deified person. An avenue of SPHINXESwas

part of the temple design, as well as rock-cut interiors,

courts, vestibules, a sanctuary, engaged statues, and two

colossi of Ramesses II.

Wadi Garawia site south of HOLWAN, in the south-

ern suburb of modern Cairo. The remains of a dam used

in quarrying processes for the area’s stone resources were

uncovered there. A stonecutter’s settlement ruins were

also removed from the site.

Wadi Gasusa site on the coast of the Red Sea near

KOPTOS, called the area of SEWEWby the Egyptians. An

Eighteenth Dynasty (1550–1307 B.C.E.) stela was found

at Wadi Gasus, as well as a text from the Middle King-

dom Period (2040–1640 B.C.E.). This site was used in all

historical periods as a starting point for expeditions to

PUNT. The Egyptians lost some officials in the region,

victims of hostile attacks, but the wadi and other impor-

tant sites in the area were kept guarded by Egyptian mili-

tary units in the New Kingdom Period (1550–1070

B.C.E.).

Wadi Halfaa site south of ABU SIMBEL, near the

second cataract of the Nile in NUBIA(modern Sudan),

considered a strategic defensive position in many eras.