The oases of Kharga and Dakhla have been linked administratively from ancient times into the present. This chapter presents a study of the two main physical routes that connected the two oases: the Darb al-Ghubari and the Darb Ain Amur. Cairns, tracks, rock art, inscriptions, ceramics, and other small finds serve to identify the tracks and stopping points along the way. These paths, particularly the Darb Ain Amur, evolved over time, reflecting the changing environment and modes of transport that were used to make the journey from pharaonic to Roman times.

This chapter presents the ceramic data collected in the field and participate to understand the role and place of the site of El-Deir in the Western Desert commercial network in Roman times. In order to have a better comprehension of the economic importance of the north of the Kharga Oasis during Roman times, ceramic material from the exploration of three sites has been studied: the Naqb Abu Sighawal track, connecting El-Deir to Girga in the Nile Valley; the Roman fortress and its vicinity; the agricultural plots of El-Deir. This study shows El-Deir as a reception and redistribution center between the Kharga Oasis and the Nile Valley and the Mediterranean space to a lesser extent, from the Late Period but especially from the Ptolemaic period and during Early Roman times. This role as reception point influenced the agricultural landscape, which has been gradually transformed from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture, with a fortress used as checkpoint, caravanserai, and storage place.