The archeological digs at Egypt's Wadi Gawasis have yielded neither mummies nor grand monuments.

But Boston University archeologist Kathryn Bard and her colleagues are uncovering the oldest remnants of seagoing ships and other relics linked to exotic trade with a mysterious Red Sea realm called Punt.

"They were the space launches of their time,'' Bard said of the epic missions to procure wondrous wares.