Bilinen en eski hendekler [[Mısır]]'daki kazılarda ortaya çıkmıştır. [[Antik Mısır]]'ın [[Nubiya]] bölgesindeki [[Buhen]] tahkimatı bunun örneklerindendir. [[Babil]], [[Asur]] uygarlıklarında da hendek görülmüştür.
[[Image:Buhen3.jpg|thumb|300px|top|North view of the fortress of [[Buhen]] in [[Ancient Egypt]].]]
Some of the oldest evidence of moats has been uncovered around [[ancient Egypt]]ian fortresses. One example is at [[Buhen]], a fortress excavated in [[Nubia]]. Other evidence of ancient moats is found in the ruins of Babylon, and in reliefs from ancient Egypt, [[Assyria]], and other cultures in the region.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.sabi-abyad.nl/tellsabiabyad/resultaten/index/0_38/0_38/?language=en|title=Archaeology in Syria Tell Sabi Abyad}}, article on Netherlands National Museum of Antiquities website</ref><ref>{{Cite web| last = Oreddsen| first = Dag| authorlink = Dag Oredsson| title = Moats in Ancient Palestine| publisher = Almqvist & Wiksell International | date = November 2000| url = http://www.coronetbooks.com/books/m/moat8921.htm}}</ref>
