by part of the Egyptian economy
the Stone quarries in ancient Egypt It once produced high-quality stone for building decorative monuments such as sculptures and obelisks. These quarries are now recognized archaeological sites. Eighty percent of the ancient quarry sites are located in the Nile Valley; Some of them have disappeared under the waters of Lake Nasser, and others have been lost due to modern mining activity.
Some of the sites are well identified, and the chemical composition of their stones is well known, allowing the geographic origin of most monuments to be traced using petrographic techniques, including neutron activation analysis.
In June 2006, the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt established a new department for the preservation of ancient quarries and mines in Egypt. The new division is designed to work in close collaboration with SCA’s regional offices, and SCA’s own training programmes Antiquities inspectors It will be implemented to enable regional authorities to process inventories, documentation, risk assessment and management of quarries and old mines.
This article details some of the most important ancient quarry sites in Egypt.
Aswan quarries[edit]
The Aswan Quarries are located along the Nile River in the city of Aswan. There are a number of well-known sites: Shallal, formed by the northern and southern quarries within an area of about 20 km2 (7.7 square miles) on the West Bank, and the islands of Elephantine and Suhail. One of the well-known directors of the Aswan sites was Hori during the reign of Ramesses III. At present, the quarry area is set to become an open-air museum.[1]
Known typical materials from this site are:
Some of the known relics that come from this site are:
Red Mountain[edit]
Red Mountain[4] It is located near Cairo on the eastern bank of the Nile, near the suburb of Heliopolis. The name means Red Mountain. The site was in full production at the time of Amenhofis III, Akhenaten, Tutankhamun, and Ramesses III. The quarry was run by Hui, known as the “King’s Chief”, as well as Hori.
Known typical materials from this site are:
Some of the known relics that come from this site are:
series[edit]
Gebel al-Silsilah or Gebel al-Silsilah is located 64 km (40 mi) north of Aswan along the banks of the Nile River. It was a very well-known quarrying area throughout ancient Egypt due to the quality of the building stone quarried there. The site is considered a rich archaeological area, with temples excavated directly into the hills. An example is the rock temple of Horemheb on the West Bank. Many of the monuments here bear the inscriptions of Hatshepsut, Amenhotep II, Ramses II, Merneptah, and Ramesses III. The stone quarries and temples here can be seen from boats on the Nile.
Some of the known relics that come from this site are:
These quarries are located 8 km (5.0 mi) north of Edfu.
Some of the known relics that come from this site are:
Hammamet Valley[edit]
Wadi El Hammamet is a quarried area located in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. This site is referred to because it is described on the first known ancient topographical map, the Turin Papyrus, which describes a quarrying expedition prepared for Ramesses IV.
Known typical materials from this site are:
And Dan the Persians[edit]
Wadan al-Faras is located on Jabal al-Qatrani in Fayoum, 60 km (37 mi) southwest of Cairo in the Western Desert. The quarries area in the north of the Fayoum desert includes the basalt quarries of Umm Al-Sawan and Wadan Al-Faras, both of which were exploited in the early third millennium BC.[7]
Known typical materials from this site are:
Mokattam Hills[edit]
The Mokattam Hills is a site located near the city of Memphis.
Known typical materials from this site are:
Amarna[edit]
The site of Amarna is located at a short distance from Amarna.
Known typical materials from this site are:
The site is located a few kilometers from Idahit, in an arid desert area. It was abandoned during the Middle Kingdom.
Known typical materials from this site are:
Jabal Abu Dukhan[edit]
The location of Jebel Abu Dukhan, near the modern city of Hurghada on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, was of particular importance to the Roman Empire. Pliny the Elder natural history It is stated that the “imperial porphyry” was discovered at an isolated site in Egypt in the year 18 AD by a Roman legionnaire named Caius Comenius Lugas. The location of the site, known to the Romans as Mons Porphyrites, was lost for centuries until it was rediscovered in the 19th century. It is the only source of imperial marble in the world.
Known typical materials from this site are:
Some of the known relics that come from this site are:
Koptos is located in Rohanou Valley.
Known typical materials from this site are:
Qurna is located near Thebes. It was an active site during the reign of Amenhotep III.
Known typical materials from this site are:
other sites[edit]
Other important quarry sites include:
References[edit]
external links[edit]
