A OPEN PIT MINING AÇIK OCAK MADENCİLİĞİ

23 rd
Gold-Mining and Ornamental Stones Quarrying in The Wadi
Hammamat, Ancient Egypt: Geological Framework and
Techniques
M. Coli & M. Baldi
Dip. Scienze della Terra, UNIFI - Italy
ABSTRACT In this paper we outline the cultural and technical context and the geological
framework of the outstanding gold mining and prized ornamental stone quarrying activities
which were carried out in the Wadi Hammamat (‘Valley of the Baths’) in Ancient Egypt.
Quarrying and mining remains preserve traces of man’s activity and of technical skill,
therefore they represent “landscape archives” and valuable cultural heritage sites where the
traces of work, technology, organization and social life can be studied in order to hand them
down to posterity and open a window on an ancient world, almost unknown to most. The
results of our survey confirm the correctness of ancient geological knowledge as shown in the
famous Turin Mine Papyrus, and in general highlight a good knowledge of the territory, such
as the role played by the geological setting in providing materials and driving the extraction
techniques, both in the Pharaonic and Roman periods.
1 INTRODUCTION
From ancient times until today the use of
natural stone and mine resources has been a
main element for human activity. Historical
extraction sites have been lately described as
“landscape archives”: sites or areas where
the traces of work, technology, organization
and social life are preserved and where they
can be studied in order to hand them down to
posterity and open a window on an ancient
world, almost unknown to most.
In the last decades there was a renewed
interest for ancient quarry and mine
exploitation in the scientific community,
public administrations and in the area of the
cultural tourism. Several cultural activities
have grown based on a rediscovery and
reappraisal of ancient quarries and mines,
such as the creation of eco-museums and
other didactic activities at various levels.
The study of the historical quarrying and
mining sites highlights the diffusion of a
shared basic knowledge among ancient
civilizations and the fact that technologies
were strictly linked to the social and cultural
aspects of each population.
At the same time these recent studies
outline both a good knowledge of the
territory and of its geological setting which
was used at the best in developing the right
exploitation techniques. That was
particularly true in Ancient Egypt (Arnold,
1991; Aufrère, 1991).
The Wadi Hammamat represents a
“landscape archive” where it is possible to
study the ancient quarrying and mining
processes and the social and geological
knowledge context in which these processes
where developed.
Previous studies (Ortolani, 1989; Arnold,
1991; Klemm & Klemm, 1993/2008; Meyer,
9