Gold and Gold Mining in Ancient Egypt and Nubia: Geoarchaeology of the Ancient Gold Mining Sites in the Egyptian and Sudanese Eastern Deserts (Natural Science in Archaeology Book 1)

The Book Presents The Historical Evolution Of Gold Mining Activities In The Egyptian And Nubian Desert (sudan) From About 4000 Bc Until The Early Islamic Period (~800-1350 Ad), Subdivided Into The Main Classical Epochs Including The Early Dynastic - Old And Middle Kingdoms - New Kingdom (including Kushitic) - Ptolemaic - Roman And Early Islamic. It Is Illustrated With Many Informative Colour Images, Maps And Drawings. An Up To Date Comprehensive Geological Introduction Gives A General Overview On The Gold Production Zones In The Eastern Desert Of Egypt And Northern (nubian) Sudan, Including The Various Formation Processes Of The Gold Bearing Quartz Veins Mined In These Ancient Periods. The More Than 250 Gold Production Sites Presented, Are Described Both, From Their Archaeological (as Far As Surface Inventory Is Concerned) And Geological Environmental Conditions, Resulting In An Evolution Scheme Of Prospection And Mining Methods Within The Main Periods Of Mining Activities. The Book Offers For The First Time A Complete Catalogue Of The Many Gold Production Sites In Egypt And Nubia Under Geological And Archaeological Aspects. It Provides Information About The Importance Of Gold For The Pharaohs And The Spectacular Gold Rush In Early Arab Times. Archaeological Chronology Of Gold Mining In Ancient Egypt And Nubian Sudan -- Value Of Gold In Ancient Egypt -- On The Regional Geology And Genesis Of Gold Deposits In Egypt And Nubian Sudan -- Analyses Of Gold And Observations On Ancient Egyptian Gold Metallurgy -- Gold Production Sites And Gold Mining In Ancient Egypt -- Gold Production Sites And Gold Mining In Nubia/sudan -- Sequential And Spatial Distribution Of Gold Mining Sites In The Egyptian And Nubian Eastern Deserts. Rosemarie Klemm, Dietrich Klemm. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 633-642) And Index. Cover © 2013 Dedication Preface Acknowledgements Contents 1: Archaeological Chronology of Gold Mining in Ancient Egypt and Nubian Sudan 1.1 “Earliest Hunters” Period 1.2 Early Dynastic Period (“Two-Hand-Hammer” Period) 1.3 Old and Middle Kingdoms 1.4 New Kingdom (Eighteenth to Twentieth Dynasty) 1.5 Ptolemaic Period (~300–30 BC) 1.6 Kingdoms of Kush and Meroë in Nubia (~700 BC – ~100 AD) 1.7 Roman-Byzantine and Early Arab Periods 2: Value of Gold in Ancient Egypt 3: On the Regional Geology and Genesis of Gold Deposits in Egypt and Nubian Sudan 3.1 Stratigraphy of the Eastern Deserts of Egypt and Northern Sudan 3.2 Infrastructure 3.3 Suprastructure 3.4 Late to Post-Tectonic Intrusions 3.5 Tectonic Control of Quartz-Gold Mineralisation 3.6 Genesis of Gold Mineralisations in Egypt’s Eastern Desert 4: Analyses of Gold and Observations on Ancient Egyptian Gold Metallurgy 5: Gold Production Sites and Gold Mining in Ancient Egypt 5.1 Most Northern Group 5.1.1 Wadi Dara (Old Kingdom Settlements and Mines) 5.1.2 Wadi Dara (Early Arab Period) 5.1.3 Umm Balad 5.1.3.1 Umm Balad 1 5.1.3.2 Umm Balad 2 (Fig. 5.7) 5.1.3.3 Umm Balad 3 (Fig. 5.7) 5.1.3.4 Umm Balad 4 (Fig. 5.7) 5.1.4 Wadi el-Urf (South of Gebel Mongul) 5.1.4.1 Central Processing Site (Fig. 5.14) 5.1.4.2 Huts and Workings 5.2 Northern Central Group 5.2.1 Ghozza (Fig. 5.16) 5.2.2 Fatira (Abu Zawal) 5.2.3 Abu Shehat 5.2.4 Wadi Abiyad 5.2.5 Abu Mureiwat (Fig. 5.25) 5.2.6 Wadi Gasus (Fig. 5.28) 5.2.7 Gold Processing Site at Bir Semna (Fig. 5.31) 5.2.8 Semna (Fig. 5.33) 5.2.9 Wadi Margh-West (Fig. 5.36) 5.2.10 Wadi Margh-East 5.2.11 Wadi Bahlog 5.2.11.1 Early Arab Settlement (Fig. 5.36) 5.2.12 Kab Amiri 5.2.13 Gidami (Fig. 5.46) 5.2.14 Abu Gaharish 5.2.15 Abu Gerida 5.2.16 Hamama I 5.2.17 Hamama II 5.2.18 Processing Site Hamama-W (Fig. 5.61) 5.2.19 Aradiya-East (Fig. 5.63) 5.2.20 Wadi Sagia 5.2.21 Abu Had 5.2.22 El-Rebschi 5.2.23 Wadi Atalla el-Mur 5.2.24 Atalla (Fig. 5.68) 5.2.25 Umm Esh el-Zarqa I (Fig. 5.76) 5.2.26 Umm Esh el-Zarqa II 5.2.27 Wadi Sodmein 5.2.28 Hammamat 5.2.29 Umm Had-South 5.2.30 Umm el-Fawakhir and El-Sid (Fig. 5.78) 5.2.30.1 Position 1 5.2.30.2 Position 2 5.2.30.3 Position 3 5.2.30.4 Position 4 5.2.30.5 Positions 5 and 6 5.2.30.6 Position 7 5.2.30.7 Position 8 5.2.30.8 Position 9 (Fig. 5.78) 5.2.31 Bir Umm el-Fawakhir 5.2.32 The Pharaonic Mining District in Wadi el-Sid 5.3 Middle Central Group 5.3.1 Umm Soleimat (also known as Hamuda) 5.3.2 Wadi Karim 5.3.3 Kab el-Abiad 5.3.4 Terfawi 5.3.5 Wadi Zeidun I 5.3.6 Wadi Zeidun II 5.3.7 Sharm el-Bahari 5.3.8 El-Nur 5.3.9 Umm Rus 5.3.10 Wadi Raheiya 5.3.11 Sigdit and Wadi Miyah 5.3.12 Daghbag 5.3.12.1 Daghbag I 5.3.12.2 Daghbag II and III 5.3.12.3 Daghbag IV 5.3.13 Talet (also: Tila) Gadalla (Fig. 5.111) 5.3.14 Abu Muawad (Fig. 5.111) 5.3.15 El-Hisinat (Fig. 5.117) 5.3.15.1 El-Hisinat-North 5.3.15.2 El-Hisinat-South and Mine 5.3.15.3 El-Hisinat-Southeast 5.3.16 Abu Dabab 5.3.17 Umm Samra 5.3.18 Bokari (Fig. 5.122) 5.3.18.1 Bokari I 5.3.18.2 Bokari II 5.3.19 Abu Qareiya 5.4 Southern Central Group 5.4.1 Umm Salatit 5.4.2 Beza 5.4.3 Umm Salim 5.4.4 Abu Ashayir and Wadi Suwayqat 5.4.5 Barramiya (Fig. 5.134) 5.4.6 Atud (Fig. 5.144) 5.4.7 Head of Wadi Atud 5.4.8 Marsa Allam 5.4.9 Wadi Umm Khariga 5.4.10 Umm Quli 5.4.11 Wadi Faraon 5.4.12 Sukkari (Fig. 5.153) 5.4.13 Umm Tundub 5.4.14 Bir Ambaud 5.4.15 Ambaud 5.4.16 Kurduman 5.4.17 Zabahiya 5.4.18 Urf el-Fahid 5.4.19 Wadi Umm Rashid 5.4.20 Marwat (Abu Mureiwa) 5.4.21 Umm Hugab 5.4.22 Dungash (Fig. 5.168) 5.4.23 Wadi Dalalil 5.4.24 Samut 5.4.25 Bir Samut 5.4.26 Wadi Mueilha 5.4.27 Hangaliya-West 5.4.28 Hangaliya 5.4.29 Umm Ud 5.4.30 Wadi Ghadir 5.4.31 Allawi (also Lawi) 5.4.32 Dweig and Abu Rahayah 5.4.33 Lewewi (also Umm Gamil) 5.4.34 Hamash 5.4.35 Hamash-North 5.4.36 Higalig (also Hagalik) 5.5 Southeastern Group 5.5.1 Wadi Geili (also Geli) 5.5.2 Wadi Dendekan 5.5.3 Qualan (also Qulan) 5.5.4 Abu Rahaiya 5.5.5 Bitan 5.5.6 Umm Eleiga 5.5.7 Hutit I and II (also Huzama or Rahaba) (Fig. 5.220) 5.5.8 Urga Ryan 5.5.9 Umm Kaliba (also Tundeba or Tunedba) 5.5.10 Anbat 5.5.11 Korbiai 5.6 Southwestern Group 5.6.1 Wadi el-Hudi (Fig. 5.229) 5.6.2 Wadi el-Hudi, Site 3 5.7 Wadi Allaqi Region 5.7.1 Hairiri 5.7.2 Ashira-East 5.7.3 Umm Ashira 5.7.4 Umm Ashira-South 5.7.5 Neguib 5.7.6 Heimur 5.7.7 Nile Valley Block A 5.7.8 “Ahmed Village” (Fig. 5.252) 5.7.9 Umm Garaiyat (Fig. 5.256) 5.7.10 Atshani 5.7.11 Marahig (also Marahib) 5.7.12 Marahig-East 5.7.13 Wadi Murra 5.7.14 Wadi Rylan 5.7.15 Filat 5.7.16 Seiga I (Fig. 5.265) 5.7.17 Seiga II (Fig. 5.274) 5.7.18 Shoshoba 5.7.19 Umm Tuyur 5.7.20 Betam 5.7.21 Abu Fas 5.7.22 Ungat 5.7.23 Romit 5.7.24 Umm Egat 6: Gold Production Sites and Gold Mining in Nubia/Sudan 6.1 Group: The Red Sea Hills 6.1.1 Shishaiteb or Shishutaib 6.1.2 Shishaiteb-South 6.1.3 Oyo 6.1.4 Mikraff 6.1.5 Hangul 6.1.6 Ohaff 6.1.7 Gebeit 6.1.7.1 Gebeit Surroundings 6.1.7.2 Gebeit Sharq (East Gebeit) 6.1.7.3 Tagoti and Tigranit 6.1.7.4 Walati 6.1.7.5 Gumarob 6.1.7.6 Khor Massesana 6.1.7.7 The Geology of Gebeit and its Environment 6.1.8 Gabatilo 6.1.9 Nafirdeib (Lakobdog) 6.1.10 Rigag Sageib (Rigag Hindeb or Ragaghundab) 6.1.11 Shikryai (also Serakoit) 6.1.12 Romi 6.1.13 Sheiteb 6.1.14 Shanobkwan 1 6.1.15 Shanobkwan 2 6.1.16 Selobit 1 6.1.17 Selobit 2 6.1.18 Miradaab 6.1.19 Khor Dat and Miteb 6.1.20 Abidoidib 6.1.21 Romeib 6.2 Group: Wadi Amur-Ariab 6.2.1 Tibiri 6.2.2 Aliakateb 6.2.3 Wadi Amur 6.2.4 Hadanaib 6.2.5 Igariri 6.2.6 Hashai 6.2.7 Nubt 6.2.8 Ariab 6.2.9 Mishalliet Gurad 6.2.10 Ganait 6.2.11 Derbeikwan 6.3 Group: East of the Hamisana Suture 6.3.1 Kamoli 6.3.2 Wadi Rak and Bir Rak (Fig. 6.45) 6.3.3 Camel 1 6.3.4 Camel 2 6.3.5 Uar (Alaar) (Fig. 6.49) 6.3.6 Uar, New Kingdom Complex 6.3.7 Hufra 6.3.8 Onib 6.3.8.1 Onib Major 6.3.8.2 Onib New Kingdom Settlements 6.3.8.2.1 Site 1 6.3.8.2.2 Site 2 6.3.8.3 Onib Minor 6.3.8.4 Settlement SW of Onib Minor 6.3.9 Tabon-North 6.3.10 Tabon-East 6.3.11 Tabon-South 6.3.12 Early Arab Village to the NE of Egait 6.3.13 Egait- North 6.3.14 Egait-South 6.3.15 Adarmo-East 6.3.16 Bir Kiaw 6.3.17 Listi 6.3.18 Shashuteb 6.3.19 Eikwan 1 6.3.20 Wadi Eikwan 6.3.21 Eikwan 2 6.3.22 Eikwan 3 6.3.23 Eikwan 4 6.3.24 Eikwan-South 6.3.24.1 Settlement 1 (20°31 ¢ 20′′ N, 34°57 ¢ 32′′ E) 6.3.24.2 Settlement 2 (20°28 ¢ 42′′ N, 34°58 ¢ 02′′ E) 6.3.24.3 Settlement 3 (20°27 ¢ 18′′ N, 34°56 ¢ 48′′ E) 6.3.25 Abu Mereim Salalob 6.3.25.1 Settlement (20°24 ¢ 42′′ N, 35°00 ¢ 28′′ E) 6.3.26 Techol 6.3.27 Navarai 6.4 Group West of the Hamisana Suture 6.4.1 Derahib 6.4.2 Miri 6.4.3 Wadi Ward Miriyam 6.4.3.1 Wadi Ward Miriyam 1 6.4.3.2 Wadi Ward Miriyam 2 6.4.3.3 Wadi Ward Miriyam 3 6.4.3.4 Wadi Ward Miriyam 4 6.4.3.5 Wadi Ward Miriyam 5 6.4.3.6 Wadi Ward Miriyam 6 6.4.4 Wadi Nafiryam 6.4.4.1 Nafir 1 6.4.4.2 Nafir 2 6.4.4.3 Nafir 3 6.4.4.4 Nafir 4 (Including Bedouin Cemetery in the N of the Wadi) 6.4.4.5 Nafir 5 6.4.4.6 Nafir 6 6.4.4.7 Nafir-Derahib 6.4.5 Khor Nesari 1 6.4.6 Khor Nesari 2 6.4.7 Khor Nesari 3 6.4.8 Khor Nesari 4 6.4.9 Khor Nesari 5 6.4.10 Hamisana-North 6.4.11 Hamisana Mine 6.4.12 Khazim-City 6.4.13 Large Mining Settlement 6.4.14 Wadi Gabaideb 6.4.14.1 Gabaideb 1 6.4.14.2 Gabaideb 2a+b 6.4.14.3 Gabaideb 2c 6.4.14.4 Gabaideb 3 6.4.14.5 Gabaideb 4 6.4.14.6 Gabaideb 5 6.4.15 Caravanserai 6.4.16 Mining Settlements W of Khor Adarmo 6.4.17 Settlements in the E-W oriented Wadi 6.4.17.1 New Kingdom settlement 6.4.17.2 Early Arab settlement 6.4.18 Settlements S of the E-W oriented Wadi 6.4.18.1 New Kingdom settlement (?) 6.4.18.2 Early Arab settlement (?) 6.4.18.3 Early Arab settlement (?) 6.4.18.4 Khor Adarmo-West 6.4.19 Khor Adarmo Fort 6.4.20 Wadi Eleij Area 6.4.21 Sukai 6.4.22 Abu Dueim 6.4.22.1 Karaibitar 1 6.4.22.2 Karaibitar 2 6.4.23 Abirkateib 6.4.24 Settlement S of Abirkateib 6.4.25 Negeim 6.5 Group Butena – Wadi Terfawi 6.5.1 Abu Dalala 6.5.2 Butena-North 6.5.3 Butena 6.5.4 Wadi Tabak 6.5.4.1 Shashuateb 1 6.5.4.2 Shashuateb 2 6.5.5 Kabeseit 6.5.5.1 Wadi Terfawi 1 6.5.5.2 Wadi Terfawi 2 and 3 6.5.5.3 Wadi Terfawi 4 6.5.5.4 Wadi Terfawi 5 6.5.6 Early Arab Settlements 6.6 Group: Wadi Tawil to Eida Arib 6.6.1 Wadi Tawil 6.6.2 Bir Tawil 6.6.3 Ismat Omar 6.6.4 Abu Baraga 6.6.5 Small Mining Settlement 6.6.6 Abu Bard 6.6.6.1 Abu Bard 1 6.6.6.2 Abu Bard 2 6.6.7 Abaraga 6.6.8 Wadi Gagait 6.6.9 Liseiwi 1 6.6.10 Liseiwi 2 6.6.11 Liseiwi 3 6.6.12 Liseiwi 4 6.6.13 Liseiwi 5 6.6.14 Liseiwi 6 6.6.15 Liseiwi 7 6.6.16 Liseiwi 8 6.6.17 Wadi Dom 6.6.17.1 Dom 1 6.6.17.2 Dom 2 6.6.17.3 Dom 3 6.6.17.4 Dom 4 6.6.17.5 Dom 5 6.6.17.6 Dom 6 6.6.18 Tilat Abda 6.6.18.1 Tilat Abda 10 6.6.18.2 Tilat Abda 11 6.6.18.3 Some Remarks Concerning the Wells 6.6.19 Tanasheb 6.6.19.1 Tanasheb 8–12 6.6.19.2 TS 8 6.6.19.3 TS 9 6.6.19.4 TS 10 6.6.19.5 Tanasheb 11 6.6.19.6 Tanasheb 12 6.6.19.7 Tanasheb-West 6.6.20 Wadi Naba 6.6.21 Nabitana 6.6.21.1 Nabitana 5 6.6.22 Wadi Naba 1 6.6.23 Wadi Naba 2 6.6.24 Wadi Naba 3 6.6.25 Wadi Naba 4 6.6.26 Wadi Naba 5 6.6.27 Wadi Naba 6 6.6.28 Mine Nabi 1 6.6.29 Nabi 2 6.6.30 Eidaarib 6.6.30.1 Eidaarib 1 6.6.30.2 Eidaarib 2 6.6.31 Wadi Idarib 6.7 Group: Mosei – Omar Kabash 6.7.1 Mosei 6.7.2 Nabi (?) (B5 in Castiglioni and Vercoutter 1998) 6.7.3 Fort Murrat 6.7.4 Umm Nabardi 6.7.5 Jebel Mundera 6.7.6 Umm Fit Fit 6.7.7 Rod El-Ushal 6.7.8 Abu Siha 6.7.9 Omar Kabash 1–19 (Fig. 6.203) 6.7.9.1 Omar Kabash 1 6.7.9.2 Omar Kabash 2–6 6.8 Group: Nile Valley from Sarras to Abu Hashim 6.8.1 Sarras 6.8.2 Duweishat 6.8.2.1 Site 1 6.8.2.2 Site 2 6.8.2.3 Site 3 6.8.2.4 Site 4 6.8.2.5 Site 5 6.8.2.6 Site 6 6.8.3 Umm Fahm 1 (Fig. 6.217) 6.8.4 Umm Fahm 2 6.8.5 Umm Fahm 3 6.8.6 Umm Fahm 4 6.8.7 Umm Fahm 5 6.8.8 Gold Production along the Nile between Ginis and Sesebi 6.8.9 Sai Island 6.8.10 Ager 6.8.11 Abu Sari 6.8.12 New Kingdom Settlement 6.8.13 Abu Sari-North (21°17 ¢ 40′′ N, 30°37 ¢ 13′′ E) 6.8.14 Abu Sari-South (20°17 ¢ 00′′ N, 30°37 ́41′′ E) 6.8.15 Mines (20°16 ́35′′ N, 30°36 ́50′′ E) 6.8.16 Tinari 6.8.17 Sokar Mine 6.8.18 Tondi 6.8.19 Kerma 6.8.20 Gold Mining Sites between Gebel Barkal and Abu Hamed 6.8.20.1 Shamkhiya 6.8.21 Medieval, Christian Cemeteries 6.8.21.1 Mograt Island 6.8.21.2 Karmel Fortress 6.8.21.3 Kurduma 6.8.21.4 Sehan 6.8.21.5 El-Mikeseir 6.8.21.6 Abu Alalik 6.8.21.7 Ras El-Gezira 6.8.21.8 Abu Kuweib 6.8.21.9 Abu Hashim 6.9 Bayuda Desert 6.9.1 Umm Sareh 6.9.2 Abu Sugha 6.9.3 El-Higagiya 6.9.4 Abu Khalag 7: Sequential and Spatial Distribution of Gold Mining Sites in the Egyptian and Nubian Eastern Deserts Appendices Appendix A List of Ancient Gold Production Sites in Egypt from N to S (Fig. 5.1 ) Appendix B List of Ancient Gold Production Sites in Nubia/Sudan (Fig. 6.1) Appendix C Chronology Glossary References Index The book presents the historical evolution of gold mining activities in the Egyptian and Nubian Desert (Sudan) from about 4000 BC until the Early Islamic Period (~800- 1350 AD), subdivided into the main classical epochs including the Early Dynastic - Old and Middle Kingdoms - New Kingdom (including Kushitic) - Ptolemaic - Roman and Early Islamic. It is illustrated with many informative colour images, maps and drawings. An up to date comprehensive geological introduction gives a general overview on the gold production zones in the Eastern Desert of Egypt and northern (Nubian) Sudan, including the various formation processes of the gold bearing quartz veins mined in these ancient periods. The more than 250 gold production sites presented, are described both, from their archaeological (as far as surface inventory is concerned) and geological environmental conditions, resulting in an evolution scheme of prospection and mining methods within the main periods of mining activities. The book offers for the first time a complete catalogue of the many gold production sites in Egypt and Nubia under geological and archaeological aspects. It provides information about the importance of gold for the Pharaohs and the spectacular gold rush in Early Arab times