Ancient Mining and Smelting Activities in the <scp>W</scp>adi <scp>A</scp>bu <scp>G</scp>erida Area, Central <scp>E</scp>astern <scp>D</scp>esert, <scp>E</scp>gypt: Preliminary Results

El‐Rahman, Yasser Abd; Surour, Adel A.; Manawi, A. H. W. El; Rifai, Mai; Motelib, A. Abdel; Ali, W.; Dougdoug, A. M. El

doi:10.1111/j.1475-4754.2012.00728.x

Cited by 12 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…5.97, 5.98). However, similar grindstones with grinders smaller than the working surface were found in the area of Wadi Abu Gerida, where they were used for copper processing during the Ptolemaic period (Abd El-Rahman et al 2013).…”

Section: Grinding Toolsmentioning

confidence: 78%

Travelling the Korosko Road: Archaeological Exploration in Sudan’s Eastern Desert

Davies¹,

Welsby²

2020

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The journey 48 Addendum: other likely areas of worship dedicated to goats 53 Traces of the Past -Second Expedition 56-61 Alfredo and Angelo CastiglioniThe prehistoric sites documented during the expedition 56 vi 7. The Journey to Onib Crater (el-Hofra) 62-67 Alfredo and Angelo CastiglioniThe route The Onib crater A Beja village The Nubian and Pharaonic Ceramic Materials 68-83List of Tables 8. The Nubian and Pharaonic Ceramic Materials 8.1. Distribution of generic Middle Nubian (MN), Kerma (K), Pan-Grave (PG), Gash Group (GG) and 79 Egyptian (EG) materials in the sites going back to Protohistoric phase. To be noted is the frequent co-occurrence of different cultural components at the same site. Imported wares in theSudanese Eastern Desert: finds from the CeRDO Survey 2004 9.1. Distribution of the different ceramic classes of the CeRDO 2004 expedition. 86 10. Preliminary study of the macro-lithic tools collected by CeRDO in the Sudanese Eastern Desert List of Figures 8. The Nubian and Pharaonic Ceramic Materials 8.1. a) wall sherd of an open bowl with traces of coiling technique from site RD8; b) rounded base of a vessel from site RD22; c) pointed base of a vessel from site AP; d) rim sherd of a bowl with wavy incised decorative pattern from site U2; e) rim sherd of a bowl with impressed wavy decoration from site U9 (scale in cm). 8.2. a-b) body sherds decorated with incised arches from site U14; c-d) body sherds decorated with impressed arches from site U14; e) body sherd decorated with densely packed lines of bosses from site V (scale in cm). 8.3. a) rim sherd of a bowl with a pivoting stamp technique decoration resulting in a herringbone pattern from site R65; b) rim sherd of a bowl decorated with a rim band and a packed pattern of dots obtained with pivoting stamp technique from site R35; c) rim sherd of a bowl decorated with pivoting stamp technique resulting in a more spaced pattern of dots from site ED22; d) rim sherd of a jar decorated with a rim band and a packed pattern of dots obtained with pivoting stamp technique from site U2; e) rim sherd of a bowl decorated with a rim band and a packed pattern of dots obtained with pivoting stamp technique from site AQ (scale in cm). 8.4. a) fragment of a rippled ware black topped ware cup from site RD19; b) rim sherd of a closed cup with rim band of notches and herringbone incised pattern from site D3 (drawing by K. Sadr, see Sadr et al. 1993, fig. 4.3); c) fragment of the body of a vessel with rocker plain pattern from site AH; d) rim sherd of a closed bowl with thickened rim decorated with rocker plain pattern from site D5 (drawing by K. Sadr from CeRDO 1994) (scale in cm). 8.5. a) rim sherd of a bowl with wiped surfaces and notches on the lip from site R43; b) rim sherd of a jar decorated with patterns of spaced parallel shallow lines from a site in the Wadi Tonaidba (U18); c) rim sherd of a scraped bowl with regular notches on the lip from site RD3; d) rim sherd of a cup with spaced rows of very regular light notches on the external surface from site RD3; e) bod...

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Section: Grinding Toolsmentioning

confidence: 78%

Travelling the Korosko Road: Archaeological Exploration in Sudan’s Eastern Desert

Davies¹,

Welsby²

2020

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“…5a). The limited dimensions of these trenches and the dominance of ancient primitive mining tools and pottery fragments indicate Roman, or even older, copper mining activities at the site (Abd El-Rahman et al 2013).…”

Section: Volcaniclastic Faciesmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…1a). All the surface mineralization in the area was mined in antiquity, as indicated by the widespread occurrences of exploited trenches and pits (Abd El-Rahman et al 2013). Recently, the area is under investigation by Alexander Nubia International Incorporated.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Regional setting and characteristics of the Neoproterozoic Wadi Hamama Zn–Cu–Ag–Au prospect: evidence for an intra-oceanic island arc-hosted volcanogenic hydrothermal system

El‐Rahman

Surour

El-Manawi

et al. 2014

Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)

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horizon and the footwall-altered rocks enclose historical trenches and pits. Sulfide-rich core samples are enriched in Zn, relative to Cu, and in Ag, which indicates the low-temperature nature of the hydrothermal system. The prospect was affected by supergene processes, which led to the widespread occurrence of secondary copper minerals and gold enrichment relative to the leached base metals, especially Zn. The prospect formed through a limited rifting of an intraoceanic island arc which resulted in the formation of a smallscale volcanogenic Zn-Cu-Ag-Au prospect.

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“…These rocks are intruded by tonalite–trondhjemite, diorite, and rhyolite porphyry dikes. All these rocks are of Neoproterozoic age and they are overlain by Phanerozoic clastic sedimentary rocks of the so‐called “Nubian Sandstone” (Abd El‐Rahman et al, 2015). Although supergene iron‐enriched layers of the Nubian sandstone were known as an iron ore source for the Meroitic iron production in Sudan (Humphris et al, 2018), no similar iron‐rich layers or mining activities have been recorded in the Nubian sandstone of the Wadi Abu Gerida area.…”

Section: The Abu Gerida Mining Sitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Iron production in Ptolemaic Egypt: From the Abu Gerida specular hematite mines to the Hamama smelting workshop

El‐Rahman

Serneels

2021

Geoarchaeology

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Although ancient Egypt has a firmly established record of mining and metallurgy of gold and copper, iron production in ancient Egypt is less well documented. Evidence of ancient iron manufacture in Egypt is to be found in the burnt plant remains, slag fragments, and a furnace‐like structure discovered in the Hamama workshop in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. The iron ore required for iron production was delivered from the nearby specular hematite mines of the Abu Gerida area. This Egyptian specularite is geochemically distinguished from other Mediterranean varieties of specularite such as those in Elba, Tuscany, and Seriphos Island. The bloomery iron smelting process in the Hamama workshop produced two types of slags: furnace slags and tapping slags. These two types show different petrographic features and geochemical signatures. Some of the geochemical signatures of the slags, such as their high calcium contents, were derived from charcoal, while others were related to the ore used during the smelting process. Radiocarbon dating of the charred plant remains from the Hamama workshop suggests that the iron smelting activities took place in the early Ptolemaic era. Iron production was seasonal and was conducted by locals who most likely had dynamic socioeconomic ties with the urban centers of the Nile valley.

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Ancient Mining and Smelting Activities in the Wadi Abu Gerida Area, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt: Preliminary Results

Cited by 12 publications

References 41 publications

Travelling the Korosko Road: Archaeological Exploration in Sudan’s Eastern Desert

Travelling the Korosko Road: Archaeological Exploration in Sudan’s Eastern Desert

Regional setting and characteristics of the Neoproterozoic Wadi Hamama Zn–Cu–Ag–Au prospect: evidence for an intra-oceanic island arc-hosted volcanogenic hydrothermal system

Iron production in Ptolemaic Egypt: From the Abu Gerida specular hematite mines to the Hamama smelting workshop

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