Ancient Egyptian Mining Camp Unearthed Near the Red Sea Reveals 3000-Yr-Old Meticulous Gold-Making Process
The mining activities of yesteryears oftentimes provide an accurate picture of a culture's economy. Recently, officials uncovered a mining establishment from ancient times in Egypt, stated Archaeology Magazine. The discovery was made near the Red Sea.
The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities conducted the excavation in the Sakari Mountain area, southwest of Marsa Alam in the Red Sea province. From the ancient mining camp, the team unearthed what they believed to be a gold processing complex. Examinations unveiled that the complex dated back 3,000 years. At the site, archaeologists also unearthed an ancient settlement, which they believed belonged to the population that worked in the ancient mining camp. The project under which the exploration took place was named 'Revival of the Ancient Gold City.'
The complex contained specialized factories built in those times to extract gold from the quartz veins. The finding illuminated researchers about methods employed by ancient populations to produce pure gold. In the structure, the team noted that there was evidence pointing towards a meticulous process being followed to get the all-important gold, stated La Brújula Verde. There were appliances to grind and crush the quartz, special basins where filtering and sedimentation were facilitated, and clay furnaces where smelting occurred to extract gold. The complex reflects the important position Egypt held in terms of gold production since Pharaonic times.
In the settlement portion, archaeologists uncovered several findings that shed light on the daily lives of miners employed in the ancient establishment. The team spotted Ptolemaic baths, temples associated with religious worship, workshops, houses, administrative buildings, and ore-processing areas in the portion. Analysis of the findings helped researchers determine the architectural styles utilized in creating them. The team noted some Roman and Islamic features on the buildings. This made the experts speculate that the site was in use during the later periods.
Amongst the findings, the most noteworthy discovery was a collection of 628 ostraca (fragments of pottery or stone with inscriptions). The pieces were pivotal because they featured texts written in Greek, demotic, and hieroglyphic. Such writings reflect the linguistic and cultural diversity that existed within the communities of those times. Archaeologists also found some bronze Greco-Roman period coins from the Ptolemaic dynasty at the site alongside several terracotta figurines, which had as subjects both humans and animals from the Greco-Roman period.
The ancient mining camp also carried certain stone sculptures of deities such as Bastet and Harpocrates. Some of them were finished, while others were incomplete. The team unearthed five offering tables from the site and a wide variety of ceramic vessels. Other artifacts collected from the place include ancient ornaments, seashells, incense, perfumes, and medicines. Researchers are hopeful that these artifacts will aid them in understanding the social, economic, and religious structure in place within the mining communities that lived in the Eastern Desert.
Professor Mohamed Abdel-Badea, head of the Egyptian Antiquities Department of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, claimed that authorities are making efforts to preserve the archaeological remains. The team has created a replica of the mining camp in the area where all the discovered buildings have been reconstructed. A modern visitor center has also been erected to inform people about the significance of this site.