Introduction to the geology of ancient Egypt Identifying types of stone Limestone Calcite-alabaster (Egyptian alabaster) Sandstone Silicified sandstone (quartzite) Granite and granodiorite Stone from quarries in the Eastern Desert Basalt Gneissic anorthosite and diorite Marble Bibliographic references on the weathering of Egyptian monuments …

How Did The Ancient Egyptian Carve Granite? Diorite Stone. the main tools used to shape this excessively huge granite block were not chisels as most people would assume. The early Egyptian stone masons used small hand sized balls of the mineral Diorite to pound against the surfaces of the roughly hewn obelisks, until all the superfluous knobs ...

Limestone and sandstone were the main building stones of ancient Egypt. From Early Dynastic times onward, limestone was the material of choice for pyramids, mastaba tombs, and temples within the limestone region. From the late Middle Kingdom …

Diorite is the name used for a group of coarse-grained igneous rocks with a composition between that of granite and basalt. It usually occurs as large intrusions, dikes, and sills within continental crust.

Each sunrise was a repetition of god's first appearance at the dawn of time as the creator god Amun. The statue is made of quartz diorite, a stone not normally …

The Unfinished Obelisk At Aswan. Located in the ancient granite quarry of Aswan, the unfinished obelisk is one of the most intriguing mysteries of ancient Egypt. The name "unfinished obelisk" comes after the fact that it was never removed from its place because of a major crack on it that made the granite slab useless for its purpose.

Following on the rediscovery of the ancient quarries for "Cliephren diorite", after they had been lost for more than 3,5oo years, an expedi tion was recently made to the site, with Mr. Engelhach of the Egyptian Museum as one of the party. In his report on the archaeological results of the expedition, pp. 65-y/i, Mr. Engelhach gives an account of the rediscovery …

Black-and-white speckled stone, mined by the Egyptians in Aswan, and used to make statues (particularly in the New Kingdom) and also vessels (Predynastic and Early …

Identifying types of stone. Limestone. Calcite-alabaster (Egyptian alabaster) Sandstone. Silicified sandstone (quartzite) Granite and granodiorite. Stone from quarries in the Eastern Desert. Basalt. Gneissic anorthosite and diorite.

Much of what remains of ancient Egypt consists of stone. There are building stones for temples, pyramids, and tombs; ornamental stones for vessels, sarcophagi, shrines, stelae, statues, and other sculptures; gemstones for jewelry; and utilitarian stones for tools, weapons, pigments, and other applications. Still other stones were processed to ...

During the heights of ancient Egyptian civilization, statues of deities and pharaohs were often constructed of hard and colourful igneous rocks, such as granite and diorite.

Khafre Enthroned is a funerary statue of the Pharaoh Khafre, who reigned during the Fourth dynasty of ancient Egypt (c. 2570 BC). It is now located in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The construction is made of anorthosite gneiss, (related to diorite) a valuable, extremely hard, and dark stone brought 400 miles down the Nile River from royal …

Egyptian civilization is one of the most fascinating topics in the world. One of the most remarkable achievements of ancient Egypt was their ability to create intricate sculptures from diorite, a hard and dense stone. The process of carving diorite was a complex and time-consuming task that required a great deal of skill and expertise.

Khafre Enthroned is a funerary statue of pharaoh Khafre, who reigned around 2570 BC, now in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. It is made of anorthosite gneiss, (related to diorite) a valuable, extremely …

The Gebel el-Asr quarry is an almost invisible site in the south-west of Egypt, located some 65km north-west of Abu Simbel. It is also known as Chephren's Quarry and Chephren Diorite Quarry after the famous statue of Khafre, which is now in the Cairo Museum and was carved from stone quarried at the site. This famous statue is …

Browse our list of 35 ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses to learn about their special powers and duties.

Diorite was one of the hardest stones used by ancient Egyptians in their monumental architecture. Its durability made it an ideal material for statues, obelisks, and other structures that were meant to last for centuries. But how did they cut it?

Ancient Egyptian Materials: Diorite. Pink granodiorite (Image: Jan Haerer, Pixabay) Granodiorite, anorthosite, diorite, and gabbro are fine- to coarse-grained plutonic igneous rocks. Granodiorites are composed of feldspar, …

Ancient Egyptian artists are known for developing a wider range of materials for their art. This started early in the history of the Egyptians and continued throughout their history using materials that were both local …

The early Egyptian stone masons used small hand sized balls of the mineral Dolerite to pound against the surfaces of the roughly hewn obelisks, until all the superfluous knobs and excrescences were flattened.

Limestone and sandstone were the main building stones of ancient Egypt. From Early Dynastic times onward, limestone was the material of choice for pyramids, mastaba tombs, and temples within the limestone region. From the late Middle Kingdom onward, sandstone was used for temples within the sandstone region as well as many of …

Much of what remains of ancient Egypt consists of stone (Aston, Harrell, & Shaw, 2000; Baines, 2000; De Putter & Karlshausen, 1992; Klemm & Klemm, 2001, 2008). There are building stones for temples, pyramids, and tombs; ornamental stones for vessels, sarcophagi, shrines, stelae, statues, and other sculptures; gemstones for jewelry; and …

The gods and goddesses of Ancient Egypt were an integral part of the people's everyday lives for over 3,000 years. There were over 2,000 deities in the Egyptian pantheon, many whose names are well known - Isis, Osiris, Horus, Amun, Ra, Hathor, Bastet, Thoth, Anubis, and Ptah among others - but many more less so who were also …

Building stones and clay-rich Nile mud were ancient Egypt's main raw construction materials. While the mud was easily accessible along the Nile river valley, …

The ancient Egyptian word for diorite and gabbro was ink km (Harris 1961). An example of an ancient Egyptian macehead made of hornblende diorite from an unknown quarry site is presented in Fig. 5.

Statue of Khefren and Horus. This 168cm high diorite statue, found in 1860 in the Valley Temple of Khefren's funerary complex at Giza by the French archaeologist Auguste Mariette, represents Khefren, seated on an elaborate throne. It is one of many examples of high craftsmanship from the Old Kingdom. Khefren's most famous statue represents ...

Egyptian artists used a wide array of materials, both local and imported, from very early in their history. For instance, already in the Predynastic period, we find figurines carved from lapis lazuli—a lustrous blue stone that originates in what is now Afghanistan and indicates the early presence of robust trade routes.

PII: S0899-5362(01)00085-9. Fig. 1. Schematic geological map of Egypt with location of the main ancient quarry sites. the stone material was also transported with utmost difficulty, …

Egyptian gods and goddesses were incarnations of both natural phenomena, such as the sun, and social phenomena, like knowledge. Egypt itself was ruled by a pharaoh who claimed to be the gods' representative on earth, and who acted as a mediator between mankind and the divine.

The Gebel el-Asr gneiss was originally described as 'diorite' by Egyptologists, but modern analyses of the stone have identified it as …