Paléorient
Metallurgical sites of South Sinai (Egypt) in the Pharaonic Era:
New Discoveries
Pierre Tallet, Georges Castel, Philippe Fluzin
Citer ce document / Cite this document :
Tallet Pierre, Castel Georges, Fluzin Philippe. Metallurgical sites of South Sinai (Egypt) in the Pharaonic Era: New
Discoveries . In: Paléorient, 2011, vol. 37, n°2. pp. 79-89;
doi : 10.3406/paleo.2011.5424
http://www.persee.fr/doc/paleo_0153-9345_2011_num_37_2_5424
Document généré le 17/02/2016
Abstract
Since 2006, a joint mission from the Institut français d’archéologie orientale and the Université de
Paris Sorbonne (Paris IV) has been investigating a specific region in the south-west of the Sinai
peninsula that was the scene of intense exploitation of copper resources by the Egyptians from the
very earliest periods of Pharaonic history. Within the context of this research, the remains of
numerous metallurgical workshops from different periods have been surveyed. The aim of this
article is to present the two most significant discoveries made in this field. To the west of Wadi
Nasb, the discovery of a battery of intact furnaces that had been abandoned in antiquity without
ever having been used, has allowed for precise observations regarding the construction
techniques, ventilation system and the furnace load maintenance of these copper ore smelting
units. Reproductions of these furnaces were then put to work as part of an experiment to
demonstrate the main characteristics of their functioning. A second site at a locality known as Seh
Nasb proved to be a major source of information as to the importance of this mining zone to the
Egyptian state during the Old Kingdom. Here, a massive installation of some 27 batteries of
furnaces, of a total cumulative length of nearly one kilometre, involving at least 3000 smelting
units, reflects the nearly industrial scale of ancient operations in the exploitation of copper in the
region.
Résumé
Depuis 2006, une mission conjointe de l’Institut français d’archéologie orientale et de l’Université
de Paris Sorbonne (Paris IV) étudie une région bien délimitée, au sud-ouest de la péninsule du
Sinaï, qui a été intensément exploitée pour ses ressources en cuivre par les Égyptiens, et ce dès
les périodes les plus anciennes de l’histoire pharaonique. Dans le cadre de cette recherche, les
vestiges de très nombreux ateliers métallurgiques de différentes époques ont été relevés.
L’objectif de cette étude est de présenter les deux découvertes les plus significatives qui ont été
faites dans ce domaine. À l’ouest du Wadi Nasb, la découverte d’une batterie de fours intacte, qui
avait été abandonnée dans l’Antiquité avant sa mise en service, a permis de faire des
observations précises sur les fours de réduction du minerai de cuivre, leur technique de
construction, leur système de ventilation et de maintien de la charge. Des reproductions de ces
fours ont pu être réalisées ensuite et mises en service pour mettre en évidence les principales
caractéristiques de leur fonctionnement. Un second site, au lieu-dit Seh Nasb, donne quant à lui
une information capitale sur l’importance de cette zone minière sous l’Ancien Empire. À cet
endroit, l’installation massive d’un ensemble de 27 batteries de fours, sur une longueur cumulée
de près de 1 km, et comportant un ensemble d’au moins 3 000 unités de réduction, renvoie une
image quasi industrielle de l’exploitation ancienne du cuivre dans cette région.
Paléorient, vol. 37.2, p. 79-89 © CNRS ÉDITIONS 2011 Manuscrit reçu le 29 décembre 2010, accepté le 11 janvier 2012
METALLURGICAL SITES OF SOUTH
SINAI (EGYPT) IN THE PHARAONIC ERA:
NEW DISCOVERIES
P. TALLET, G. CASTEL and P. FLUZIN*
Abstract: Since 2006, a joint mission from the Institut français d’archéologie orientale and the Université de Paris Sorbonne (Paris
IV) has been investigating a specific region in the south-west of the Sinai peninsula that was the scene of intense exploitation of
copper resources by the Egyptians from the very earliest periods of Pharaonic history. Within the context of this research, the remains
of numerous metallurgical workshops from different periods have been surveyed. The aim of this article is to present the two most
significant discoveries made in this field. To the west of Wadi Nasb, the discovery of a battery of intact furnaces that had been
abandoned in antiquity without ever having been used, has allowed for precise observations regarding the construction techniques,
ventilation system and the furnace load maintenance of these copper ore smelting units. Reproductions of these furnaces were then
put to work as part of an experiment to demonstrate the main characteristics of their functioning. A second site at a locality known
as Seh Nasb proved to be a major source of information as to the importance of this mining zone to the Egyptian state during the Old
Kingdom. Here, a massive installation of some 27 batteries of furnaces, of a total cumulative length of nearly one kilometre, involving
at least 3000 smelting units, reflects the nearly industrial scale of ancient operations in the exploitation of copper in the region.
Résumé: Depuis 2006, une mission conjointe de l’Institut français d’archéologie orientale et de l’Université de Paris Sorbonne (Paris IV)
étudie une région bien délimitée, au sud-ouest de la péninsule du Sinaï, qui a été intensément exploitée pour ses ressources en cuivre par
les Égyptiens, et ce dès les périodes les plus anciennes de l’histoire pharaonique. Dans le cadre de cette recherche, les vestiges de très
nombreux ateliers métallurgiques de différentes époques ont été relevés. L’objectif de cette étude est de présenter les deux découvertes les
plus significatives qui ont été faites dans ce domaine. À l’ouest du Wadi Nasb, la découverte d’une batterie de fours intacte, qui avait été
abandonnée dans l’Antiquité avant sa mise en service, a permis de faire des observations précises sur les fours de réduction du minerai de
cuivre, leur technique de construction, leur système de ventilation et de maintien de la charge. Des reproductions de ces fours ont pu être
réalisées ensuite et mises en service pour mettre en évidence les principales caractéristiques de leur fonctionnement. Un second site, au
lieu-dit Seh Nasb, donne quant à lui une information capitale sur l’importance de cette zone minière sous l’Ancien Empire. À cet endroit,
l’installation massive d’un ensemble de 27 batteries de fours, sur une longueur cumulée de près de 1 km, et comportant un ensemble d’au
moins 3000 unités de réduction, renvoie une image quasi industrielle de l’exploitation ancienne du cuivre dans cette région.
Keywords: South Sinai; Old Kingdom; Furnaces; Malachite; Copper.
Mots-clés: Sud-Sinaï; Ancien Empire; Fours de réduction; Malachite; Cuivre.
INTRODUCTION
Since 2006, a programme of archaeological surveys has
been underway as part of a partnership between the Institut
* Translated into English by Colin Clément (Centre d’études alexandrines,
Egypt).
français d’archéologie orientale (IFAO) in Cairo and the
Université de Paris IV Sorbonne, the aim of which is a general
study of Egyptian presence during the Pharaonic era in
an important mining area situated in the south-west of the
Sinai peninsula, directly above the modern coastal towns of
Abu Zenima and Abu Rodeis. During this survey, numerous
installations connected to the local production of copper have
been discovered and studied. This has led to a completely
Paleorient-37-2.indb 79Paleorient-37-2.indb 79 11/06/12 16:2411/06/12 16:24
80 P. TALLET, G. CASTEL and P. FLUZIN
Paléorient, vol. 37.2, p. 79-89 © CNRS ÉDITIONS 2011
updated vision of such metallurgical activities during different
periods of the Pharaonic history. Furnaces for smelting
copper ore using a forced-air intake (tuyere furnace), corresponding
to a level of technology that seems to come into
being from the New Kingdom (ca 1500 BC) and continues
in use until the Roman period, have long been recognised,
notably in the region of Bir Nasb, where there are remarkable
accumulations of slag.2
The same form of installation
has been observed at several places during our survey, most
notably at Wadi Kharig, Seh Nasb and at Wadi Malha (fig. 1).
However, the most important discoveries concern furnaces
employing natural ventilation that date back to the earliest
periods of Egyptian history, which were in use in this area
at least from around the 5th
Dynasty (ca 2500 BC) and were
probably still employed during the Middle Kingdom (1900-
1800 BC).3
2. Petrie, 1906, gives this account (p. 27): “in the Wady Nasb, there is an
enormous mass of slag from copper smelting, about 6 or 8 ft. high, and
extending apparently over about 500 ft. along the valley, and 300 ft. wide
[…] this mass of slag […] may amount to 100,000 tons […]”. See also
Rothenberg, 1987.
3. This technology goes back even further in Egypt since comparable furnaces,
working on the same principles have been discovered in Wadi Dara
(Eastern Desert) from a time corresponding to the first Dynasty (ca 3100-
2900 BC), that is, at the very beginning of Egyptian history: cf. Castel et
Pouit, 1997 : 101-112; Pouit et Castel 1999 : 131-144; Castel et al., 1996:
15-31.
These installations have been observed at Gebel Musaba,
Wadi Kharig, at several spots in Wadi Nasb, on the heights
of Gebel el-Lahian and on the plateau of Serabit el-Khadim,
site of the great turquoise mines of the Middle Kingdom
(fig. 1). Some of them are spectacular, the largest of which at
Seh Nasb might encompass almost 3000 smelting units (see
infra). At other places, the furnaces themselves have disappeared
but their position on the ground can be identified by
scattered blocks of stone that made up the construction and
that are still covered with copper slag adhering to the surface.
This is notably the case for a battery of units that lay to
the east of Bir Nasb, on the western slope of the mountain a
few metres below a pass marked with inscriptions from the
Middle Kingdom. The blocks from the demolition of this
complex have now spread over an area of nearly 100 m2
. In
order to better understand the working of this type of furnace,
we have chosen to present the best preserved structure
that we have discovered in the western sector of Wadi Bir
Nasb.
Fig. 1 – Sinai peninsula (Abu Zenima and Abu Rodeis region) with sites of metallurgical furnaces.
Paleorient-37-2.indb 80Paleorient-37-2.indb 80 11/06/12 16:2411/06/12 16:24
Metallurgical Sites of South Sinai (Egypt) in the Pharaonic Era: New Discoveries 81
Paléorient, vol. 37.2, p. 79-89 © CNRS ÉDITIONS 2011
Fig. 2 – Initial state of battery 062 before excavation.
METALLURGICAL INSTALLATIONS
TO THE WEST OF BIR NASB
One of the best preserved batteries is located to the west
of Bir Nasb, on a rocky outcrop above the Bedouin village. In
fact, this sector shows two distinct installations standing about
50 metres apart. The first of these (071) has been destroyed by
the simple fact of its prolonged use. The stones that composed
the uprights of these bloomeries have been shattered by heat
and are scattered over the slope below the structures. The second
group, however, appears to have never been used, which
would explain its exceptional state of preservation. Scorched
sandstone blocks indicate that it was built upon the site of a
previous installation of a similar function. It is situated on a
small rocky platform, the geology of which presents layers of
crumbly, stratified sandstone topped by a crust of hard, compact
sandstone some ten centimetres thick. The battery is set
upon this sandstone crust on the north slope of the mountain
facing the prevailing wind. Three or four overturned courses
of stones give the initial impression of a collapsed wall (L. 17 x
W. 0.50 x H. 0.40 m) (fig. 2). This wall is in fact made up of
some 15 identical rectangular structures, which we shall call
caissons, of unmortared stone lined up one after the other along
the platform running about 60° off North. The front section of
each caisson is pierced at its base by two small rectangular
openings. Each caisson is a bloomery that was intended for the
smelting of malachite ore but which was never used since there
are no visible traces of fire inside. Before these caissons were
finally abandoned they were clearly filled with small stones
most probably as an attempt to shore them up for later use. We
emptied two of these, F4 and F8, in order to understand the
architecture, construction and functioning (fig. 3).
Fig. 3 – Detail of battery 062.
Paleorient-37-2.indb 81Paleorient-37-2.indb 81 11/06/12 16:2411/06/12 16:24
82 P. TALLET, G. CASTEL and P. FLUZIN
Paléorient, vol. 37.2, p. 79-89 © CNRS ÉDITIONS 2011
The stones used in the construction of the caissons are flat,
of a similar thickness and width but of slightly varying length.
Smaller stones are wedged in around the larger. All this material
comes from the surface crust, as it is confirmed by a pile
of blocks left lying to the east of the battery and most probably
intended for further construction. The caissons are rectangular,
with internal dimensions of 40 x 28 cm and a maximum preserved
height of 32 cm. The walls are composed of a single row
of stones, each row made of three or four courses. The stones
are placed flat, one on top of the other, without mortar. However,
the placing of each course is staggered and the corner stones are
overlapping (fig. 4). The north wall of each caisson that forms the
façade of the furnace is facing towards the prevailing wind and
features two small rectangular openings in its base (W. 14 cm;
H. 8 to 10 cm; depth 15 cm), each one covered by a lintel (fig. 5).
The latter is laid upon a lateral wall of the caisson and upon a
cube-shaped block lying in the centre of the façade and acting
as a pillar. The internal walls of the caisson are not coated with
Fig. 4 – Plans, elevation and section of furnace F4 of battery 062.
BA
005
005
b
a
a- sandstone b- compact sandstone
0 50 100 cm
1st course 2nd course
3rd course 4th course
1
2
3
4
A
B
A
B
A
B
A
B
N
Paleorient-37-2.indb 82Paleorient-37-2.indb 82 11/06/12 16:2411/06/12 16:24
Metallurgical Sites of South Sinai (Egypt) in the Pharaonic Era: New Discoveries 83
Paléorient, vol. 37.2, p. 79-89 © CNRS ÉDITIONS 2011
any lining, nor are those blocks from the old dismantled bloomeries.
The caissons, though fragile because of the slight thickness
of their walls and the absence of mortar between the stones,
owe their stability to the fact that they are built into the battery.
Relatively abundant pottery sherds taken from the surrounds of
this installation allow perhaps to date it to the Middle Kingdom.
Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that numerous other batteries of
furnaces in the area built along the same lines, for example at
Wadi Kharig, are clearly from the Old Kingdom, according to
the associated archaeological material.
The discovery of these installations has allowed us for the
first time to get an idea about the system that held the furnace
charge in place during the functioning. It is a screen-wall pierced
at its base by two ventilation vents, and it is only due to the abandonment
of these furnaces before use that we have been able to
find this screen-wall in situ. Most of the time, this component
was destroyed during the functioning of these bloomeries.
EXPERIMENTAL RECONSTRUCTION
OF A FURNACE FROM BATTERY (062)
AT BIR NASB
One of the experiments carried out on the Ain Soukhna site
in order to recreate the operating chain of copper production
in the Pharaonic era is a copy of a bloomery similar to those
of battery 062 at Bir Nasb built in dry stones (fig. 6).4
The
4. Unfortunately, we could not get copper ore from Sinai for this experiment;
copper ore from South Africa has been used in the process.
Fig. 5 – Angled view of furnace F4.
Fig. 6 – Reconstruction of furnace F4.
measurements taken (temperatures, wind speeds) during a test
smelt can be seen in fig. 7.
This experiment took place under irregular wind conditions
(varying from 0 to 12.5 m per second, with an average
of 4.4 m per second). It showed, first and foremost, that the
furnace gains heat very rapidly, reaching 1180°C at the hottest
point (front wall above the openings) only one hour after
ignition, and that despite moderate winds at the beginning of
the operation (fig. 7). Given the furnace considerable permeability
due to the many gaps between the assembled stones, it
is very responsive to fluctuations in the wind, especially in its
frontal part. The correlations between wind speed and temperature
are particularly significant and concomitant. After
barely two hours of working, we measured a temperature of
1300°C that stabilised at around 1250°C. The maximum temperature
being reached was 1334°C, which is much higher
than that required to reduce an ore such as malachite. The
operation of such a furnace requires close attention since the
dynamics of the process are swift, especially if one does not
want to waste the charcoal. Thus we were able to begin loading
the ore after the furnace had been functioning for only
one hour and 45 minutes. The furnace charge dropped very
quickly—especially at the front of the furnace—this rate
depending of the size of the charcoal and of the ground ore
(varying from powder to chunks the size of a hazelnut). The
low height of the structure probably accentuates this phenomenon.
Thus, the successive stoking of ore and charcoal was
done every 15 minutes. Regulating the process of reduction
is possible but limited (given the porous nature of the furnace
walls) by blocking more or less the frontal openings. We
deliberately interrupted the experiment after 4 hours of activity
because of its success.
Paleorient-37-2.indb 83Paleorient-37-2.indb 83 11/06/12 16:2411/06/12 16:24
84 P. TALLET, G. CASTEL and P. FLUZIN
Paléorient, vol. 37.2, p. 79-89 © CNRS ÉDITIONS 2011
Fig. 7 – Table of temperatures and winds during the smelting experiment.
The copper metal was recovered, on the one hand, in
the form of bigger or smaller runnels that formed mostly in
the front section of the furnace in the axis of the openings
(fig. 8), and on the other, as prills of varying sizes, from a
few millimetres to more than one centimetre. The ratio of
metallic copper as compared with the ore introduced was
fairly good : 36.2% in four hours. Depending on the type
of stone used, we observed cracking and shattering due
to the thermal shock, notably at the front part. Repair and
changing of stones was needed after each smelting process.
However, we noticed that the proportion of slag formed was
extremely low. This little, dry stone bloomery, despite its
simplicity, seems to be relatively efficient and fast, depending
on the wind strength and the type of ore being used. A
choice of form (large upright slabs) and kind of stones used
could considerably improve efficiency, should these elements
be available. But from a functional point of view, the use of
such furnaces in large numbers does not appear surprising,
especially when one considers the easiness of their construction
in relation to the quantity of metal it is possible to produce
quickly.
Paleorient-37-2.indb 84Paleorient-37-2.indb 84 11/06/12 16:2411/06/12 16:24
Metallurgical Sites of South Sinai (Egypt) in the Pharaonic Era: New Discoveries 85
Paléorient, vol. 37.2, p. 79-89 © CNRS ÉDITIONS 2011
0 1 2 3 4 5 cm
Fig. 8 – Copper slags and prills as a result of smelting
malachite ore.
A MASSIVE COMPLEX: THE INSTALLATIONS
OF SEH NASB
Of all the metallurgical sites discovered in the mining zone
of South Sinai, there is one that stands out owing to its sheer size.
This is Seh Nasb, a complex located at the northern mouth of
Wadi Nasb, at the junction of two important east-west and northsouth
transport axes (fig. 9). At this spot, on a small platform
overlooking the wadi bed, a range of 28 batteries of furnaces has
been discovered. The sizes of these installations are varied running
from 11 to 80 m long. The total length of all these batteries
put together is almost one kilometre, which means, according
to the detailed study of certain of these elements, that there
are probably more than 3000 individual furnace units. Such a
development of metallurgical activity at this spot can perhaps
be explained by the location of the site. The ore that was processed
here clearly did not come from the mines that were in the
immediate vicinity (which was indeed the case, for example, for
the metallurgical workshops discovered at Wadi Kharig, and for
those of Bir Nasb west, which were mentioned above).5
As far as
Seh Nasb is concerned, we are probably dealing with an important
point where activities were concentrated, situated at a strategic
spot where several routes leading to and from the mines
converged. The layout of the site, on a well-ventilated platform
close to sources of water and of the wood that could be used as
fuel, no doubt played a role in the choice of this position.
5. No significant copper deposit has been so far reported in the immediate
vicinity of the furnaces in Seh Nasb, at the entrance of Wadi Nasb—but
further to the south in Bir Nasb, Abu Thor and in the Umm Bogma area.
Fig. 9 – Site map of Seh Nasb.
The batteries of furnaces built on this spot functioned
according to a method similar to those mentioned above. They
differ, however, in the almost systematic dividing of the installations,
set on both sides of a central axis. This form allows
each one of these batteries to be ventilated from two directions.
This aim to get an optimal ventilation can also be seen
in the layout of the batteries themselves, in that they form a
sort of grid square, facing all possible directions. The frequent
variation in prevailing wind direction that we experienced during
the time we spent on the site can probably explain this phenomenon.
We noted that the wind can change from one day to
the next, and even within the same day, depending on which
face of the wadi is exposed to sunlight.
The large number of small-sized furnaces can be explained
by the fact that they could be used to process any quantity of
ore with a minimum of fuel, whatever the wind direction; the
only condition being that the wind had to blow extremely hard
and last a minimum of two hours.
The batteries are built of blocks of local sandstone. They
are composed of furnaces set on either side of the same straight
supporting wall, the width of which is constant (0.6 m) and
the length varying from 10 to 80 m. Some 20 of the best preserved
furnaces were excavated and studied in 2009. Here, we
shall present the example of a series of seven units that belong
to battery n° 27 of the site (fig. 10-13). Rectangular in shape,
they appear as little caissons placed one next to each other on
either side of the wall. In fact, they consist in a series of square
hearths separated by stone partitions and open either to east
Paleorient-37-2.indb 85Paleorient-37-2.indb 85 11/06/12 16:2411/06/12 16:24
86 P. TALLET, G. CASTEL and P. FLUZIN
Paléorient, vol. 37.2, p. 79-89 © CNRS ÉDITIONS 2011
Fig. 10 – View of battery 27 before being cleared of sand.
Fig. 11 – Elevation of the east face of battery 27.
Fig. 12 – View from above of battery 27.
Fig. 13 – Plan, elevations and section of furnaces
F1 to F7 of battery 27.
Paleorient-37-2.indb 86Paleorient-37-2.indb 86 11/06/12 16:2411/06/12 16:24
Metallurgical Sites of South Sinai (Egypt) in the Pharaonic Era: New Discoveries 87
Paléorient, vol. 37.2, p. 79-89 © CNRS ÉDITIONS 2011
or west, depending on their situation. The front of each one, at
ground level, has a rectangular opening topped by a lintel, and
to the back, against the supporting wall, a vertical slab serves
as the rear of the furnace. The vertical sides are generally composed
of several courses of stones set into the wall. The hearths
of these furnaces are sometimes covered with a clay lining, of
which numerous scorched fragments still remain.
The construction of battery 27 described here as an example
was undertaken in three phases (fig. 14):
– Phase 1: setting of vertical slabs running along a northsouth
line, this orientation being perpendicular to the
winds that one is hoping to catch.
– Phase 2: a wall is built against the eastern side of this
line of vertical slabs; a battery of furnaces open to the
east (F4 to F7) is supported by this wall; the rear of
these furnaces is made of a vertical slab, while the side
uprights are set into the wall by up to 20 cm.
– Phase 3: a second battery of furnaces (F1 to F3) is built
to the west against the wall and vertical slabs of Phase
1. This addition leads to three resulting consequences:
– the slabs serve as the rear of the new furnaces;
– the lateral uprights are not centred upon the slabs;
– the lateral uprights are not (or barely) set into the
wall.
If one takes into account the heights of the stone used for
the rear of the furnace, and of certain lateral uprights found
Fig. 14 – Construction phases of furnaces F1 to F7 of battery 27.
Paleorient-37-2.indb 87Paleorient-37-2.indb 87 11/06/12 16:2411/06/12 16:24
88 P. TALLET, G. CASTEL and P. FLUZIN
Paléorient, vol. 37.2, p. 79-89 © CNRS ÉDITIONS 2011
knocked over upon the ground (e.g. furnace F6), the height of
the furnace is about 60 cm. The total width of the battery is
around 1.2 m and that of the support wall is 0.6 m, meaning a
total width of each furnace of around 0.3 m.
The furnaces F4 to F7 no longer have lintels. The height of
the latter from the ground has been calculated as a function of
the height of the lateral uprights that served as supports for the
lintels (table 1).
Table 1 – Battery 27 – Furnaces F1-F7 (measurements in cm).
N° Hearth
L x W
Opening
L x H
Lintel
L x W x H
Left upright
L x W x H
(preserved)
Rear slab
L x H
(preserved)
F1 20/23 x 20 20 x 18 48 x 16 x 13 40 x 25 x 30 40 x 40
F2 20 x 20 20 x 20 40 x 18 x 10/18 50 x 25 x 30 30 x 50
F3 20 x 15 20 x 20 45 x 18 x 10/18 42 x 20/30 x 30 30 x 45
F4 20 x 20 20 x 20 missing 40 x 25 x 30 40 x ?
F5 20 x 20 20 x 22 missing 45 x 20 x 30 20 x 42
F6 20 x 20 20 x 20
collapsed
40 x 12 x 10
45 x 15/20 x 30 30 x 30
F7 20 x 20 20 x 20
collapsed
50 x 15 x 12
40 x 20 x 35 24 x 33
It was during the excavation and study of these batteries
of furnaces that it became clear that there are roughly seven
furnaces every two metres, and it was upon this that we based
our global estimate of the number of smelting units originally
present on this site—most probably a minimum of 3000. The
ceramic finds associated with the installations of this sector
have been dated to the Old Kingdom, and more precisely to
the 5th
Dynasty (ca 2500-2300 BC), which indicates without
any doubt the strategic interest taken by the Egyptians in this
region from the very earliest times of their history. The spectacular
development of the Seh Nasb site during this period
is most probably an indication of the utmost wealth of copper
resources in this region, something that has previously been
pointed out by several scholars.6
6. E.g. Rothenberg, 1987: 1-7.
CONCLUSION
It is difficult at this stage of our research to go much further
in our interpretations of the vestiges that we have discovered
on the large site of Seh Nasb. In particular, it is impossible
to know whether the complex of furnaces to be found on the
site are the result of one—and especially huge—occupation,
or if they are evidence of regular reinstallations of Pharaonic
teams at the same location over more than a century. Given the
absence of significant deposits of slag it is also impossible—as
was the case for Bir Nasb—to propose an estimation of the
quantity of ore that could have been dealt with on the site.
On the other hand, we can say that here we have a very
good illustration of Pharaonic era work organisation. In the
heart of what was most likely in antiquity the major area for
the Egyptians’ exploitation of copper, this site was probably
chosen for its location in a well ventilated zone and especially
as it stood at the conjunction of several routes.
Pierre TALLET
CRES - Université Paris Sorbonne - Paris IV
1, rue Victor Cousin
75230 Paris Cedex 05 – FRANCE
Pierre.Tallet@paris-sorbonne.fr
Georges CASTEL
Institut français d’archéologie orientale
37, rue al-Cheikh Ali Youssef
B.P. 11562 Qasr al-Aïny
11441 Le Caire – ÉGYPTE
gcastel@ifao.egnet.net
Philippe FLUZIN
CNRS-UMR 5060 IRAMAT
UTBM Sevenans – rue du Château
90010 Belfort Cedex – FRANCE
philippe.fluzin@utbm.fr
Paleorient-37-2.indb 88Paleorient-37-2.indb 88 11/06/12 16:2411/06/12 16:24
Metallurgical Sites of South Sinai (Egypt) in the Pharaonic Era: New Discoveries 89
Paléorient, vol. 37.2, p. 79-89 © CNRS ÉDITIONS 2011
BIBLIOGRAPHY
ABD EL-RAZIQ M., CASTEL G., TALLET P., FLUZIN P.
2011 Ayn Soukhna II. Les ateliers métallurgiques du Moyen Empire.
Le Caire: Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale.
PETRIE W.M.F.
1906 Researches in Sinai. London: J. Murray.
CASTEL G. et POUIT G.
1997 Anciennes mines métalliques dans la partie Nord du désert
oriental d’Égypte, Archéo-Nil 7 : 101-112.
CASTEL G., MATHIEU B., POUIT G., EL HAWARI M., SHAABAN G.,
HELLAL H., ABDALLAH T. and OSSAMA A.
1996 Wadi Dara Copper Mines. In: FEISAL A.E. (ed.), Proceedings of
the First International Conference on Ancient Egyptian Mining
and Metallurgy and Conservation of Metallic Artifacts, Cairo
10-12 April 1995: 15-31. Cairo: Ministry of Culture.
POUIT G. et CASTEL G.
1999 Les exploitations pharaoniques, romaines et arabes de cuivre,
fer et or. L’exemple de ouadi Dara (désert oriental d’Égypte).
In: CAUUET B. (éd.), L’or dans l’Antiquité, de la mine à l’objet :
131-144. Bordeaux: Fédération Aquitania (Aquitania, supplément
9).
ROTHENBERG B.
1987 Pharaonic Copper Mines in South Sinai, Institute for ArchaeoMetallurgical
Studies 10-11: 1-7.
Paleorient-37-2.indb 89Paleorient-37-2.indb 89 11/06/12 16:2411/06/12 16:24