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Gold In ANCiEnt EGypt
Gold
local gold was processed into small items of jewellery as early
as the Predynastic age. through the Old Kingdom Egyptian
miners, helped by the local nomadic population, began
mining for gold in the eastern desert. Ancient Egyptian records
give details of the principal mines. The 'Gold of the Desert
from Koptos' was mined at many places near Wadi el Hammat,
Wadi Abbed, Wadi el-Fawakhir and Wadi Sid. An ancient
Egyptian sketch map of this area exists, showing the gold-mining
district. The hieratic captions describe the place of a gold
mine, with paths leading to the Red Sea, the miners' quarters, the
gold-bearing mountain areas and gold-washing stations .
This sketch map, drawn on a papyrus, dates from the New
Kingdom and is considered as the first map in history.
From the beginning of the Middle Kingdom the gold deposits
of northern Nubia were invest. Egyptian records tell of the
'Gold of Wawat', which was mined near Wadi Allaqi, Wadi elHudi
and between Buhen and Semna. The Egyptian effect on
Nubia developed quickly during the New Kingdom and another
gold-mining district was opened up south of the gold mines of
Wawat. Egyptian records Indicated to the 'Gold of Kush' which was
mined in the area of Napata and Abu Hamed. In Egypt, the refine
metal was extracted both from alluvial gold found in surface
deposits and from sub-surface quartz gold.