Abstract
Gypsum was widely employed in Egypt for plaster and mortar from late Predynastic times onward with the most extensive and varied use of this mineral occurring at Amarna (ancient Akhetaten) during the New Kingdom's Eighteenth Dynasty. It is traditionally thought the gypsum was obtained from the Faiyum Depression, but a new and larger source has been discovered on top of the limestone plateau to the north and east of Amarna. Here there are nearly three square kilometres of quarries dating mainly from the Old to New Kingdoms. The gypsum occurs in a thin soil on the limestone, forming a calcite-rich deposit known as gypsite. The total calcium sulfate content of gypsite samples (gypsum+bassanite+anhydrite) ranges from 24 to 74% with calcite comprising nearly all the remainder.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
