Emerald mining in Sikait: organization and distribution of emerald production in Roman Egypt

Abstract

This paper focus on the study of the Smaragdus region, currently in the Wadi Gemal National Park (Eastern Desert, Egypt). This area was well known in ancient times, thanks to the presence of emerald, a semiprecious stone considered as highly valuable in ancient times. The exploitation of the emerald mines, especially in Roman times, led to the creation of an important network of settlements linked to their obtaining and commercial distribution. We will present an overview of these elements, focusing our interest in the most important and best known of these settlements: Sikait.