On the Tracks of Aswan Pink Clay. New Studies on the Local Clay Deposits in the Region of Aswan/Upper Egypt

Laura Rembart,Lisa Betina

doi:10.24916/iansa.2021.1.3

Abstract

Using Ptolemaic to late antiquity pottery assemblages from Aswan (ancient Syene) as a case study, we demonstrate the imperative nature of petrographic analyses combined with geological field surveys when investigating ancient potting centres. The combination of archaeological (i.e. abundance of ceramics, vessel shapes etc.), macroscopic and natural-scientific methods allows the reconstruction of the possible extraction areas of clays utilised in Aswan, Upper Egypt. Knowledge of specific clays and their compositional characteristics helps to establish archaeometric reference groups, necessary for differentiating kaolinitic clay sediments of the Aswan area from similar geological environments further down the Nile valley.

Highlights

One of the most important ceramic production centres of the post-Pharaonic period in ancient Egypt is situated in the Aswan region in Upper Egypt and it was specialised in the manufacture of ceramic artefacts made of so-called “Pink Clay”
Using Ptolemaic to late antiquity pottery assemblages from Aswan as a case study, we demonstrate the imperative nature of petrographic analyses combined with geological field surveys when investigating ancient potting centres
According to the completed statistical analysis, 10% of the vessels were made of the local clay paste in Hellenistic and Roman times, while 75% of the overall late antiquity ceramic material is represented by Aswan Pink Clay (Figure 2)

Summary

Introduction

One of the most important ceramic production centres of the post-Pharaonic period in ancient Egypt is situated in the Aswan region in Upper Egypt and it was specialised in the manufacture of ceramic artefacts made of so-called “Pink Clay”. This system was developed for the description of Pharaonic ceramics from a limited number of archaeological sites and is difficult to use for the Ptolemaic, Roman and late antiquity ceramic fabrics of Upper Egypt For this reason, we deliberately refrained from using the Vienna System when processing the pottery from Syene and Elephantine and instead developed a guidance system based on new criteria, primarily considering the clays’ mineral and rock. According to the completed statistical analysis, 10% of the vessels were made of the local clay paste in Hellenistic and Roman times, while 75% of the overall late antiquity ceramic material is represented by Aswan Pink Clay (Figure 2). The Aswan Pink Clay sediments are supposed to derive from the decomposition of pinkish feldspar minerals found in the local rose granite, available abundantly in the entire broader area (Soliman, 1985)

Petrographic analysis

Material remains in Aswan and the Nile valley

Planning of the geological fieldwork

Implementation of geological fieldwork and results of the petrographic analysis of geological samples

Findings

Conclusion