100 Ancient Egyptian Inscriptions Found at Amethyst Mining Site

Live Science ^ | March 26, 2019 | Owen Jarus

[SunkenCiv]

Archaeologists have uncovered more than 100 ancient inscriptions carved into rock at Wadi el-Hudi, where the ancient Egyptians mined amethyst.

In addition to the carved-rock inscription, the researchers also found 14 stele (inscriptions carved on a stone slab or pillar) and 45 ostraca (inscriptions written on pieces of pottery).

Analysis of the newfound inscriptions is underway. So far, archaeologists can tell that many of the inscriptions date back around 3,900 years, to a time that modern day archaeologists call the "Middle Kingdom." Many of the ostraca date back around 2,000 years, to around the time that Rome took over Egypt.

Amethyst became widely popular in Egypt during the Middle Kingdom, a time when the pharaohs of Egypt learned that Wadi el-Hudi is a good source for the material. "Once the [pharaohs] found it, they kind of went bonkers to go get it," Kate Liszka, the director of the Wadi el-Hudi expedition, told Live Science. During the Middle Kingdom, "they were bringing it back and making it into jewelry and doling it out to their elite and their princesses."

Though Wadi el-Hudi was surveyed in the past by other scholars, little excavation has been done and the surveys missed many inscriptions. "The site is just so full of inscriptions behind every boulder and around every wall that they missed a lot of them" Liszka said.

The team is using 3D modeling, reflectance transformation imaging (RTI) and photogrammetry, among other techniques, to help find new inscriptions, map archaeological remains and reanalyze inscriptions discovered by scholars who surveyed Wadi el-Hudi in the past. This work has taken on a greater urgency as modern-day gold mines have opened in the area, causing damage to archaeological remains.

[SunkenCiv]

Did Slaves Dig The Mines? Whether or not slaves dug the mines is a major question of our ongoing work, and it is still under debate, in part because the inscriptions at Wadi el-Hudi offer contradictory information. For example, an inscription (WH6) from year 17 of Senwosret I states that they brought 1000 "strong men" from Thebes, indicating that Egyptians were used as miners. Perhaps they were paid well for their labor or perhaps they were conscripted as corvée laborers (a tax in labor that all Egyptians had to pay to their government). On the other hand, another inscription (WH143), this one undated, but from the reign of Senwosret I states: "As for every Iwn-bowman of Ta-Seti [=Nubians], his working as a slave is achieved only by the awe of this god [= pharaoh Senwosret I]." The inscription implies that the Egyptians gathered Nubians and forced them to work under threat of the king. It is the job of archaeology to corroborate and contextualize the inscriptions. As archaeologists, we are looking at questions like: Do the design and architecture of the mining camps support their use as prisons? Could miners leave on their own accord? How were miners treated by the Egyptian administrators? Were they fed well and cared for or beaten for not working? Were the guards who we know worked there present to keep prisoners in the camps or to keep pillagers out?

[SunkenCiv]

Who Carved The Hundreds Of Inscriptions?

Being able to study the various inscriptions in their original landscape is essential to our ability to interpret them. Three types of inscriptions exist. First are the so-called "historic" inscriptions, carved by well-trained scribes. They often include the name of the king, the names of high officials, and formal statements about the expedition. Historic inscriptions are purposely located in places where a lot of people can see them, along paths, overlooking entrances, on well-placed rock outcrops, etc. Second, there are the inscriptions that the soldiers carved at their guard posts (see above). Lastly there are names or images carved in the rooms where individuals lived. These inscriptions are often on interior walls that no one sees unless they walk into the room. It would be nearly impossible to interpret transcriptions of these inscriptions out of their physical contexts. But, in context, the Wadi el-Hudi team can study not only them, but the spaces, objects, and garbage of real people living on the expedition.

[SunkenCiv]

[BipolarBob]

I can barely make out “Kilroy was here” on the stone face.

[BobL]

I just love MINERALS...from my earliest days visiting the Museum of Natural History (in NYC). I cannot explain it, but they are just absolutely BEAUTIFUL to me.

(now, back to attacking Hillary)

[Innovative]

Very interesting.

I hope they will be able to decipher them correctly.

[CondorFlight]

Similar inscriptions at some other Sinai mines have proven to be graffiti written by Hebrew slaves. One of those mentions Moses (IE, roughly, “We’re still slaves, but Moses has startled Egypt”).

You can see these by googling “Sinai Inscriptions”, and then looking at “images”.

(See also the book, The World’s Oldest Alphabet”, by Petrovich)

[SunkenCiv]

Joseph and Potiphar, Immanuel Velikovsky

The story of Joseph is one of the best known in the Bible... in order to find out whether the personality of Joseph or the patron of the early stage of his career, Potiphar, is referred to in the historical documents, we have to look into those of the Middle Kingdom. The task appears simple. According to the Book of Genesis Potiphar was "an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard." In the register of the private names to the Ancient Records of Egypt by James Breasted, we find the name Ptahwer... at the service of the Pharaoh Amenemhet III of the Twelfth Dynasty of the Middle Kingdom. According to an inscription of Ptahwer at Sarbut el-Khadem in Sinai dated in the forty-fifth year of Amenemhet III, his office was that of "master of the double cabinet, chief of the treasury." ...The inscription records the successful accomplishment of some peaceful expedition. Since there is only one Ptahwer in the historical documents, and since he lived in the time when we expect to find him, we are probably not wrong in identifying the biblical Potiphar with the historical Ptahwer. This being the conclusion concerning Potiphar, we are curious to find whether any mention of Joseph is found in historical documents, too. the fact that from the great and glorious age of the Middle Kingdom only a very few historical inscriptions are extant. Since a great famine took place in the days of Joseph, it is, of course, important to trace such a famine in the age of which we speak. In the days of Amenemhet III there occurred in Egypt a famine enduring nine long years... Thus it seems that the Pharaoh in whose days was the seven years' famine was the successor of the Pharaoh in whose days began the rise of Joseph's career (if Yatu is Joseph). Potiphar, who lived under Amenemhet III, probably lived also under his successor. The inscription which deals with Ptahwer mentions a man whose name is transliterated by Breasted as Y-t-w. Among the monuments of Amenemhet III's reign is one of the Storekeeper... The inscription that mentions Ptahwer refers to his activity in the mines of the Sinai peninsula. In this respect it is of interest to find that the Jewish traditions connect Joseph with the area of the Sinai Peninsula saying that he kept a large quantity of treasuries near Baal Zaphon, the scene of the Passage of the Sea.

[Hugin]

“For a good time to go the Street of Harlots and ask for Nefa.”

[Telepathic Intruder]

Ditto. That’s why I have this piece of hard rock candy. But it’s not for eating, it’s just for looking through.

[SunkenCiv]

One of *those* topics.

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[csvset]

4 ET Herdsmen !?!

[SunkenCiv]

...The populations were from a Pan-Grave culture, a name given to them in the late 19th century by archaeologist Flinders Petrie, in reference to low, circular mounds of stones that were over their graves... the Second Intermediate Period was a phase in Egyptian history that was ''very complicated and chaotic''. ''Egypt was divided'' into ''small political units'' and invaded by the Hyksos from the north, while the Kush Kingdom was pushing towards its southern borders. An absence of control over the territory would probably have enabled nomads to infiltrate from Nubia, the Eastern Desert and the ''fourth cataract'' of the Nile... In illustrating circular tombs that evolved into rectangular ones, semi-buried amphorae, bracelets, handmade leather items and painted cow horns... underscored that these are ''more ancient proof'' of the Pan-Grave culture, which offer a 'different perspective'' on the history of Ancient Egypt. | Italian archeaologist sheds light on nomads in Upper Egypt | Rodolfo Calo | ANSAmed

[treetopsandroofs]

Was surprised it wasn’t discovered to have warned us about Donald Trump.

[gundog]

I’m gonna have to scare up that movie and watch it tonight.

[LegendHasIt]

Gotta admit that I never heard of Wadi el-Hudi Amethyst, despite having considered myself an expert on mineralogy and making a living for a couple decades mining mineral specimens and gemstones all over the place.

Here is a scarab carved of the amethyst from there. Kinda Pretty:

[Sacajaweau]

Please....No more commandments. Have tough enough time with 10.

[Honest Nigerian]

Most of youse cain’t reed hieroglyphicsx. But those things say:
Make Egypt Great Again
and
Build the Pyramid
not even joking here.

[sparklite2]

The Fayshanite were a contentious culture.
While not being expansionist, they
nonetheless raided nearby tribes in a
practice believed to be known as
“Gof’uh Kyurs’elf.” They are chiefly known
for the graphic stela they left behind
unassociated with any useful endeavors.

[SunkenCiv]

She must be in a nursing home by now.