Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt

Egypt. Electrum was mined in Nubia and was also

used to plate obelisks.

Faiencea decorative material fashioned out of fired

quartz paste with a glazed surface. The crushed

quartz (silicon dioxide), mined at Aswan or in

Nubia, was coated either blue or green. A substi-

tute for turquoise, faience was used for many dec-

orative objects.

Feldsparan orange semiprecious stone now called

“Amazon Stone.” When feldspar was a true green

in color it was called neshmet.It was mined in the

desert near the Red Sea or in the Libyan desert ter-

ritories.

Garneta translucent iron, or a silicate stone, mined

near the Aswan area and in some desert regions.

Garnet was called hemagetby the Egyptians and

was used from the Badarian Period (c. 5500 B.C.E.)

through the New Kingdom Period.

Gold the favorite metal of the Egyptians, who

started mining the substance as early as the

First Dynasty (2920–2770 B.C.E.). Gold was

mined in the eastern deserts, especially at WADI

ABBAD near EDFU, and the Nubian (modern

Sudanese) sites were the main sources. In later

eras, other nations sent gold to Egypt as tribute.

Gold was called nubor nub neferwhen of the

highest grade and tcham (tjam)when in the form

of electrum.

Hematitean iron oxide that was opaque black or

grayish black. The Egyptians called it bia and

128 Egyptian natural resources

Skilled metal workers displayed on a painted wall using the rich metals exploited in various mines, part of Egypt’s rich natural
resources.(Hulton Archive.)