EVAPORITES OF THE WADI NATRUN: SEASONAL AND ANNUAL VARIATION AND ITS IMPLICATION FOR ANCIENT EXPLOITATION*

Archaeometry - Tập 46 Số 4 - Trang 497-516 - 2004
Andrew Shortland1
1Research Laboratory for Archaeology & the History of Art, University of Oxford, 6 Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3QJ, UK


Tóm tắt

The evaporitic deposits of the Wadi Natrun on the edge of the Western Desert of Egypt have been used in variety of crafts and industries for over 6000 years. This paper reviews the formation processes of the evaporitic deposits between the different lakes in the wadi and for the wadi as a whole. It shows that the precipitation of sodium carbonate minerals within the lakes is seasonal and probably subject to long‐term fluctuation as climate varies. This has a significant impact on the use of the lakes for ancient industries, particularly the manufacture of glass.

Từ khóa


Tài liệu tham khảo

Bethke C. M., 1996, Geochemical reaction modeling, concepts and applications, 10.1093/oso/9780195094756.001.0001

Brill R. H., 1999, Chemical analyses of early glasses: volume 1, the tables

Brill R. H., 1999, Chemical analyses of early glasses: volume 2, the catalogue

Brunton G., 1937, Mostagedda and the Tassian culture

Chatard T. M., 1890, , Natural soda, US Geological Survey Bulletin, 60, 38

David A. R., 2000, Ancient Egyptian materials and technology

De Selincourt A., 1976, Herodotus: the histories

Eugster H. P., 1978, Lakes; chemistry, geology, physics

Faulkner R. O., 1996, A concise dictionary of Middle Egyptian

Garner R., 1979, The Manchester mummy project

Hantar G., 1990, Geology of Egypt, 293

Harris J. R., 1961, Lexicographical studies in ancient Egyptian minerals

Henderson J., 2000, The science and archaeology of materials

Hunter H. 1809 Travels in Upper and Lower Egypt by C. S. Sonnini London.

Ikram S., 2000, Ancient Egyptian materials and technology

Lilyquist C., 1993, Studies in ancient Egyptian glass

Lucas A., 1912, Natural soda deposits in Egypt

Lucas A. andHarris J. R. 1962 Ancient Egyptian materials and industries London.

Lunge G. 1895 Sulphuric acid and alkali London.

Nakhla F. M., 1986, Crystal chemistry of minerals—Kristallokhimiya mineralov, 891

Serpico M., 2000, Ancient Egyptian materials and technology

10.1007/BF02442128

Turner W. E. S., 1956, , Studies in ancient glasses and glass making processes. Part III. The chronology of glass making constituents, Journal of the Society of Glass Technology, 40, 39

Vogelsang‐Eastwood G., 2000, Ancient Egyptian materials and technology

Warren J., 1999, Evaporites; their evolution and economics

Wenigswieser S., 1992, Mineralogische untersuchungen an den Evaporiten und Tonen des Wadi El‐Natrun

Wente E., 1990, Letters from ancient Egypt