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Boneyard reveals thousand-ton quartzite statues

EgyptExcavation
Temple complex3000 - 1500 BC
Obelisks, Witness Marks and 1000-ton Statues! Karnak Temple Walk and Talk
Source: Obelisks, Witness Marks and 1000-ton Statues! Karnak Temple Walk and Talk by UnchartedX

Archaeologists are piecing together massive quartzite statue fragments at Karnak's boneyard — individual pieces weighing ~1,000 tons each! The stone was quarried 600 km north of Cairo and transported upriver against the current to Karnak.

Key facts claimed:

- The boneyard area contains fragments of massive statues weighing approximately 1,000 tons

- The statues are made from composite quartzite quarried from the Red Mountain north of Cairo

- The stone was transported 600 km upriver against the current to Karnak

- These statues were standing statues, not seated, with arms at their sides

- One statue is estimated to be at least 30 meters tall, comparable to the Statue of Liberty

Key facts

  • The boneyard area contains fragments of massive statues weighing approximately 1,000 tons
  • The statues are made from composite quartzite quarried from the Red Mountain north of Cairo
  • The stone was transported 600 km upriver against the current to Karnak
  • These statues were standing statues, not seated, with arms at their sides
  • One statue is estimated to be at least 30 meters tall, comparable to the Statue of Liberty
  • Archaeologists have been working to reassemble these fragments
  • Similar 1,000+ ton statues exist at the Ramesseum and Tannis, moved from even greater distances

Site mentioned

📄 Karnak Temple Complex🌍 Show on the globe

Sources

Diagnosis and Damage Assessment of Weathered Quartzite Colossi ...scirp.org
In this study we documented the weathering of these quartzite colossal statues using field recording and laboratory analysis to evaluate their conservation ...
The largest cut-stones of all time - Ancient-Wisdomancient-wisdom.com
Three other smaller stones under 'The Grand Terrace' of the temple itself are also estimated to weigh from between 750 and 1,000 tons each (9), and there are ...
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