X-ray diffraction revealed one sarcophagus is made of dacite, a volcanic rock of feldspar and quartz. No other known artifact in all of ancient Egypt uses this material! No African deposit is large enough, suggesting the stone came from Europe or near the Black Sea — strange since Aswan granite was readily available. 🌍🌋
Dacite sarcophagus in Osiris Shaft made from volcanic rock with no African source
EgyptArtifact
Key facts
- X-ray diffraction analysis identified one sarcophagus on level 2 as dacite, a volcanic rock composed of feldspar and quartz
- No other known artifact from the entire history of ancient Egypt has been identified as made from dacite
- No dacite deposit in Africa is capable of providing a block large enough for a sarcophagus of this size
- The raw stone likely originated from Europe or the region surrounding the Black Sea
- Egypt already had granite from Aswan readily available, raising questions about why an exotic material was imported
Site mentioned
Sources
Sarcophagi - National Geographic Educationeducation.nationalgeographic.org
Used to bury leaders and wealthy residents in ancient Egypt, Rome, and Greece, a sarcophagus is a coffin or a container to hold a coffin.
Sarcophagus of Seti Isoane.org
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3300-year-old pink granite sarcophagus of Egyptian ' ...livescience.com
Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered the pink granite sarcophagus crafted for an official who cared for a pyramid built during the time ...
Ancient Egyptian Sarcophagus "Meaning, Facts, & Design"egypttoursportal.com
A sarcophagus is a coffin, usually made of stone, used to hold a dead body. In ancient Egypt, it was not just a coffin but a protective burial ...
Paint like an Egyptian: X-rays reveal creative process ...science.org
In a study published today in PLOS ONE , researchers used x-rays to reveal how 3000-year-old paintings inside Egypt's Theban Necropolis unfolded ...
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