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The settlement at Umm Howeitat Qibli was built on
two sides of a wide wadi. The northern part is a large maze of simple huts,
several gold working areas and numerous mines:
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The settlement at Umm Howeitat Qibli was built on
two sides of a wide wadi. The southern part comprises a large administrative
building and several associated structures:
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Objective of visit:
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To draw a measured plan of the site and study the surface
remains (including the ceramic finds). |
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Date of visit:
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- January and August 1998 |
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Fellow visitors:
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Prof.Dr. Steve Sidebotham (University of Delaware), Eng.
Wolf Schijns and Barbara Tratsaert (Berenike Project). |
| Results: |
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A survey was performed using the Global Positioning System,
a theodolite and steel tape measures. Off-site assistance was given by
pottery expert Dr. Roberta Tomber (Museum of London). No excavations took
place. A full publication of this site is pending. |
| Approximate position and date
of the site: |
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Umm Howeitat Qibli is in the southern part of the Egyptian
Eastern desert, halfway between the Quft-Quseir and Edfu-Marsa Alam asphalt
roads and close to the Red Sea coast. Surface pottery dated to the Ptolemaic
period (ca. 330 - 30 BC). |
| Short description of the site: |
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Umm Howeitat Qibli was a gold mine which was operational
in Ptolemaic times and during the first half of the 20th century. The surface
is littered with ancient pot sherds, grinding stones and quartz pounders.
In the surrounding hills many places can be seen where quartz veins were
excavated to extract the gold. |
| Additional remarks: |
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At this site the whole ancient gold mining process can
be seen in situ as it has not (yet) been seriously disturbed. The
modern mine is somewhat inland from the ancient one and a concrete well
in the middle of the ancient settlement is the only trace of it. Our work
was sponsored by the Berenike Project, the University of Delaware and private
donors. |
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