Tuesday March 19th, 2024
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Ancient Mining Headquarters Uncovered in South Sinai

The mission is the first to excavate in Wadi Al-Nasab, with this particular dig taking place in a valley that would have been mined extensively for copper and turquoise.

Cairo Scene

An archaeological dig in South Sinai's Wadi Al-Nasab has unearthed the remains of a building believed to have been used as the headquarters of a mining expedition leader during the Middle Kingdom.


The ancient office has two floors, with the first floor being more intact. The first floor contains two rooms, two halls, a kitchen, a bathroom and a stairway to the second floor. There were also some bases of columns, which would have been used to support the ceiling.


There is some evidence that the building was abandoned and then reused during the Roman era, due to some modifications made to the inside of the building, like the addition of an entrance to the north side and separating walls between halls, and the conversion of some rooms into workshops for smelting copper.


The mission is the first to excavate in Wadi Al-Nasab, with this particular dig taking place in a valley that would have been mined extensively for copper and turquoise.