18 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Egypt unearths ancient quarters of mining leader in the Sinai Peninsula during the Middle Kingdom

The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced recently that an Egyptian archaeological mission working in Wadi Al-Nasab in South Sinai unearthed the remains of a building that is believed to have been used as a headquarters for the leader of mining expeditions in Sinai during the Ancient Egyptian Middle Kingdom era.

Mustafa al-Waziri, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities said, the  Egyptian mission is the first to conduct excavations in the Wadi al-Nasab area in southern Sinai. He said that the newly discovered location is in a unique place in the midst of Wadi al-Nasab, near the copper and turquoise mining sites.

The head of the archaeological mission Mostafa Nour Eddin said that the study also proved that this headquarters was used since its construction as a headquarters for mining missions, but it was abandoned during the second transition period, then reused during the era of the modern state, and then neglected again.

In the preliminary studies of its mission, the building consisted of two floors, the first of which had two living rooms, two rooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a staircase leading to the second floor.
Photo: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

He stated that archaeological and scientific evidence show that the structure was used during the Roman era, as some internal modifications were made to the structure such as establishing an entrance from the north, installing separating walls between the halls, and employing some chambers as copper smelting workshops.

Nour El-Din added “In the upper layers of the building, the mission found copper smelting furnaces and metal processing areas, in addition to four copper ingots, each weighing between 1,200 and 1,300 grams,”

In the preliminary studies of its mission, the building consisted of two floors, the first of which had two living rooms, two rooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a staircase leading to the second floor.

In the middle of some rooms inside the first floor, the mission found some column bases, which means that they were used to install and support the ceiling.

In a Jan. 10 statement, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said that the latest discovery comes within the 2021-22 development project for Sinai governorate.

Related Articles

3600-year-old lead weights were unearthed in the Kumluca Bronze Age Shipwreck, one of the oldest shipwrecks in the world

27 November 2022

27 November 2022

Underwater archaeological work continues in the Bronze Age shipwreck off Antalya Kumluca, one of the oldest shipwrecks in the world....

Coins from the World’s Richest Shipwreck Could Confirm the San José Galleon

16 June 2025

16 June 2025

A recent underwater exploration off the coast of Colombia has uncovered compelling new evidence that may confirm the identity of...

Unlucky medieval woman underwent at least two skull surgeries in Longobard Italy

14 February 2023

14 February 2023

A detailed examination of the skull of a woman who lived at the medieval settlement of Castel Trosino in central...

1,800-Year-Old Roman Victory Goddess Relief Discovered Near Hadrian’s Wall at Vindolanda Fort

21 May 2025

21 May 2025

A rare and symbolically powerful Roman sandstone relief depicting Victoria, the goddess of Victory, has been unearthed at the Vindolanda...

Remarkable Discovery: Roman-British Coins Hoard Unearthed Near Utrecht, Netherlands

29 January 2025

29 January 2025

In 2023, a unique collection of 404 silver and gold coins dating back to 46 A.D. has been discovered by...

The Discovery of a Unique Pre-Viking Helmet Fragment in Lejre, Denmark

23 January 2025

23 January 2025

In Lejre, the northwestern part of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark, detectorists have uncovered an exceptionally rare fragment...

The Stolen Frescoes were Returned to the Pompeii Archaeological Park

20 May 2021

20 May 2021

Six frescoes ripped from the remains of ancient Roman villas years ago have been returned to the Pompeii archaeological site,...

Archaeologists Discovered Remarkably Preserved Shrines inside the Assyrian Temple of Ninurta, in Nimrud

29 December 2024

29 December 2024

Recent archaeological work in Nimrud, led by the Penn Museum in collaboration with Iraqi archaeologists, has uncovered two remarkably well-preserved...

An ancient melon genome from Libya reveals interesting insights regarding watermelon relatives

2 August 2022

2 August 2022

The earliest known seeds from a watermelon related were discovered during an archaeological dig in Libya, going back 6,000 years...

Archaeologists discover Europe’s longest prehistoric mound in the Czechia

22 June 2024

22 June 2024

Czech archaeologists in the Hradec Králové area in East Bohemia have discovered what is probably the longest prehistoric mound in...

Archaeologists discover a new megalithic monument in heart of Andalusia in southern Spain – 5,000-year-old secret

5 May 2023

5 May 2023

Archaeologists in Spain uncovered a previously overlooked tomb while investigating the formation of La Peña de los Enamorados, also known...

Researchers find 3,000-year-old shark attack victim in Japan

24 June 2021

24 June 2021

In a paper published today, Oxford-led researchers reveal their discovery of a 3,000-year-old victim—attacked by a shark in the Seto...

Earliest Modern Human Genome Identified

7 April 2021

7 April 2021

The fossilized skull of a woman in the Czech Republic provided the oldest modern human genome to date, which has...

Archaeologists have found a previously unknown Roman city with buildings of monumental proportions in Spain’s Aragon Region

17 July 2022

17 July 2022

Archaeologists from the University of Zaragoza in Spain have discovered a previously unknown Roman city with buildings of monumental proportions....

Roman-era Mixers and Millstones Made with Geology in Mind

22 September 2021

22 September 2021

A study on stone tools from an outpost of the Roman Empire has found that for ancient bakers and millers,...