Preliminary remarks on enigmatic "white casing limestone" from Saqqara archaeological site in Egypt

• Autorzy: Welc F , Malata E. , Marks L. , Studencka B. , Olszewska B.
• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

Saqqara is one of the famous archaeological sites in the world. There is the oldest stone pyramid built by pharaoh Djoser from the Third Dynasty (around 4600 yrs BP). The components of his funerary complex were constructed of a characteristic creamish-white limestone of relatively great solidity, connected in archaeological literature with the white casing limestone from Saqqara. A source of this stone has remained so far a mystery. An extensive geological survey and other research has failed to identify any outcrops of such limestone in the vicinity of Saqqara. Preliminary results of examination of fossils from relevant rock samples of the white Saqqara limestone are presented, supplemented with discussion of current opinions concerning its origin and probable stratigraphic setting.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

limestone; archaeology; Step Pyramid; Djoser; Old Kingdom

• Wydawca: Institute of Geological Science Polish Academy of Science
• Czasopismo: Studia Quaternaria
• Rocznik: 2013
• Tom: Vol. 30, Nr 2
• Strony: 115--123
• Opis fizyczny: Bibliogr. 23 poz., rys.

Twórcy

autor

Welc F

• Institute of Archaeology, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw, Wóycickiego 1/3, bud. 23, 01-938 Warszawa, Poland

autor

Malata E.

• Institute of Geological Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Oleandry 2A, 30-063 Kraków, Poland

autor

Marks L.

• Faculty of Geology, Warsaw University, Żwirki i Wigury 93, 02-089 Warszawa, Poland

autor

Studencka B.

• Polish Academy of Sciences, Museum of the Earth in Warsaw, Aleja Na Skarpie 20/26, 27, 00-488 Warszawa, Poland

autor

Olszewska B.

• Polish Geological Institute, Carpathian Branch in Cracow, Skrzatów 1, 31-560 Kraków, Poland

Bibliografia

• 1. Abbass, H.L. 1962. A monograph on the Egyptian Cretaceous pelecypods. Palaeontological Series. Monograph No 1. Geological Museum of the Geological Survey and Mineral Research Department of the United Arab Republic, Cairo: 224 pp.
• 2. Ago, F., Bresciani, E., Gimmarusti, A. (Eds.) 2003. Geology of the Saqqara Site. In: The North Saqqara Archeological Site, Hand-book for the Environmental Risk Analysis, Edizioni Plus -Università di Pisa: 192-194.
• 3. Aston, B.G., Harrell, J.A., Shaw, I. 2000. Stone. In: P.T. Nicholson, I. Shaw (Eds.), Ancient Egyptian Materials and Technology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: 5-77.
• 4. Caron, M. 1985. Cretaceous planktic foraminifera. In: Bolli H.M., Saunders J.B. & Perch-Nielsen K. (Eds.), Plankton Stratigraphy. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: 17-86.
• 5. Dunham, R.J. 1962. Classification of carbonate rocks according to depositional texture. In: W.E. Ham (Ed.), Classification of Carbonate Rocks. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Memoir 1: 108-121.
• 6. El-Qady, G.M., Monteiro-Santos, F.A., Hassaneen, A. Gh., Trin-dade, L., 2005. 3D inversion of VES data from the Saqqara archaeological area, Egypt: a case study. Near Surface Geophysics 3 (4): 227-233.
• 7. Firth, C. M., Quibell, J. E. 1935. The Step Pyramid, 1. Le Caire: 9-10.
• 8. Gradstein, F.M., Ogg, J.G., Smith, A.G. (Eds) 2004. A Geologic Time Scale 2004. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: 589 pp.
• 9. Gradstein, F.M., Ogg, J.G., Schmitz, M., Ogg, G. (Eds.) 2012. The Geologic Time Scale 2012, 2, Elsevier: 1144 pp.
• 10. Hantar, G. 1990. North Western Desert. In: Said, R. (Ed.), Geology of Egypt. Rotterdam-Brookfield: 293-319.
• 11. Keupp, H. 1992. Calcareous dinoflagellate cysts from the Lower Cretaceous of Hole 761C, Wombat Plateau, Eastern Indian Ocean. Proceedings of the ODP. Scientific results 122: 497 pp.
• 12. Klemm, R. Klemm, D. 2008. Stones and quarries in Ancient Egypt. The British Museum Press: 40-57.
• 13. Klemm, D. Klemm, R. 2010. The stones of the pyramids, provenance of the building stones of the Old Kingdom Pyramids of Egypt. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin - New York: 12-26.
• 14. Meshref, W.M. 1990. Tectonic framework. In: R. Said (Ed.), The Geology of Egypt. Balkema, Roterdam-Brookfield: 113-155.
• 15. Perch-Nielsen, K. 1985. Mesozoic calcareous nannofossils. In: Bolli, H.M., Saunders J. B. & Perch-Nielsen K. (Eds). Plankton Stratigraphy. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: 329- 426.
• 16. Premoli Silva, I., Sliter, W.V. 2002. Practical manual of Cretaceous planktonic foraminifera. In: Premoli Silva, I., Rettori, R. (Eds.), International School on Planktonic Foraminifera 1. Course: Cretaceous. Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, University of Perugia: 462 pp.
• 17. Rehäkovä, D. 2000. Calcareous dinoflagellate and calpionellid bioevents versus sea-level fluctuations recorded in the West-Carpathian (Late Jurassic/Early Cretaceous) pelagic environments. Geologica Carpathica 51, 4: 229-243.
• 18. Said, R. 1990. Cenozoic. In: R. Said (Ed.), The Geology of Egypt. Balkema, Roterdam-Brookfield: 451-486.
• 19. Squyres, C.H., Robert, E., Handley, R., List, F.K., Pöhlmann, G., 1987. Geological map of Egypt 1:500,000. NH 36 SW, Beni Suef. Cairo, Conoco.
• 20. Tawadros, E. 2011. Geology of North Africa. CRC Press, Leiden.
• 21. Welc, F. 2011. The Third Dynasty open quarry west of the Netjerykhet pyramid complex. EtTrav 24: 272-304.
• 22. Varol, O. 1992. Taxonomic revision of the Polycyclolithaceae and its contribution to Cretaceous biostratigraphy. Newsletter on Stratigraphy 27 (3): 93-127.
• 23. Youssef, M., Cherif, M. O., Boukhary, M., Mohamed, A. 1984. Geological Studies on the Saqqara Area, Egypt. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paleontologie Abhandlungen 168: 125-144