Quartzite, the hardest and toughest stone normally encountered in nature (7 on Mohs Scale of Hardness). The Egyptian variety is a sedimentary stone, correctly termed an "orthoquartzite" (to distinguish it from the metamorphic quartzites). Quartzite is composed of quartz (a crystalline form of silica) grains solidly cemented with chemical silica— so the cement and the grains are of the same material. Silica cement interlocks the grains and fills in the pore spaces, making a dense, compact stone of great strength.
Egyptian quartzite quarries are located at Gebel Ahmar near Cairo, at Gebel Gulab, and at Gebel Tingar near Aswan (within the Oligocene Gebel Ahmar Formation). Other sites occur within silicified Upper Cretaceous Nubia Group sandstones (the Umm Barmil Formation). Egyptian quartzite is usually white, with reddish, yellow, and orange varieties, the colors being produced by iron oxides. It was often used for sarcophagi, statues, and portcullis stones. Quartzite behaves much like large quartz masses (also 7 on Mohs Scale of Hardness) and can be worked with little concern for breakage or cleavage—but it was not ordinarily used as an architectural stone. None- theless, some examples include pillars in Pepy Us pyramid court at Saqqara; the burial chamber of Amenemhat III (1844-1797) at Hawara; the Tuthmosis III (1504-1450) Chapelle Rouge blocks at Luxor; and included here for their immense size, the so-called Colossi of Memnon at Luxor. These colossal statues were sculpted from single quartzite blocks of 21.3 meters (64 feet). Since quartzite occurs mainly in Lower Egypt, the transport of such large stones upriver must have been a serious consideration.
For sculpture, quartzite takes a fine polish and the colors can be used for pleasing effects. Examples include the head of Nefertiti and the wonderful figures of King Amenhotep III (1382-1344). Betsy Bryan (Kozloff and Bryan 1992) states that quartzite was chosen as "an indicator of the solar devo- tion, for red, yellow, and gold tones were considered the sun colors." Quartzite was far harder than the metal tools (copper, bronze) available, so it must have been worked with tools fabricated from other forms of quartz—chert (flint)—as well as quartz fragments. The final finishing would have been done by polishing with rubbing blocks and quartz sand. This extreme hardness may have made quartzite a "status" stone for statuary. Quartzite was known to ancient Egyptians as nmti, nmtt, biJyt, biyt, inr-n-dw, mr-n-bnwt, mr-nfr-n -biyt-'yt, inr-n-rwdt nt-dw-dsr, and mr-n- bnwt.
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Egyptian quartzite quarries are located at Gebel Ahmar near Cairo, at Gebel Gulab, and at Gebel Tingar near Aswan (within the Oligocene Gebel Ahmar Formation). Other sites occur within silicified Upper Cretaceous Nubia Group sandstones (the Umm Barmil Formation). Egyptian quartzite is usually white, with reddish, yellow, and orange varieties, the colors being produced by iron oxides. It was often used for sarcophagi, statues, and portcullis stones. Quartzite behaves much like large quartz masses (also 7 on Mohs Scale of Hardness) and can be worked with little concern for breakage or cleavage—but it was not ordinarily used as an architectural stone. None- theless, some examples include pillars in Pepy Us pyramid court at Saqqara; the burial chamber of Amenemhat III (1844-1797) at Hawara; the Tuthmosis III (1504-1450) Chapelle Rouge blocks at Luxor; and included here for their immense size, the so-called Colossi of Memnon at Luxor. These colossal statues were sculpted from single quartzite blocks of 21.3 meters (64 feet). Since quartzite occurs mainly in Lower Egypt, the transport of such large stones upriver must have been a serious consideration.
For sculpture, quartzite takes a fine polish and the colors can be used for pleasing effects. Examples include the head of Nefertiti and the wonderful figures of King Amenhotep III (1382-1344). Betsy Bryan (Kozloff and Bryan 1992) states that quartzite was chosen as "an indicator of the solar devo- tion, for red, yellow, and gold tones were considered the sun colors." Quartzite was far harder than the metal tools (copper, bronze) available, so it must have been worked with tools fabricated from other forms of quartz—chert (flint)—as well as quartz fragments. The final finishing would have been done by polishing with rubbing blocks and quartz sand. This extreme hardness may have made quartzite a "status" stone for statuary. Quartzite was known to ancient Egyptians as nmti, nmtt, biJyt, biyt, inr-n-dw, mr-n-bnwt, mr-nfr-n -biyt-'yt, inr-n-rwdt nt-dw-dsr, and mr-n- bnwt.
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