Stonework was one of the earliest industries in ancient Egypt. A natural wealth of decorative stone was first exploited during the Pre-Dynastic period (4,000 BC) and various quarry sites yielded basalt, breccia, granite, porphyry, limestone and alabaster. Two ancient alabaster quarry sites have been identified, one at Wadi Gera and the other near Helena and in an area south of Mania. While Egyptian alabaster, geologically known as Calcium carbonate, was worked from the Pre-Dynastic time on, it was most popular during the New Kingdom. The use of alabaster in Egypt dates well back into the Pharaonic period of Egyptian history, and it is evident when one visits the temples, tombs and museums in Egypt.
The original alabaster was a form of Calcite, a translucent variety of gypsum. On the hardness scale of 1 to 10, the alabaster would stand at only 2 to 2.5 soft enough to scratch with a fingernail. Because of the low hardness, it is very easy to carve and polish, but it is also easily weathered, especially in wet conditions. Because of its softness, therefore, alabaster is often carved for statuary and other decorative purposes. Ancient pharaohs used alabaster for many...
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