http://per-storemyr.net For the joy of old stone! Sat, 18 May 2013 20:40:53 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ http://0.gravatar.com/blavatar/cf3188e56bcefe6906c39af8e501d48d?s=96&d=http%3A%2F%2Fs2.wp.com%2Fi%2Fbuttonw-com.png http://per-storemyr.net http://per-storemyr.net/2013/05/17/an-update-after-months-of-inactivity-at-my-website/ http://per-storemyr.net/2013/05/17/an-update-after-months-of-inactivity-at-my-website/#comments Fri, 17 May 2013 03:38:36 +0000 Per Storemyr http://per-storemyr.net/?p=3533 Continue reading →]]> http://per-storemyr.net/2013/05/17/an-update-after-months-of-inactivity-at-my-website/feed/ 0 storemyr Overgrown quarry pits and raised spoil heaps in the old Riniken millstone quarry landscape by Brugg in Canton Aargau, Switzerland. Photo: Per Storemyr Abandoned, early-modern millstone rough-out, intended for a water mill, in the Villnachern quarry landscape by Brugg in Canton Aargau, Switzerland. Photo: Per Storemyr http://per-storemyr.net/2013/02/27/the-little-known-archaeology-of-gharb-aswan-upper-egypt/ http://per-storemyr.net/2013/02/27/the-little-known-archaeology-of-gharb-aswan-upper-egypt/#comments Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:36:45 +0000 Per Storemyr http://per-storemyr.net/?p=3424 Continue reading →]]> http://per-storemyr.net/2013/02/27/the-little-known-archaeology-of-gharb-aswan-upper-egypt/feed/ 5 logo-ps201.jpg storemyr Aerial view of the First Nile Cataract in 1936. The Old Aswan Dam in front, by then tiny Aswan City top right and the desert at Gharb Aswan at left. Source: Library of Congress. The "Tombs of the Nobles" at night Nubian villages at Gharb Aswan, seen from the north A stone workshop with an unfinished statue and St. Simeon's monastery in the background Sanddune in the afternoon - towards the first cataract Preforms of bifaces in Palaeolithic workshop Middle Palaeolithic quarry Late Palaeolithic grinding stones by the habitation sites in Wadi Kubbaniya Epipalaeolithic "geometric" rock art Excavations of the Predynastic cemetery at Sheikh Mohammed (El-Kubanieh-Süd) in 1910-11 (photo from Junker 1919) Survey of a probable Predynastic grinding stone quarry. Inserted a typical boat-shaped grinder Exceptional rock art at Gharb Aswan: On the upper boat is the earliest depiction of a king in Ancient Egypt (Dynasty 0). Photo: Per Storemyr Grinding stone quarry at the top of Gebel Qubbet el-Hawa New Kingdom ramp for transport of obelisks at Gebel Gulab The Roman road to Nubia leaving from Gharb Aswan Sandstorm over St. Simeon's monastery Field of upright stones with the sanctuary at Gebel Tingar in the background The so-called "chute" of a stone-built game drive, used to capture gazelle GharbAswanSlideshow (7) GharbAswanSlideshow (8) GharbAswanSlideshow (6) GharbAswanSlideshow (9) GharbAswanSlideshow (10) GharbAswanSlideshow (1) GharbAswanSlideshow (2) GharbAswanSlideshow (3) GharbAswanSlideshow (5) GharbAswanSlideshow (4) GharbAswanSlideshow (24) GharbAswanSlideshow (25) GharbAswanSlideshow (12) GharbAswanSlideshow (22) GharbAswanSlideshow (13) GharbAswanSlideshow (14) GharbAswanSlideshow (15) GharbAswanSlideshow (16) GharbAswanSlideshow (17) GharbAswanSlideshow (19) GharbAswanSlideshow (20) GharbAswanSlideshow (21) GharbAswanSlideshow (18) GharbAswanSlideshow (27) GharbAswanSlideshow (28) GharbAswanSlideshow (11) GharbAswanSlideshow (29) GharbAswanSlideshow (30) GharbAswanSlideshow (31) GharbAswanSlideshow (32) GharbAswanSlideshow (33) GharbAswanSlideshow (26) GharbAswanSlideshow (23) GharbAswanSlideshow (34) Archaeology and rock art at Gharb (West) Aswan (EG) http://per-storemyr.net/2013/02/02/the-old-quarry-that-was-reused-as-a-beer-brewery/ http://per-storemyr.net/2013/02/02/the-old-quarry-that-was-reused-as-a-beer-brewery/#comments Sat, 02 Feb 2013 00:49:52 +0000 Per Storemyr http://per-storemyr.net/?p=3399 Continue reading →]]> http://per-storemyr.net/2013/02/02/the-old-quarry-that-was-reused-as-a-beer-brewery/feed/ 2 storemyr Old horse cart with beer barrel in the historic Wabern quarry by Berne, Switzerland. Photo: Per Storemyr Sketch of the Wabern quarry by 1854, by J.E. von Deschwanden: Source: Labhart 2006 Old photo of the Gurten beer brewery in the Wabern sandstone quarry by Bern. Source: Burgerbibliothek Bern http://per-storemyr.net/2013/01/22/stone-extraction-with-pickaxes-in-ancient-egypt-fact-or-fiction/ http://per-storemyr.net/2013/01/22/stone-extraction-with-pickaxes-in-ancient-egypt-fact-or-fiction/#comments Tue, 22 Jan 2013 15:03:59 +0000 Per Storemyr http://per-storemyr.net/?p=3375 Continue reading →]]> http://per-storemyr.net/2013/01/22/stone-extraction-with-pickaxes-in-ancient-egypt-fact-or-fiction/feed/ 3 storemyr Fact, no fiction: Evidence for the use of pickaxes with a narrow blade forming the cutting edge. Quarry by Shesmetet temple in Wadi el-Hillal by Elkab in Upper Egypt. Photo: Per Storemyr Typical appearance of separation trenches in Ancient Egyptian sandstone quarries, with long "chisel tracks". From the west bank at Gebel el-Silsila. Uncertain dating, but probably Graeco-Roman. Photo: Per Storemyr Small quarry close to Shesmetet temple in Wadi el-Hillal by Elkab, showing marks of both chisels and pickaxes. Photo: Per Storemyr Curved tracks of pickaxe in a corner at the Shesmetet quarry (top). The quarryman needed to turn round to remove the last bit of stone (marks to the right of the scale). This is very typical in quarries were picks have been used to make separation trenches, for example in the Berne area in Switzerland (bottom, 19th century). Photos: Per Storemyr. Chisel marks in a separation trench in a small, probably Graeco-Roman quarry at Qubbet el-Hawa by Aswan. Note the "stepped" appearance, with many small "humps". These are the result of each impact of the chisel when it is driven down through the rock with a mallet. Photo: Per Storemyr The difference between chisel tracks (top) and marks from pickaxe (bottom) in the quarry by Shesmetet temple. Photo: Per Storemyr Separation trench made by pickaxe in the sandstone quarries at Gebel el-Silsila (west bank). Photo: Per Storemyr Preliminary map of the quarry by Shesmetet temple, showing the various tool marks that can be seen at the quarry walls. Map: Per Storemyr http://per-storemyr.net/2013/01/01/ten-quarries-of-ancient-egypt-series-summary/ http://per-storemyr.net/2013/01/01/ten-quarries-of-ancient-egypt-series-summary/#comments Tue, 01 Jan 2013 17:15:45 +0000 Per Storemyr http://per-storemyr.net/?p=3305 Continue reading →]]> http://per-storemyr.net/2013/01/01/ten-quarries-of-ancient-egypt-series-summary/feed/ 4 storemyr http://per-storemyr.net/2012/12/31/ten-quarries-of-ancient-egypt-10-firework/ http://per-storemyr.net/2012/12/31/ten-quarries-of-ancient-egypt-10-firework/#comments Mon, 31 Dec 2012 19:04:19 +0000 Per Storemyr http://per-storemyr.net/?p=3292 Continue reading →]]> http://per-storemyr.net/2012/12/31/ten-quarries-of-ancient-egypt-10-firework/feed/ 0 storemyr Happy New Year with firework in the ancient quarries! Firesetting experiment at Aswan by Adel Kelany and his team in the Department for Ancient Quarries Aand Mines, Ministry of State for Antiquities. The subsequent removal of the softened granite by using hammerstones was much easier than without fire. And the fire can be controlled in such a way that the rock intended for further working is not damaged. Photo: Adel Kelany Old cracks in the granite at the Unfinished Obelisk quarry at Aswan. Such cracks were very probably induced by fire in the New Kingdom to ease the extraction of granite. Photo: Per Storemyr Fire shattered rock surfaces at the silicified sandstone quarries by Gharb Aswan (West Aswan). Most likely a sign of an important stone extraction method in the New Kingdom. Photo: Per Storemyr Shattered stone surfaces at Chephren's quarry, Old Kingdom. Firesetting used to peel the block making it suitable for further work with hammerstones to create a sculpture. Photo: Per Storemyr http://per-storemyr.net/2012/12/31/ten-quarries-of-ancient-egypt-9-palaeolithic-quarries-in-the-eastern-desert/ http://per-storemyr.net/2012/12/31/ten-quarries-of-ancient-egypt-9-palaeolithic-quarries-in-the-eastern-desert/#comments Mon, 31 Dec 2012 02:01:30 +0000 Per Storemyr http://per-storemyr.net/?p=3285 Continue reading →]]> http://per-storemyr.net/2012/12/31/ten-quarries-of-ancient-egypt-9-palaeolithic-quarries-in-the-eastern-desert/feed/ 2 storemyr This is a great Palaeolithic quarry by Wadi Beiza in the Eastern Desert. It was the black, hard stone that was exploited. Photo: Per Storemyr Debitage in the Palaeolithic Wadi Beiza quarry. Photo: Per Storemyr A biface (hand axe) spotted in the Wadi Beiza Palaeolithic quarries. Photo: Per Storemyr http://per-storemyr.net/2012/12/30/ten-quarries-of-ancient-egypt-8-the-quarry-at-widan-el-faras-that-disappeared/ http://per-storemyr.net/2012/12/30/ten-quarries-of-ancient-egypt-8-the-quarry-at-widan-el-faras-that-disappeared/#comments Sat, 29 Dec 2012 23:43:47 +0000 Per Storemyr http://per-storemyr.net/?p=3275 Continue reading →]]> http://per-storemyr.net/2012/12/30/ten-quarries-of-ancient-egypt-8-the-quarry-at-widan-el-faras-that-disappeared/feed/ 0 storemyr One of the fine Old Kingdom basalt quarries at Widan el-Faras in 2001. Read more to see how it looked like in 2006... Photo: Per Storemyr And this is how the quarry at Widan el-Faras looked like in 2006, after the bulldozers had done their work. Compare with photo above. Photo: Per Storemyr The Old Kingdom quarries at Widan el-Faras, Northern Faiyum (EG) http://per-storemyr.net/2012/12/29/ten-quarries-of-ancient-egypt-7-tracing-a-grinding-stone-quarry-in-the-sahara/ http://per-storemyr.net/2012/12/29/ten-quarries-of-ancient-egypt-7-tracing-a-grinding-stone-quarry-in-the-sahara/#comments Sat, 29 Dec 2012 01:43:43 +0000 Per Storemyr http://per-storemyr.net/?p=3262 Continue reading →]]> http://per-storemyr.net/2012/12/29/ten-quarries-of-ancient-egypt-7-tracing-a-grinding-stone-quarry-in-the-sahara/feed/ 2 storemyr A grinding stone quarry at the north scarp of the Kharga Oasis in the Egyptian Sahara. Discovered by tracing flint hammerstones. Photo: Per Storemyr Used grinding stones and handstones at the Neolithic settlements by Umm el-Dabadib in Kharga. Photo: Per Storemyr Flint hammerstones on the alluvial terrace we walked in Kharga. Photo: Per Storemyr http://per-storemyr.net/2012/12/28/ten-quarries-of-ancient-egypt-6-gebel-manzal-el-seyl-volcanic-tuff-quarry/ http://per-storemyr.net/2012/12/28/ten-quarries-of-ancient-egypt-6-gebel-manzal-el-seyl-volcanic-tuff-quarry/#comments Thu, 27 Dec 2012 23:51:40 +0000 Per Storemyr http://per-storemyr.net/?p=3249 Continue reading →]]> http://per-storemyr.net/2012/12/28/ten-quarries-of-ancient-egypt-6-gebel-manzal-el-seyl-volcanic-tuff-quarry/feed/ 0 storemyr What a quarry! The central summit at Gebel Manzal el-Seyl in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. Nearly 5000 years old. Photo: Per Storemyr Tuff vessel (plate), originating at Manzal el-Seyl, in the Kom Aushim Museum in the Faiyum. Photo: Per Storemyr "Mysterious" U-signs at vessel blanks in the Gebel Manzal el-Seyl quarry. Photo: Per Storemyr