Quarrying Beautiful Bekhen Stone for the Pharaoh: The Exploitation of Wadi Hammamat in the Reign of Amenemhat III

Abstract

The greywacke quarries in Wadi Hammamat are one of the best known examples of this kind of activity due to the number of inscriptions preserved at the site. Although a number of approaches to these inscriptions have been made, it is quite usual to find general studies about epigraphic features or the activities of one important functionary. The aim of this paper is to focus on the royal activities in the quarries at the end of the Middle Kingdom, more precisely in the reign of Amenemhat III, analyzing for that purpose both epigraphic and comparative archaeological data, in order to build a comprehensive image of the Egyptian works at this quarrying site.