L’extraction des blocs en calcaire à l’Ancien Empire. Une expérimentation au ouadi el-Jarf

Résumé En

This article addresses the techniques used for the extraction of limestone blocks from quarries during the Old Kingdom. The study draws on the latest research conducted at the Wadi al-Jarf harbor complex, located on the western shore of the Gulf of Suez. Approximately one hundred extracted blocks have been discovered there in an unfinished state, along with tools such as ropes, wooden hammers, and pieces of copper chisels. The items found in and around the quarry have led to a better understanding of the methods used by the ancient stonecutters, to produce large-sized blocks. To study the processes in more detail, an experiment was carried out to extract a one cubic meter stone using replicas of the ancient tools found at the site, and to test new hypothetical reconstructions of the steps followed in the process. The information collected and the experience gained has yielded new understanding of the organization of labor and has resulted in cutting performance rates being estimated for the first time. Information about the use of water to soften the stone during cutting of extraction trenches has also been brought to light.