User:HannahG1701/Wadi el-Hudi

= Wadi el-Hudi = Wadi el-Hudi is a wadi in Southern Egypt, in the Eastern Desert. It is directly adjacent to Gebel el-Hudi. While it was initially known for the ancient quarries for amethyst, this area is important in archaeology for its high number of rock inscriptions and stelae, mainly dating to the Middle Kingdom.

Geology
Diorite hammerstones of natural, local orgin are found everyhwere in this region. Other minerals can be found here, such as amazonite, copper, carnelian, talc, barite, gold, and galena.

History of Region
Many inscriptions date to the predynastic era, as the site was used by travelers from multple groups. Organized, state sponsored campaigns began in the 11th dynasty under the reign of Montuhotep IV. Later, these expiditions were expanded by the 12th dynasty king, Senwosertet I. Some inscriptions date to the later reign of Amenemhat III, but decrease in quantity during the reign of Sobekhotep IV.

CUrrentlly, the Eastern Desert as a region is being exploited for resources by both legal and illegal mining groups.

Sites
As of 2023, 58 sites are found but more have been found every year.

1
Site 1 has evidence of both Middle Kingdom and Roman mining activity, as well as lots of evidence for Paleolithic stone tools.

2
This site is currently being turned into a 3-D model.

4
This area was frequently used during Middle Kingdom mining expeditions of over 1500 people. Stela at this site relate to the organization of the work. This site is currently being turned into a 3-D model. The structures are similar in design to Lower Nubian fortresses. Some amythest veins are still visible in the mine. This SIte is more remote than others in the area, being protected on all sides by the valley, boulders, and spoil heaps.

This site was used in 2 different eras; suring the Middle Kingdom and later during the late Ptolemaic period. This Site also hosts the only New Kingdom artifact, a Stele from the reign of AMenhotep II.

5
Site 5 features a large, winding set of natural stairs that walk through communal areas through to private, administrative areas. The geography of this site is of interest, as the use of the hill gives a vantage point over part of the wadi, or valley. This area was frequently used during Middle Kingdom mining expeditions of up to 1500 people. Both Site 5 and Site 9 demosntrate that Nubians were a signifigant part of the workforce. The construction of this site is similar to Wadi es-Sebua. Rock inscriptions at this site are used for visibility to soldiers and workers. This site is currently being turned into a 3-D model. Paleolithic stone tools have also been found here. Around 20 piles of stacked stones have been found, appearing to be graves but excavations ahve not shown any further evidence of buials.

6 and 27
The natural boulders of Site 6 and the adjacent site 27 have inscriptions relating to the organization of the site. This site is currently being turned into a 3-D model.

9 and 15
Site 9 and Site 15 feature the remains of a structure, which was constructed in multiple phases. This structure seems to mimmic middle kingdom forts' in architectue, such as buhen and mirgissa. The large, open pit mine butts up against the eastern walls of the structure. multiple heaps of rocks have been found nearby, most likely for use in the mining process. The short walls of the site are around 1 meter high, which was the orignal building height. The structure has small windows along exterior walls.

Minging in this area egan during the reign of MOntuhotep IV, but continued through the 13th dynasty. This area was frequently used during Middle Kingdom mining expeditions of up to 1500 people. This site was built by Nubian workers following Egyptian building plans. Because of the distance of from the Nile, local rocks were used instead of mudbrick. Both Site 5 and Site 9 demosntrate that Nubians were a signifigant part of the workforce. This site is currently being turned into a 3-D model.

11
Site 11 was most likely used during the persian era, based on petroglyphs nearby.

21
Site 21 has a rocky outcropping at the bottom of a small valley, with poor shade and difficult ways to traverse the area. Unlike other sites, this was not connected to larger mining activity. Some areas were used for cooking, processing amythest, storing food, and managing refuse. This Site was most likely Nubian, based on the pottery remains.

22
Site 22 includes a hut, some natural stone features, and a small mine that was used to look for veins of amethyst, but never yielded great spoils.

38
Paleolitic stone tools have been found at Site 38.

51
Site 51 is a natural rock shelter used as a short term living space. It was described by a traveler in 1941, but had been used for millenea before. Pottery from this area insicate its was used during the Islamic period, ROman peooud, and even ealrier by Nubian groups. This site is abiut a days walk from the Nile, and may have held water from the occasional rain event. An inscription from a rock overhang reads: "Hotepi disciovered this place". This dates to the possibly the Old Kingdom or FIrst Intemrediate Period. Some people used this site for just night or for temporary shelter, while others most likely lived here for longer ammounts of time. Tally marks in the walls indicate mutliple multi-week stays. Some inscriotions are of local animals, and some are figural.

8, 19, 25, 26
These sites are prospect mines, or starter mines. No amethyst was found from these depressions in the earth. Most of these mines have very little evidence for the people that created them.

20
Site 20 is a Roman prospect mine, as dated by the pottery remains.

21
Pottery remains at this site indicate that it was being used by Nubian groups at the same time as the Egyptian state was pursuing large scale mining nearby.

54
This prospect mine includes some pottery fragments that are likely handmade Nubian.

42, 43, 52
These sites are small Predynastic burials.

Inscriptions
Many inscriptions date to the reign of Amenemhet III, but the inscriptions cover a reign of thousands of years. 44 Stela were brough from the sites to be protected in museumes during the 1930's.

6
This stela notes that 1507 people from all over egypt were working at Wadi el-Hudi dirong the rieghn of Senwoseret I.

WH22 and WH23
These sandstone Stele are being restored by the Antiquites Endowment Fund via the American Research Center in Egypt.

143
This Stela, also known as the Stela of Horus, praises king Senwoseret I, and mentions the Nubians workers at the camp. This Stela also uses the term "Beautiful is he in the desert", referring to the region and the amethyst.

Usersatet
The Stele of Usersatet was found at Site 4, and is the only surviing New Kingdom artifact from teh region. It dates to the reign of Amenhotep II, and was comissioned by Usersatet, the Viceroy of Kush, also called the King's son of Kush. He is giving offerings to two goddesses, Satet and Hathor.

156
(water) (Espinel/ Gallan?)

WH254
The text on this Stele is still being translated, but the central part had been reused as a grinding stone, making translations difficult.

WH272
This red granite stela used to include a bigoraphical text, but has been recentyl shattered, making translations difficult.

Pastoral Nomads
Groups of Nomadic people were present at Wadi el-Hudi before, during, and after the state sponsored mining activities. Sites 42, 43 and 51 indicate that pastoral nomads stopped at natural rock shelters to weather out sand storms and flash floods. They most likely kept their heards nearby as they waited, keeping track of time spent at the site with markings on rocks. Text evidence of Egpytian records record several groups, like the Medjay, Nehesy, and Iwntyw. Many groups also praticed semi-nomadic pastorlaism, meaning they migrated in seasonal patterns and cultivated some local plants. .

Travelers
31 and 32 (burial)

Site 51 was used for thousands of years by people travleing through the area.

Large Expeditions and Their Peoples
evidence of surveillance at sites____. The Egyptian State-sponsored expiditions used many Nubian workers, both in the consturction of the sites and during the mining. This indicates that this area was fairly multi-cultural, with groups interacting and working together in different areas. One account records nearly 1500 people working at Wadi el-Hudi, but it is unclear if that is just lavoreres at the site, or if that includes all sites and all support personell.

Small Expeditions and Their Peoples
Some groups began starter mine holes, initially described as wells, such as those found at Site 21.

Labib Nasim
photo evidence indicates labib nasim visited in 1917. According to a 1925 conference, his visit was to discover the geology of the region.

George Murray
1936 Dare me to the Desert

Hansjoachim von der Esch
1938 (bryans article, conference proceedings)

This german beurocrat traveeld around the Wadi el-Hudi region in 1938. He took photos of the later named Site 51 that were published in 1941. He and his Bishareen guides took refuge from a sand storm at the Site, and photogrpahed multiple inscriptions.

Ahmed Fakhry
1944, 1946, 1949,

Sadak
1980, 1985

Ian Shaw
1992

Rosemarie and Dietrich Klemms
1993

Wadi El Hudi Expedition
2014- present

link to fb and website

Dihmit and El Hisnane
Dihmit North, South and El Hisnane East and West are regions close to the main wadi El Hudi archaeological sites. These sites have several archeological features that are currently being studied by the WeH expedition team. Dihmit South was assoicated with copper mining, as well as other minerals. (link to jim harrel 2013)

Some areas of el-Hisnein have been destroyed by illegal mining as recently as 2013.