Archaeometric Study of Masonry Red Bricks and Pottery Water Pipes from the Tanks of A Coptic Water Wheel, Sheikh Hamad, Athribis, Sohag, Egypt
Omar, S., Kamel, A. (2023). Archaeometric Study of Masonry Red Bricks and Pottery Water Pipes from the Tanks of A Coptic Water Wheel, Sheikh Hamad, Athribis, Sohag, Egypt. EKB Journal Management System, 4(1), 18-32. doi: 10.21608/arcs.2023.172279.1032
Sherif Omar; Abdullah Kamel. "Archaeometric Study of Masonry Red Bricks and Pottery Water Pipes from the Tanks of A Coptic Water Wheel, Sheikh Hamad, Athribis, Sohag, Egypt". EKB Journal Management System, 4, 1, 2023, 18-32. doi: 10.21608/arcs.2023.172279.1032
Omar, S., Kamel, A. (2023). 'Archaeometric Study of Masonry Red Bricks and Pottery Water Pipes from the Tanks of A Coptic Water Wheel, Sheikh Hamad, Athribis, Sohag, Egypt', EKB Journal Management System, 4(1), pp. 18-32. doi: 10.21608/arcs.2023.172279.1032
Omar, S., Kamel, A. Archaeometric Study of Masonry Red Bricks and Pottery Water Pipes from the Tanks of A Coptic Water Wheel, Sheikh Hamad, Athribis, Sohag, Egypt. EKB Journal Management System, 2023; 4(1): 18-32. doi: 10.21608/arcs.2023.172279.1032

Archaeometric Study of Masonry Red Bricks and Pottery Water Pipes from the Tanks of A Coptic Water Wheel, Sheikh Hamad, Athribis, Sohag, Egypt

Advanced Research in Conservation Science
Article 2, Volume 4, Issue 1, June 2023, Page 18-32  XML PDF (2.14 MB)
Document Type: Original Article
DOI: 10.21608/arcs.2023.172279.1032
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Authors
Sherif Omar email orcid ; Abdullah Kamel
Conservation Department, Faculty of Archaeology, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
Abstract
This research will shed light on the compositional characterization of red bricks and pottery water pipes used in the tanks of a Coptic water wheel. This water wheel was built on the ruins of Ptolemy XII temple Sheikh Hamad, Athribis, Sohag, Egypt. Representative samples were analyzed using USB digital microscope, Polarizing Light Microscope (PLM), Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analyses (EDX). The physicochemical study of these samples indicates that the red bricks and pottery water pipes consist of orthoclase, mullite, quartz, spinel, diopside, hematite and halite. That mineralogical composition reflects the well burning temperature of the studied red bricks. While the detection of calcite and some organic residues of chopped straw in the pottery pipes revealed that they were burnt under low temperature when they were compared with the red brick samples. The chemical composition results of all samples confirms that Nile clay is the resource of clay raw materials used for the manufacturing of the studied red bricks and pottery water pipes. 

Highlights
  • Characterization of red brick and water pottery pipes which were built on the ruins of Ptolemy XII temple Sheikh Hamad, Athribis, Sohag, Egypt.
  • The archaeometric study was performed using a USB digital microscope, Polarizing Light Microscope (PLM), Powder X-ray (XRD) diffraction, and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) coupled with EDX.
  • Red bricks used in the construction of water wheel tanks were highly burnt and more durable.
  • The detection of calcite in the components of water pottery pipes confirms the incomplete process of its burning. The chemical composition of red bricks and pottery pipes confirms that Nile clay was the resource of their raw materials.
Keywords
Red brick; pottery water pipes; waterwheel; Coptic time; characterization
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