The 2023 Archaeological Season in the Emerald Mines of Wadi Sikait

The 2023 Archaeological Season in the Emerald Mines of Wadi Sikait: Excavation in Sikait, Documentation of the Mining Regions, and Survey of the Wadi el Gemal National Park Joan Oller Guzmán – Sergio García-Dils de la Vega – David Fernández Abella – Patxi Ozcoz Benito – Jerzy Oleksiak – Delia Eguiluz Maestro – Adriana Molina Pérez – Bernat Burgaya Martínez – Laia Sagristà Mallol – Sònia Salvia Vidal – José María Carrasco López Abstract: The 2023 Archaeological Season in the Emerald Mines of Wadi Sikait: Excavation in Sikait, Documentation of the Mining Regions, and Survey of the Wadi el Gemal National Park The 2023 archaeological season of the Sikait Project in the Wadi el Gemal National Park has continued to decipher the historical evolution of the ancient industry at Smaragdos, the only known source of beryl in the Roman Empire according to the classical literary sources. The work focused on the continuation of the excavations in the main site of Sikait, the documentation of the emerald mines, and conservation interventions. In addition to that, an intensive topographical survey of different areas of the Wadi el Gemal Park has been conducted. This paper offers an overview of the preliminary results of the season. Introduction Work in the ancient emerald mining region located in the current Wadi el Gemal National Park – ancient Smaragdos – continued during the 2023 season. During the second half of December 2022 and January 2023 the Sikait Project team conducted a topographical survey of several ancient sites such as Gali and Kab Marfu’a East, excavated in Sikait and continued the documentation of the emerald mines in the Wadi Sikait area. The Sikait Project is a joint archaeological mission of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology.1 It resumes the surveying and excavation work conducted by the team directed by S. E. Sidebotham from the University of Delaware in Wadi el Gemal National Park in the 1990s and early 2000s.2 The primary aim of the project is to analyse features of the extraction and commercialization of beryl – a mineral whose green variant is more commonly known as emerald – in Egypt 1 2 We would like to thank the Egyptian authorities from the Supreme Council of Antiquities for granting the permits for the 2023 season, especially inspectors, Mr. Zakaria Ibrahim and Mr. Mina Rashad Gad, and the conservator, Mr. Ahmed Tharwat. The project also extends its gratitude to Mr. Emad Eddin Abdelhamid, Director of the SCA Red Sea Inspectorate, Mr. Abdelrahim Mahmoud Ahmed, Director of the SCA Quseir Office, and Mr. Mahmoud Ahmed Hussein, from the Red Sea Inspectorate in Quseir. Finally, we would like to thank the rest of the Egyptian staff for ensuring the correct working of the season. The work was funded by the Fundación PALARQ and the Spanish Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes. On the previous archaeological seasons at Sikait cf. Rivard – Foster - Sidebotham 2002; Sidebotham et al. 2004; Foster et al. 2007, 304-343; Sidebotham – Hense – Nouwens 2008, 328-336; Sidebotham 2011. Oller et al. 2019; Sidebotham – Gates-Foster – Rivard 2019, 136-145; Oller et al. 2021a; Oller et al. 2021b; García-Dils et al. 2021; Oller et al. 2022a. during the Graeco-Roman period. This article presents an overview of the results of the 2023 season. Wadi Sikait is in the Eastern Desert on a branch tributary of Wadi Gemal 45 km inland from the Red Sea coast (Pl. XIX 1). It is one of the main areas within the Wadi el Gemal National Park where beryl is present. The region is known from ancient authors as “Smaragdos”, because it was the only region in the Roman Empire where emeralds could be extracted.3 Especially since the beginning of the Roman dominion of Egypt, an intense extraction process of beryl was started in the area. An extensive network of mining settlements was created. The most remarkable of these settlements is that at Sikait. It is cut into two parts (eastern and western) by the Wadi Sikait extending 560 m north-south by 270 m east-west comprising between 150-200 visible structures. Chronologically it ranges from the 1st to the 7th-8th centuries AD. The survey of the Wadi el Gemal National Park One of the main goals of this season was the topographical survey of several archaeological sites within the Wadi el Gemal National Park that are severely endangered by the activities of illegal gold diggers and the local population using metal detectors. Thanks to the permits granted by the Supreme Council of Antiquities, an intensive and extensive topographical survey was carried out at two of them, i. e. at Gali and at Kab Marfu’a East. For this purpose, a small team consisting of five researchers stayed for two weeks 3 For a summary of the classical sources referring to the Eastern Desert emerald mines cf. Oller 2022a. 18 Joan Oller Guzmán et al. on the sites.4 In the course of the survey about 600 archaeological structures were documented. Gali5 – 24º 31’13.58’’ N 34º 44’35.94’’ E – is a vast site of which more than 150 buildings were properly documented, including domestic houses, productive complexes, and temples (Pl. XIX 2). Moreover, over 450 tombs were identified around the site, while a new settlement, Gali South, was found some 400 meters south of Gali. At Gali South – 24º 30’45.06’’N 34º 44’29.80’’E – more than 20 amazingly well preserved buildings were discovered (Pl. XX 1). Chronologically, both sites range from the 4th to the 5th century AD and, as the pottery suggests, they were probably hosting two different communities. Kab Marfu’a East6 – 24º 32’26.26’’N 34º 44’40.56’’ E – is a smaller settlement ranging from the 4th to the 6th century AD as well. More than 120 structures were documented at this site, and a general topographical survey of the site was carried out (Pl. XX 2). We hope that this work will contribute to the knowledge and conservation of these unique sites. Further mining areas were surveyed during this season. First, the region of Umm Kabu – 24º 35.50’N 34º53.58’E –, where an extensive mining region was documented – mining zones N and O – including several underground mines, processing areas, and even a small village with a possible ritual area. Second, in Gebel Umm Harba we also documented two mining zones – P and Q – both comprising underground mines and open pits around the already known two small mining settlements.7 It is important to note that in Gebel Umm Harba we found evidence of recent looting activity in the emerald mines and of bulldozering activities near the ancient site, probably for the extraction of gold or uranium. We plan to insist on the importance of the continuity of the survey work in the Wadi el Gemal National Park, as the extractive operations and looting activities are intensively deteriorating the archaeological heritage of the area. In this regard, even in the wellknown site of Sikait, a group of geologists with a Geiger counter were found doing a survey looking for uranium. The excavation in Sikait A second key measure of the season was the continuation of the excavations in Sikait. Work started in a new area, in the so-called “Advanced Building” in the northernmost part of the site on the eastern slope being the building most advanced towards the wadi (Pl. XXI). The building consists of two parts, a courtyard 4 5 6 7 The team consisted of J. Oller Guzmán, S.E. Sidebotham, R.C.A. Geerts, R. Kolvers and A. Puig Palerm. For the site of Gali cf. Sidebotham – Gates-Foster – Rivard 2019, 120-121. For the case of Kab Marfu’a East cf. Sidebotham et al. 2005; Sidebotham – Gates-Foster – Rivard 2019, 129-130. For Umm Kabu cf. Sidebotham – Gates-Foster – Rivard 2019, 156. For Gebel cf. Umm Harba cf. Sidebotham – Gates-Foster – Rivard 2019, 145-146. and the main room, the last one lying on a slightly more elevated terrace (Pl. XXII 1). Two trenches were dug, trench 018 corresponding to the main room, and trench 019 corresponding to the courtyard. The structure of the building seems to suggest that the main room was built first and that the courtyard was added later. Apart from these two main parts, two other smaller rooms were identified, a rectangular one protruding to the west from the main room, and a smaller one being an addition to the courtyard to the south (cf. the plan of the Advanced Building, Pl. XXII 2). Due to the lack of time these last two areas were not excavated. Chronologically the building ranges from the end of the 4th to the beginning of the 6th century AD. Trench 019 lies in the southern half of the Advanced Building. It consists of a rectangular area dedicated to some productive activity. Probably, it was an open area such as a courtyard, for no evidence of ceiling was found. It is delimited on the north side by a terrace leading by a staircase of five steps to the main room of the building. On the eastern side it is delimited by a wall that has a doorway granting access to the courtyard from the street. On the southern side it is limited by another wall with a window and a further door, allowing passage to the still unexplored small room. Unfortunately, the western side is heavily eroded. However, the current dimensions of the courtyard appear to be 6.18 N/S by 10.92m E/W. The main structure is a rectangular furnace – locus 006, 2.67m N/S by 1.45m E/W (Pl. XXIII 1). It has a small entrance with a threshold and a step, which has been modified several times. Inside the furnace two main areas were identified. In the north, delimited by several stones, there was a place where probably combustion was practized. In the lowest part of this space a small structure for offerings consisting of four flat stones, was documented. The southern part is a rectangular, undivided space. All parts of the furnace were covered by several layers of ashes. The first phase of the courtyard can be associated with layer 057 consisting of very compact sand and gravel. The starcaise connecting with the main room and the one granting access to the furnace 006 were originally built in this phase. After this layer was damaged, a second one was created by spreading a new compacted layer of clay, sand and gravel – layer 072 covering 057 – at the level of the first step of the staircase leading to the main room and the threshold of the furnace. To this second phase belonged another small votive offering element, consisting of a small square structure delimited by small flat schists at the southern edge of the courtyard. The second layer is covered by a third one, the existence of which may point to an increase in the productive activity conducted in the courtyard, as it is linked to another furnace, locus 051 (Pl. XXIII 2), located to the west of the main one. It is circular, has a diameter of 1.12 m and was made of a combination of local schist stones and amphora bases, which may have The 2023 Archaeological Season in the Emerald Mines of Wadi Sikait enabled enhanced circulation of oxygen, thus, allowing for higher burning temperatures. Inside the furnace only a layer of ash was found. This system seems to be quite usual in the Eastern Desert during the Graeco-Roman and Late Antique period, as similar structures were documented in Sikait itself as well as in Gali. In some of the Roman praesidia of the Eastern Desert, particularly in the 3rd century AD layers of Xeron Pelagos and Dios8 there exist well-documented furnaces, too, built using fragments of amphora-bases, some also with handles. The lack of good quality clay in the Eastern Desert may have forced the workmen to reuse broken amphoras. Possibly the refractory properties of the pottery facilitated the increase and maintainance of temperature inside the furnace. Several bottoms of Egyptian Late Roman Amphorae 7 were found cutting the surface level 072. They were filled with ash and will have served some unknown productive use. At some point during this phase the furnace 051 was covered with sand and ashes and a small circular structure delimited by stones was built in a corner between the main furnace and the southern wall of the room. Inside the upper part of a Late Roman Amphora 1 of unknown function, which was probably related to the activity on the main furnace – locus 039 (Pl. XXIV 1) – was found upside down. Finally, a couple of holes filled with ashes in the middle of the courtyard belonged to this phase, as well. They were probably related to the production carried out in the area, too. A last period of use was identified through loci 036 and 038 covering the second furnace locus 051. In that period in the western edge of the courtyard a new rectangular structure of unknown function was built, i.e. locus 077 measuring 1.18m N/S by 0.84m E/W (Pl. XXIV 2), which was modified during a second phase. It was filled with ashes and charcoal and was probably related to the general activity conducted in the courtyard. After this last phase the space was abandoned and covered by windblown deposits. However, the presence of a stone hut on the western edge of the trench indicates a short reuse of the area at a later date. A huge layer of tumble marks the final abandonment of the courtyard. In trench 018 a rectangular room measuring 6.07 m N/S by 7.80 m E/W delimited by masonry walls on all sides, came to light. A large threshold measuring 90 cm in length by 67 cm in width indicates that the entrance was in the southwest corner of the room. In the eastern part of the room there was a small separate room of 4.76 m N/S by 1.16 m E/W, which could be accessed by a door with a threshold and a small step located in its northwestern corner. This small room was internally divided by another E-W oriented wall. The southern section measures 0.8 m N/S by 1.16 m E/W. Both rooms were used during several different phases. In the main room the first circulation level was locus 042. All circulation levels of the building consist 8 Brun 2018, Fig. 32 and 33. We want to thank Dr. Bérangère Redon for kindly providing us with these parallels. 19 of a combination of compacted brownish earth and gravel. The first layer corresponds with both thresholds of the room. In the second phase the floor of the main room was repaired, an additional layer of brownish earth mixed with gravel and compacted surface – locus 039 (Pl. XXV 1) – being added. To the first phase of use belong several votive offerings. In the northwestern corner of the room a fireplace was built. A fragmented steatite offering dish found in situ points to a ritual function. On the floor there was a small structure consisting of three flat schist stones with burning remains. Additionally, there was a square hole with burned remains, which was delimited by four vertical flat schist stones as well as three horizontal ones. These structures are very similar to the ones found in the courtyard. In the central part of the room, the bottom of a Late Roman 7 amphora was positioned in a circular hole filled with ashes. Finally, close to the wall dividing the eastern room in two sections, a large hole of irregular shape was dug. Inside two offerings were deposited, a half Late Roman 7 amphora (Pl. XXV 2) and an almost complete storage jar of Aswan pink kaolin clay. No remains of the offered material were preserved. After this offering part of the hole was covered with gravel and into this layer another circular hole covered by a flat schist stone bearing the pivot of a Late Roman 7 amphora was dug. Thus, there exist remains of seven ritual offerings of this first phase of use of the main room. After the circulation level 039, a third phase of use was documented, locus 038, yet another layer of compacted brownish earth with gravel. Tumble consisting of yellowish sand and a large amount of stone – locus 013 – indicate the abandonment of the place. The eastern small room was originally divided into two parts by wall 017, a structure that on its eastern limit has a staircase with three steps allowing access to the smaller southern area. In this smaller southern zone there was a large layer of discarded materials – locus 016 (Pl. XXVI 1) –, which suggests that, probably after the first phase when it may have been used as a storage room or a cellar, this area was reused as trash dump. The stratigraphy in the northern part of the small room is more complicated and suggests the continued use of the space. The earliest level is a preparation layer – 036 – followed by a circulation level – 034 – composed of compacted brownish earth and gravel, corresponding to the step immediately behind the threshold. The following level is associated with the second phase of use of the room – locus 030. In this layer a couple of votive offerings, an almost complete Late Roman 7 amphora above a large oval hole (Pl. XXVI 2), and half a Late Roman 7 amphora above a circular pit were found. No remains of the offered materials were preserved, except for some charcoal and seeds. It is interesting to note that, as we have seen, during the first phase of the main room a large quantity of offerings had been deposited as well, in both cases 20 Joan Oller Guzmán et al. probably marking the beginning of the main phase of use of these rooms. During the second phase locus 026 was the circulation level. It covered the step that gave access to the room and was on the same level as the threshold. This confirms that like in the western part of the main room the walking surfaces were created by addition of earth and gravel from the wadi, thus, increasing the level of the room, and by adapting the original steps and thresholds to them. Locus 026 was covered by layer 023, probably another circulation level, as it is related to a fireplace. This may be the third phase of use of the room, although still another layer covering 023 may belong to a further – the last – phase of this space. In this walking layer 015 was found yet another half Late Roman 7 amphora covered by burned remains. This object and further examples of the statistically most-numerous kitchen cooking ware pottery in this level and in the contemporary one in the southern part of the room – locus 016 – suggests a function as a kitchen (Pl. XXVII 1). The following level 014, which is composed of non-compacted greyish sand and some stone, covers the eastern room and suggests the abandonment of the room. Finally, the whole main room was covered by tumble and windblown sand. The remains discovered in the two trenches appear to belong to an important building related to some kind of productive activity documented in trench 019. There, in the courtyard, clearly a firing activity was conducted. The lack of any type of slag (metallurgical or glass) or pottery wasters and the presence of the furnaces suggest that this space may have been used for some repairing activity, probably linked with mining work and related tools. Nevertheless, some of the furnaces may have served other purposes, such as baking bread. The finds of the main room and the lack of objects related to a residential use suggest that the main room served for management and economic purposes conducted also in the courtyard. Objects such as the large amount of good quality beads (Pl. XXVII 2), a possible calamus, votive offerings and a large assemblage of more than 40 coins seem to reinforce this idea. Concerning the eastern small room, the recovery of an important amount of burned cooking ware suggests that the room was used as a kitchen. The presence of the above mentioned half amphora embedded in the circulation level and the existence of a possible small cellar in the southern part of the same space point in the same direction. In other excavated complexes in Sikait, such as the Six Windows Building Complex or the Tripartite Building complex the evidence recovered suggests the existence of large spaces dedicated to storage and/or processing activities probably of beryl.9 Large amounts of beryl, coins, the presence of spaces probably intended for cooking or storing food etc. seem to imply that the various rooms and spaces were 9 For the Six Windows Building cf. Oller et al. 2021a; for the Tripartite Building cf. Oller et al. 2022a. dedicated to different productive tasks supposing the presence and movement of workers and, of course, of people charged with management duties. Probably, the Advanced Building served the same purposes during the same span of time between the end of the 4th and beginning of the 6th century AD with most intense use in the 5th century AD, as suggested by the ceramic findings (Pl. XXVII 3). The documentation of the emerald mines Another main goal of the season was to continue the documentation of the surrounding area of the settlement from a geological and archaeological point of view, with special focus on the mining zones.10 The project has documented a total number of 407 underground structures, 370 of which are subterranean mines, covering the so far detected ancient exploitation zones, a total area of 47 ha (Pl. XXVIII). From an archaeological point of view, the documentation has focused on the socalled “Sikait Mining Zone G”, the largest one found up to now. There, the mining area reached an extension of 22.8 ha with 189 identified underground structures. The exploration of these mines was also continued focusing mainly on mine SKPUS-229. This is one of the largest mines documented to date. It is 46 m deep and has tens of galleries. Chronologically it ranges from the Early Roman to the Early Umayyad periods (Pl. XXIX 1). There came to light, among others, the first mining tool ever found in an ancient emerald mine, a perfectly preserved 40 cm long iron chisel (Pl. XXIX 2). It is the second mine where graffiti were found. They consist of ten schematic mining figures carved on the mine walls, several of which may correspond to ancient divinities and may have had an apotropaic function (Pl. XXX 1). Apart from that, other particularly interesting unknown areas were documented in zone G, such as Early Roman mines, warehouses and ritual areas possibly including a temple as well as a couple of shrines suggesting that the beginning of the exploitation started as early as the end of the 1st century BC at the latest. One of the documented shrines consisted of a rectangular framework presided by a winged sun. There a small slate plaque with a dedication to Anubis written in Greek was found (Pl. XXX 2). In one entrance of these mines the depiction of a man with the Roman sign of a denarius (X) was discovered probably to call for good luck in the mine (Pl. XXXI 1). The conservation interventions The last aim of this season‘s work were conservation measures regarding the structures and buildings 10 For the geological features of the area cf. Hassan and El Shatoury 1976; Shaw – Bunbury – Jameson 1999; Harrell 2004; Harrell 2006; Grundmann – Morteani 2008; Abu El-Enen et al. 2016; Harrell 2019; Ali et al. 2021; Abdalla – Saleh 2021; Gilg – Grundmann, 2022. The 2023 Archaeological Season in the Emerald Mines of Wadi Sikait within the Sikait settlement. The contribution to the preservation of the rich cultural heritage in the area is one of the major goals of the mission in general. For this purpose the conservation team focused on the reconstruction of some of the main buildings, where various procedures were conducted, i.e. the conservation of extracted materials from the excavation and the survey, and, finally, the analysis of the structural issues that affect the preservation of some of the main buildings in Sikait.11 Concerning the archaeological structures, efforts were made in the so-called “Southern Temple”, a building partially excavated in 2018. There, the work implied recovery of the three terraces of the building, mainly in the northern and in the central part, reconstructing the three levels, always following its original remains (Pl. XXXI 2). The reconstruction was done without mortar, as was the case in the original structure. Regarding the archaeological artifacts, several conservation measures have been conducted in the most relevant pieces that came from the “Advanced Building” and from the mines to improve its reading and study including cleaning and stabilization work on coins, stone and bronze figurines, pottery fragments and organic materials, such as baskets and ropes. All these procedures have been conducted by a professional conservation team with extensive experience in working on Egyptian sites. The conservation criteria used were minimal intervention and use of reversible and ecologically friendly materials. Conclusions The 2023 season has undoubtedly been the most productive and interesting in terms of results of all those conducted by the Sikait Project in Wadi Sikait. The large number of relevant finds made have allowed further progress in the knowledge of the Smaragdos and its socio-economic and cultural characteristics in Antiquity. According to the evidence of the small finds recovered in trench 018, the so-called “Advanced Building” has provided a magnificent example of a productive space from the Late Antique period related to some unknown activity that included several combustion structures and that was controlled by some wealthy individuals. Since the beginning of the first excavations in Sikait, in the early 2000s, over 30 trenches have been dug offering a more precise image of the settlement features and evolution. The “Advanced Building” has allowed the almost complete excavation of an edifice with a precise chronology – end of the 4th to the beginning of the 6th century AD – that reinforces the hypothesis already proposed by the team in previous years. So far, we are dealing with a settlement mainly from the Late Antique period most of the structures and buildings of which 11 The conservation team consisted of D. Eguiluz Maestro, A. Molina Pérez and B. Burgaya Martínez. 21 were created from the end of the 4th century onwards. This relates Sikait to the Blemmyan people, to whom the Classical literary sources relate the emerald mines during this time. The survey of the Smaragdos region, corresponding grosso modo to the Wadi el Gemal National Park, suggests a similar situation at most of the documented ancient sites, also having their main – or only – phase in this late period.12 However, we also have evidence from the Early Roman period, though in the Wadi Sikait area the recovered data seem to point to a less permanent mining activity in this time. This assumption is strengthened by graffiti related to the legio III Cyrenaica, which probably was involved in the beginning of the largescale exploitation of the Smaragdos.13 The exploration and documentation work conducted in the mines during the 2023 season has given more insight into this subject, as we recovered remarkable evidence for an early exploitation of the mines in the so-called Zone G, probably since the end of the 1st century BC, at the latest. In the following seasons we plan to continue research on early structures such as mines, warehouses or shrines. One of our main goals will be to identify potential sites of Roman army camps. The finding of a mining tool confirms some of our former hypotheses about the extraction processes in the mines. Highly interesting extensive religious and ritual items, such as temples, shrines, graffiti, and reliefs depicting gods and apotropaic figures have been identified marking the crucial importance religion had for the mining community and opening a promising new line of research. In the following seasons the survey, documentation and excavation tasks in the emerald mines of Wadi Sikait will continue. Last but not least, the 2023 season also included important work regarding the conservation of the rich cultural and archaeological heritage of the Wadi el Gemal National Park. In this respect, the continuation of the conservation measures in Sikait, but also the astonishing results of the topographical survey of several of the main sites in the region confirm the commitment of the Sikait Project with the protection of one of the most amazing, but also endangered, archaeological areas of Egypt. Bibliography Abdalla, H.M. – Saleh, G.M. 2021: The Pan-African Non-metallic Mineral Deposits of Egypt: Genetic and Exploration Constraints, in: Hamimi, Z. –Arai, S. – Fowler, A.-R. – El-Bialy M. Z. (eds.): The Geology of the Egyptian Nubian Shield (New York), 605-643. 12 For this issue cf. Oller 2022b; Oller et al. 2022b. 13 For more details about this graffiti cf. García-Dils – Ast – Oller 2022. 22 Joan Oller Guzmán et al. 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Sidebotham, S.E. – Hense, M. – Nouwens, M. 2008: The Red Land. The illustrated archaeology of Egypt’s Eastern Desert (Cairo-New York). Sidebotham, S.E. – Nouwens, H.M. – Hense, A.M. – Harrell, J.A. 2004: Preliminary report on archaeological fieldwork at Sikait (Eastern Desert, Egypt), and environs: 2002-2003, Sahara 15, 7-30. The 2023 Archaeological Season in the Emerald Mines of Wadi Sikait 1: Sikait in Egypt (by the authors) 2: Aerial view of the site of Gali from the west Tafel XIX Tafel XX Joan Oller Guzmán et al. 1: Some of the Gali South buildings 2: Some of the documented Kab Marfu’a East buildings The 2023 Archaeological Season in the Emerald Mines of Wadi Sikait Tafel XXI Map of the site of Sikait with several trenches dug so far (drawing courtesy of Eastern Desert Survey/Berenike Project by B.C. Foster, J.-L. Rivard and S.E. Sidebotham, in Foster et al. 2007, Fig. 18-6; annotated by Vanesa Trevin) Tafel XXII Joan Oller Guzmán et al. 1: The “Advanced Building”, view from the east 2: Plan of the “Advanced Building” – highlighted in black Trench 018; in grey Trench 019 The 2023 Archaeological Season in the Emerald Mines of Wadi Sikait Tafel XXIII 1: Big furnace in the courtyard of the “Advanced Building” seen from the north. In the left part of the wall the access with the different refurbishments 2: Detail of the furnace 051 seen from the north. On the left side, the bottom of an amphora intended for unknown productive use Tafel XXIV Joan Oller Guzmán et al. 1: View of furnace 051 from the west and, in the upper right corner of the image, detail of structure 039 2: Detail of structure 077, seen from the north The 2023 Archaeological Season in the Emerald Mines of Wadi Sikait 1: View of trench 018 from the east, circulation level 039 2: Detail of one of the votive offerings found in 042 Tafel XXV Tafel XXVI Joan Oller Guzmán et al. 1: View of the southeastern part of trench 018 with locus 016 from the south during excavation. In the upper part of the picture, we can see structure 017, while in the lower part, we can appreciate some of the materials of the trash dump. Scale = 0.60 m 2: Image of the votive offering in locus 030. Scale=20 cm The 2023 Archaeological Season in the Emerald Mines of Wadi Sikait 2: Assemblage of beads recovered in trench 019 1: View from the south of the eastern part of the trench 018 after its excavation. In the central part of the image, we can see the half amphora. Scale = 0.50 m 3: View of the main room in trench 018 after excavation, from northeast Tafel XXVII Tafel XXVIII Map of the Sikait Mining Zones Joan Oller Guzmán et al. The 2023 Archaeological Season in the Emerald Mines of Wadi Sikait 1: Detail of one of the galleries inside of mine 229 2: Detail of the iron chisel found inside of mine 229. Scale 10 cm Tafel XXIX Tafel XXX Joan Oller Guzmán et al. 1: Detail of one of the graffiti depicting a mining figure with chisel and helmet, highlighted in black 2: View of a new shrine found in the mining area G presided by a winged sun, from the east. Scale 60 cm The 2023 Archaeological Season in the Emerald Mines of Wadi Sikait Tafel XXXI 1: Detail of a human figure with the Roman denarius symbol X on it, located at the entrance of mine SKPUS 402. Scale 10 cm 2: The Southern Temple after the conservation intervention on its terraces