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Limestone

Limestone can be separated into several categories according to colour and texture. It consists predominately of calcite (calcium carbonate CaCO3). Limestone can be almost white, but also greyish or even black. All marine limestones include up to 50% fossils. The Egyptian names for the stone include inr HD, and, for the fine limestone from Tura, inr HD n r-Aw, inr HD n ain.

Limestone was quarried at many places:
fine limestone was procured from Tura, at the southeastern fringe of modern Cairo (Egyptian r-Aw, ain).

Limestone was one of the main building materials for temple, but also other object such as statues, stelae or stone vessels were manufactured in this material. It can also be burnt to produce gypsum plaster.

examples
UC6620, relief fragment from Lahun UC14307, relief fragment from Elkab UC14636, fragment of a limestone statue
UC5407, limestone vessel UC5407, limestone vessel UC5407, limestone vessel

Aston/Harrell/Shaw 2000: 40-42
Aston 1994: 35-39


 

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