The Aswan Quarry, Scoop Marks, and the Unfinished Obelisk
Oct 25 • Aswan, Egypt
The scoop marks at the Aswan Quarry are carved into the surrounding granite bedrock and even into the famous 1,200 ton Unfinished Obelisk. One of the few times in history that we celebrate a job NOT done.
Aswan Quarry Quick Facts
- Location: Aswan, Upper Egypt
- Famous for: Scoop marks and the Unfinished Obelisk
- Estimated weight: About 1,200 tons if completed
- Stone type: Red Aswan granite
- Age: New Kingdom, around the reign of Hatshepsut (about 3,500 years ago)
- Purpose: Quarry site for obelisks and large temple stone blocks
- Key feature: Scoop marks carved into the granite bedrock and on the unfinished obelisk
- Mainstream explanation: Quarrying with dolerite pounding stones
- Status today: Open archaeological site visited by tourists
It’s stunning to stand here and imagine the countless rose granite obelisks, massive blocks, and rough cut multi ton statues that were quarried from this site and transported hundreds of miles across Egypt. The scale of the work raises obvious questions about how ancient workers could have shaped and freed such enormous pieces of granite from the bedrock.
The conventional explanation relies on copper chisels and hand sized dolerite pounders. Yet when standing in the quarry and looking at the sheer volume of stone removed, it is hard not to wonder whether there may have been a far more efficient way to quarry granite. The scoop shaped tool marks carved into the bedrock and the unfinished obelisk itself offer intriguing clues.
TIP: Look for the hand sized dark gray dolerite pounder stones scattered around the quarry. Pick one up and imagine attempting to pound your way through solid granite. It quickly gives you a sense of just how challenging the conventional quarrying theory really is.
What are the Aswan Quarry Scoop Marks?
Someone clearly went wild with a scooping machine at the Aswan Quarry. What tool cuts granite like butter? I have no idea, but there are countless examples of these scoop shaped marks scattered across the quarry, and they are far too consistent in size and shape to look like random hand work.
One thing is certain. Dolerite pounding stones do not leave marks like this. Some archaeologists claim these hand sized stones were used to pound and shape granite at the quarry. We put that theory to the test in the video at the end of this post.
What caused the Aswan Quarry scoop marks?
Nobody knows what created the scoop marks around the Unfinished Obelisk. Several theories have been proposed. Engineer Christopher Dunn suggests a machine with a pivoting arm capable of cutting beneath the obelisk. Brien Foerster has suggested some form of vibrational technology. Many archaeologists maintain that the marks were produced by hand using dolerite pounding stones.
If you visit the Aswan Quarry, a careful look at the granite surfaces makes it difficult to imagine that dolerite pounders produced these shapes. The marks are remarkably consistent in size and form. Whatever created them likely involved a method of cutting granite far more controlled than simple pounding.
One detail stands out. We do not see large piles of scooped out granite surrounding these cuts. That suggests the stone may not have been physically scooped away, but instead broken down or pulverized by a tool that left a scoop shaped path in the granite. One possibility would be a rotating cylindrical tool moving across the surface of the rock.
My own theory is that such a device may have been powered by a technology symbolized in ancient Egypt by the Djed pillar, a symbol often associated with stability, power, and the energy of Osiris.
The unfinished obelisk has scoop marks?
Yes. In the photo below you can clearly see scoop marks carved directly into the Unfinished Obelisk itself. The same scoop shaped cuts continue around the sides and even beneath the obelisk, as well as across the surrounding granite bedrock.
The pattern suggests the stone was removed in sweeping motions that wrapped around the monument. In places the marks almost look as if the granite had been softened and then scooped away with a large curved tool.
Also notice all the scoop marks on and around the obelisk.
If you liked the unfinished obelisk, you’ll want to check the unfinished T-shaped pillar at Karahan Tepe, Turkey.
Exploring the Aswan Granite Quarry
Walking through the Aswan Quarry reveals details that are easy to miss in photos. The unfinished obelisk, massive granite outcrops, and deep cut channels show how ancient workers carved enormous monuments directly from the bedrock thousands of years ago.
The quarry shows how massive monuments were carved from the living granite of Aswan. But scattered across the bedrock is something even more intriguing: the repeating scoop shaped marks cut into the stone. Let’s take a closer look at these unusual patterns.
The Mysterious Scoop Marks of Aswan
Now let’s take a closer look at those peculiar scoop marks. They appear everywhere across the quarry floor, along the walls, and even beneath the unfinished obelisk. Their repeating rounded shapes form a strange pattern in the granite, raising questions about the exact methods used to cut and shape the stone. For many visitors, these marks remain one of the more intriguing and unusual details hidden within the Aswan Quarry.
The scoop marks are everywhere in the Aswan Quarry, across the bedrock and even on the unfinished obelisk itself. However they were made, they clearly played a role in carving the monument out of the granite.
With that mystery in mind, it was time to see if I could finally finish the unfinished obelisk.
Could stone pounders quarry granite in Aswan?
Not as is. One common mainstream explanation is that dolerite pounding stones were used to break and shape the granite at the quarry. Visitors can still find many of these dark gray stones scattered around the site.
Naturally, I had to try it myself. I picked up one of the dolerite pounders and gave granite quarrying a shot. Here is the result:
From this simple demonstration, it is hard to imagine dolerite pounders being used to remove large amounts of granite. At best, they might have helped with minor shaping or surface finishing. They certainly do not seem capable of producing the repeating scoop marks seen throughout the Aswan Quarry.
Some experiments suggest that heating the granite with fire can make the stone easier to break. While heated granite does give way somewhat faster, the real question is whether this method would have provided any meaningful improvement when carving massive monuments from solid bedrock.
What to do after quarrying a multi-ton obelisk?
The Aswan Quarry is just the first step. Even if you are able to figure out the scoop marks and determine how a multi-ton obelisk was quarried – including the final bit of separating the obelisk from the bedrock without getting crushed to death.
These monuments had to be transported hundreds of miles to their final destinations. And not just once. Egypt is filled with obelisks, many weighing hundreds of tons. Were they really hauled across the landscape with ropes and manpower alone? If so, how thick would the ropes need to be, how many workers would it take, and how were the stones controlled during the journey? The logistics raise as many questions as the quarrying itself.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About the Aswan Quarry
- What is the Unfinished Obelisk in Aswan?
The Unfinished Obelisk is a massive granite monument still attached to the bedrock in the Aswan Quarry in southern Egypt. If completed it would have weighed more than 1,200 tons and become one of the largest obelisks ever erected. - Why was the Unfinished Obelisk abandoned?
A large crack formed in the granite while it was being carved. Because the stone was no longer structurally sound the project was abandoned in the quarry. - What are the scoop marks at the Aswan Quarry?
The scoop marks are rounded cuts carved into the granite bedrock and even into the unfinished obelisk itself. They show the repeated process used to remove granite while carving the monument from the bedrock. - How did ancient Egyptians quarry granite at Aswan?
The mainstream explanation is that workers used dolerite pounding stones to gradually break the granite. Other theories suggest more advanced cutting techniques may have been used. - Can visitors see the Aswan Quarry today?
Yes. The quarry is an open archaeological site near the city of Aswan where visitors can walk around the unfinished obelisk and see the quarry marks in the surrounding granite.
More Mysteries Around Aswan
There’s more mysteries to explore at the nearby, including the Temple of Horus and the Temple of Sobek.
Want more on quarries?, here’s a wiki on other Aswan Quarries. How do you think the Unfinished Obelisk was carved from the bedrock? And how well do you think you would do with a dolerite stone pounder? Let us know in the comments.
Part of the Ben UnchartedX Egypt Tour
Why did you smack the two rocks together? That makes no sense. Do those scoop/ripple marks look like they were created by bumping rocks against each other!!?? Next time try rubbing the dolerite against the granite in a smooth forward-backward motion like you’re trying to create a single ripple from the pattern beside the obelisk. That’s a pattern created from repeated rubbing… not striking.
Thanks for the comment. Striking rocks could shatter / chip the granite which would be faster than sanding, particularly if as some have claimed, that fire was used to weaken the granite. Either way though, it would seem they would’ve used some sort of mechanical leverage to increase the striking or rubbing force.
I know how it was done and will tell you for 1 million dollers
I know how they cut the stones and once i tell the most obviouse answer i whant to be paid first
Very cool pictures, I had no idea this place existed. To me those scoop marks look a lot like some sort of tire tread. Don’t ask me how that could have happened!
Thanks! Yes, the whole quarry is weird. It’s huge. Scoop marks everywhere, and smooth deep holes, too.
I have looked at this for years , and it looks to me like framing with a sagged roof material that sagged around the framing. Look closely at the spacing, Its all pretty consistent
i have checked and its about 15 inches ridge to ridge. Thats about the same distance as modern house framing. also the vetrical lines in the trench , line up perfectly to the high ridges on the top. perhaps these were built before a muddy flood came and filled the interior buildings or structures with mud, the roof sagged and the are hardened and petrified.
Coming from a construction background and if it were mine to do:
I would use a mechanical pounder similar to a modern large hammer drill or pile driver. I would imagine that the tooling was something of this sort and that it/they pounded the squarish holes down into the granite several inches at a time before being moved to adjacent spot. I would argue that the “steps’ seen in the trench represent the tool “drill” depth and that the tool had to be moved frequently and sequentially. The tool head was likely of that harder stone and I would imagine they wore out quickly and required frequent replacement as evidences by the rough size difference in the marks. Cubic tools for reciprocating pounding would create the desired trenches.
The wear pattern also suggests a squarish pounding tool where the corners of the tool-head wold have worn down the quickest, followed by the sides, then the center where the material is the most supported from all sides. Modern square edged chisels always wear into a rounded shape.
I would also run water directly to each cutting head, while adding an abrasive grit as a cutting or grinding agent.
The power could be by hand by crew, but I would rather build a dedicated water pumping station, driven by river flow to pump water up to the site, the gravity energy of the pumped water outflow could then be harnessed through a water wheel or something similar to drive reciprocating tools, as a lubricating coolant for the tooling, and as a flushing medium.
This site I imagine, would have been fully rigged with scaffolding, substantial timbering and masts, rope work and blocking to support, guide and move the cutting machines, and to affect the removal of the rough blocks. Wood and any metals would have been stripped out or scavenged away.
I think the “test pits” are rigging mast mounts and would have enabled the lifting and the skipping or sledging of the blocks. The idea of test pits is dumb to me and would be a waste of time on a job-site. with stone that hard, everything is there for operational purposes.
To me, the “test pits” within the trench are either rigging mast mounts for lifting or, sump pits for pumping out wastewater and cutting fines, or maybe both – pomp pits while cutting and then mast pits to aide or guide lifting.
the undercuts suggest either a rather compact cutting machine or a levered, offset cutting head. I would imagine it to be a different tool or a tool head attachment.
In my view, this was an advanced, industrial operation to where I can see many drill machines and crew shifts running 24/7 to supply stone.
The little round balls I think would have been used for the secondary surface finishing operation and possibly as bearings for moving blocks, although wooden roller dowels would be far more effective and non-damaging. I would think too that the stone balls are themselves just worn out hammering stones, which started out more angular.
Thank you. This is excellent analysis which explains the tool mark artifacts that we see today.
Hand pounding is too ineffective, so some form of mechanical leverage would have been necessary. The “rigging mast mounts” make sense. Such a machine would need solid support.
A squarish cutting head explains the consistent sized and shaped scoop marks. Again, perfect sense, and fits the machine theory.
The machine powered by water theory is sound. There is the Nile river, which was used to transport blocks away is just 1 km (.5 miles) away from the quarry.
For the undercuts, it seems like they would use the same machine as the same force would be necessary. Some angled or levered block would be needed to redirect the force sideways.
Those scoop shapes could be due to a smaller diameter but long pole with the fulcrum point maybe a foot or two off the surface. The fulcrum point would be a hole in a plate, thus allowing the pole to move in 2D. The cutting end of the pole might have a hard stone attached. Weights would be added to the pole to put a heavy downward force on the cutting end. Workmen would push and pull the pole using the leverage gained by the low fulcrum. Most cutting would be in the X direction — back and forth, and then moving in the Y direction a bit and repeating the X scoring.
The scoop shape would result from the pole cutting weight reducing the farther the pole was off the vertical.
This is different than sanding in that it is a relatively small contact area under high pressure. This is gouging.
Just a thought but diamond crusted stone wheels rotated to create the scoop marks. Is there any evidence of diamond dust?
We used diamond coated steel blades much thinner than the scoop marks but what if it was a pole with many diamond crusted wheels and water was used to power it and remove dust from the grinding like a water wheel. Just spitballing.
According to archeologists, the Egyptians did not have diamonds.
The predynastic lost technology was fire. The scoop marks are where hot coals were placed on the granite and left to cool. Then the granite was hit and turned the granite to powdered dust. The resulting scoop MARK is actually how deep the heat went. It changed the crystalline structure of the red granite.
Sincerely,
Harold Martin Fritz
Anyone actually thinking they did this with sticks and stones. some people are to scared to actually consider there was once a civ that was far more advanced than we are today. earth has never been smashed before. its been perfect since cave man days.
All these crackpot theories. And no one has made a small one yet.
even the Egyptians say they found the pyramids, and that they go back 40k years.
we cant move these massive stones. it breaks physics, and if you think its done with rolling them on logs. I would advice you to redo 1st grade mathmatics
Breaks the physics that the general population is taught! That physics is on average a century out of date. You can trust me on that.
Hi – I have a picture of you sitting in the trench on the side of the obelisk. If you want a copy, let me know. I was on the tour with you, Yousef , Ben and the 35 others. I might have some others as well. Gerret
Yes, send message from the contact form.
What about sandblasting?
With enough solar power and freely available sand nearby, it could potentially be a lot easier and cheaper to move tubes around and have high pressure air do the cutting.
This would save the hassle of bringing water in for cutting instruments, and the precision of those aren’t really needed for this type of quarrying, as moving a machine with a blade large enough to make those cuts would be cumbersome in and of itself.
Sandblasting would also explain the smooth walled tube drill straight into the rock.
The uneven “scoops” don’t make sense for a traditional pouding/grinding/drilling machine, as they are too inconsistent one to the next.
But they make perfect sense for a squarish aperture sandblaster, as the dwell time and air pressure would inevitably vary a bit, causing pseudrandom marks like these.
This would explain the straight cuts down the sides, but scoop marks on the “point of impact” as well.
A non-contact method would be great, as it would be easy to move the blasted material as well.
Just a thought, we use sandblasting all the time today to etch and surface marble.
Why not use it to quarry? Save water and only need the plentifully available nearby sand…
This would make it useful anywhere in the desert, unlike water-dependent systems.
Although, it may not have been a desert back then, so… who knows.
But how to create such high air pressure?
We don’t even know how they created the pyramids, precision crafted 10m tall statues (perfect symmetry, perfectly polish surfaces), how they ran saws (there are saw cuts in the Cairo museum and on the promenade stones at the great pyramid) and ran tube drills through granite.
There are so many precisely manufactured elements in the oldest archiecture (the ancient stone vases which are so thin they are transparent, yet perfectly symmetrical through heterogenous rock – which is almost impossible).
If we only just now have the abilities required to machine some of these things they created thousands of years ago, we have no idea what they really possessed in terms of capabilities.
It would make perfect sense to use wind and sand to blast in that area.
Great question, next question? 😀
Sandblasting, at least today, is for fine work. Not enough mass and power for more.
Water though, like water-jet, or possibly water with sand, would be more effective.
Dang, wrote a whole message and forgot validation fields.
To summarize: particle blasting (ion mills, sandblasters, plasma cutters) all have similar cutting patterns to what is seen at the Aswan Quarry.
If we look at concussive measures, like jackhammer, or piledriving styles, we should see linear tool marks on the walls of the rock being drilled into, given the linear motion of the machines.
We don’t see any evidence of that.
So, given the evidence we do have and that we don’t… I just say this looks like that (those marks look like sandblasting, or particle blasting). How they would do that, I have no idea. I (we) also have no idea how they created the pyramids, or moved those massive stones such lengths… Or how they made perfect vases out of heterogeneous stone.
No idea.
Occam’s razor just provides logical conclusions, not conclusive answers.
How the scoop marks were made. There are holes around the obelisk to put uprights for a gantry. First you build a high gantry with a grid at the top, so that you can drop the dolerite balls through the grid. The balls will hit the same spot every time, you clean out powder and send the balls back up the gantry to start again. You use gravity to do the work. The only work is retrieving the balls and sending them back up the gantry.
The trench around the obelisk needs to wide enough to have an angle for a shoot or a board to give the balls direction to undercut the obelisk. The balls when sent down an angled shoot will hit in front of the shoot then hit the bottom and ricochet to front which will undercut the obelisk.
Thanks. This sounds like a very plausible explanation.
I think they they used a lens or a curved mirror to focus sunlight into a focal point to heat the granite.🤔 Just like you can burn paper with a magnifiyng glass, curved mirrors or multiple mirrors focused on one focal point can heat the material tremendously. the heat is absorbed into the granite and by quickly cooling it with water the quenched granite will crumble. After that you chip the brittle material away with the dolorite pounding stones until you reach hard granite again. Once the area is worked the lens or mirrors are focused on the next area which can create the dips in the rock. It doesn’t cost any fuel for heating, just sunlight which is plenty in Egypt.
The scoopmarks are often deeper in the middle and that is because most heat is absorbed in the middle of the focal point. Adjusting the focal point and heating time can make deeper or les deeper scoopmarks. I also noticed some scoopmarks are in a row under an angle, these can be explained by rotating the device from one point.
To heat up the part underneath the obelisk they could use mirrors under a 45° degree angle.
Have you read the book from Marcell Foti “The Natron Theory”? I think this guy got something there….it does make a lot of sense! Ok, there are still lots of questions but, to me his ideas seem the most logical.