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Yemen & Region - anffyddiaeth >> .
The
Arabian-Nubian Shield (ANS) is an exposure of
Precambrian crystalline rocks on the flanks of the
Red Sea. The crystalline rocks are mostly
Neoproterozoic (1 billion to 541 million years ago) in age. Geographically - and from north to south - the ANS includes parts of
Israel,
Jordan,
Egypt,
Saudi Arabia,
Sudan,
Eritrea,
Ethiopia,
Yemen, and
Somalia. The ANS in the north is exposed as part of the
Sahara Desert and
Arabian Desert, and in the south in the
Ethiopian Highlands,
Asir province of Arabia and
Yemen Highlands.
The ANS was the site of some of man's earliest geologic efforts, principally by the
ancient Egyptians to extract
gold from the rocks of
Egypt and NE Sudan. This was the most easily worked of all metals and does not tarnish.
All of the gold deposits in Egypt and northern Sudan were found and exploited by Egyptians. The earliest preserved
geologic map was made in 1150 BCE to show the location of gold deposits in Eastern Egypt; it is known as the
Turin papyrus. New gold discoveries have been found in
Sudan, Eritrea, and
Saudi Arabia.
Pharonic Egyptians also quarried
granite near
Aswan and floated this down the Nile to be used as facing for the
pyramids. The Greek name for Aswan, Syene; is the type locality for the
igneous rock syenite. The Romans followed this tradition and had many quarries especially in the northern part of the Eastern Desert of Egypt where
porphyry and
granite were mined and shaped for shipment.
Precious and industrial metals, including
gold, silver, copper, zinc, tin, and
lead, have been mined in Saudi Arabia for at least 5,000 years. The most productive mine in Saudi Arabia,
Mahd adh Dhahab ("Cradle of Gold"), has been periodically exploited for its mineral wealth for hundreds or even thousands of years and is reputed to be the original source of King Solomon's legendary gold. Today, mining at Mahd adh Dhahab is conducted by the Saudi Arabian Mining Company, Ma'aden. Deposits of
iron, tungsten, mineral sands, copper and
phosphates have been found in many locations. Mining in the Eastern Desert of Egypt and Sudan is limited due to shortage of water and infrastructure. One option would be to bring water from the Nile by pipeline.
