Dr. Abdul Fattah Al-Banna,
Deputy Manager of Archeology maintenance Center, College of Archeology, Cairo University.
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| The Scientific research procedures which has been implemented in inspecting the two carved tablets which were meet with many arguments among archeological includes descriptive study to. An extensive research has been carried out regarding the evaluation of the present state of the two carved tablets, in addition to inspecting the incrustation, or that called the Patina using diluted hydrochloric acid 2%. In addition to inspection by the ultraviolet induced visible fluorescence, all of these examinations shows positive results, indicating that these carved tablets are of archeological importance. As a result, the author encourage to collect the samples of the two tablets from further places of the carved tablets to prepare the thin-section necessary for the polarizing Microscope examinations to identify the type of rock and its inter-structure, matrix and the size of granular and identifying the kinds of component minerals of these rocks, examination proofs that the rock is Olivine-basalt which is rich of calcium plagioclase feldspar, called labradorite (CaAl2Si2O8), Olivine (Mg2SiO4-Fe2SiO4), Augite [Ca(Mg,Fe)Si2O6] and Magnetite (Fe2O4) minerals the study has stated that: |
| 1- The two tablets are carved on the same raw material of Olivine-basalt rock from the same quarry. | | 2- From the physical ostensible examination of the remains of engraving marks, it found that these marks refers to ancient engraving tools, and that there are no evidences on using new engraving methods. | | 3- Using the Zanbara method in planning the surfaces of the two tablets may be with hardened steel tools, which means that this work have been done during the first or the second Iron ages or later ages, but not before these ages. | | 4- It was proofed by the Acids examination and exposing the surfaces to the ultraviolet induced visible fluorescence forming a solid crust known as patina, which usually do not formed unless after passing a long time, which identifies the originality of this artwork on the surfaces of the both tablets, although its density on the amazing tablet was less than on the menorah tablet. | | 5- The amazing tablet has been exposed to cleaning and removing the calcium carbonate layers before the examination, which has made it difficult to obtain the hard crust samples of its surface | | 6- It was absolute proof that both tablets under study are originated to the same historical age though microscopic examinations. In addition to, the results proofed that these tablets have the same percentage variation with irrefutable shows that these two tablets were simultaneity subject to environmental factors, furthermore we may proposed that they both were quarried from the same parent rock and prepare it as an artistic value. | | 7- We can accept the result of radiocarbon dating of the menorah tablet which is merely the 4th century before the Christ as an age for the calcium carbonate sedimentations on the Basalt surface, and not as accurate age of the engraving tablet, providing that the tablet must be older with many decades or even many centuries unless it was obsolete and buried under soil or became one of the archeological hill components. | | 8- e do not accept the 14C dating of the Amazing tablet, which shows twenty two Thousand years before the Christ, for there were a mistake in sampling collection , for samples were taken connected in it construction and formation to geological environment of the basalt rocks, and not to the surface calcium carbonate sedimentations caused by burring soils. | | 9- It was proof by the imitation of numerical modeling of the altered minerals and variations of the Olivine mineral for both tablets that it was buried in the same age, which is merely the 4th century before the Christ. | | 10- Although the design of engraving was amazing in the amazing tablet, but the limits and traits of the engraving or the levels of engraving indicates the impression that this mass of rock was designed for a special function as altar or for purification of solution with mass ingredients. | | 11- An archeological and language study must be completed, for the importance of the historical point of view in verification of these scientific examinations, which usually relates to subject of the art, its style and traits for that historical era. | |
