Mining in Ancient Egypt and Nubia | SpringerLink
Mining techniques did not vary significantly during the various ancient periods. They started with open cast trenches, following the direction of the copper‐containing quartz veins within which the primary copper ores were chalcopyrite (CuFeS 2) occasionally digenite (Cu 2 S) and a few others. These copper minerals were leached by water and, whether directly in the quartz vein itself or in ...