The Missing Obelisk
It is the oldest known ancient Egyptian obelisk and is located in the northern part of the ancient quarries in Aswan. It was discovered in 1921 AD and was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979 as part of the Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae Island.
Significance of the Incomplete Obelisk
The importance of this unfinished or incomplete obelisk lies in the wealth of information it provides about the tools and techniques used by the ancient Egyptians to carve these magnificent obelisks, which stand tall in front of temples and within their courtyards.
The body of obelisks tapers as it rises, ending in a small pyramid shape. Most obelisks, especially the huge ones, are carved from pink granite. The Missing Obelisk is also known as the Hatshepsut Obelisk, possibly dating back to the time of Queen Hatshepsut.
This obelisk was never completed, not due to worker error, but because of an improper crack in the mother rock. The obelisk remains at its original location, separated on all sides except the bottom. If it had been excavated, it would have stood 41 meters tall, with a base approximately 4.5 meters on each side, and a total weight of about 1,168 tons.
Around the site, there are many diorite balls used to cut these obelisks from the bedrock. Diorite was considered harder than granite, so these balls were hammered around the obelisk to separate and extract it from the rock. These black-green balls, some complete and others broken, have an average diameter of 15 to 25 cm and weigh between 5 to 8 kilograms. Workers used them as hammering tools to cut the stone.
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