Petrography, mineralogy and calcareous nanofossils of Shepses po ptah tomb, Titi and Unis pyramids building stones

Abstract

Petrographical, mineralogical, calcareous nanofossil studies have been achieved to through light on the geologic sources and unit age of the sarcophagus rock and the burial chamber casing wall rock of Shepses po ptah tomb and correlate them with rock samples from Titi and Unis pyramids in the Saqqara area of Egypt, which are hewn within Upper Eocene (Maadi Formation) sediments. The samples were analyzed by polarizing microscope, X-rays diffraction (XRD) techniques; along with calcareous nanofossil were examined using the microscope. The studies reveal that the quality of the sarcophagus and the burial chamber casing wall rock in Shepses po ptah tomb is particularly good pure limestone. The sarcophagus is composed of slightly dolomitic wackestone microfacies while the burial chamber casing wall and Titi pyramid are of grainstone microfacies. On the other hand Unis building stones composed mainly of sandy wackestone types. The XRD analysis of indicate that these rocks composed mainly of calcite in addition to little dolomite. The rock texture, mineralogical composition and diagenetic processes contribute, to a great extent, to source rock composition. The composition of the studied rocks do not show clear interaction between the exogenic (surrounding climate) and endogenic (related to the nature of the rock types) conditions.over the thousands of years since their construction. The calcareous nanofossil of sarcophagus, burial chamber casing wall and Titi pyramid show (NP16),which is assigned Middle Eocene (Lutetian )with age about 41.94 (ma), while Unis pyramid building stones show.(NP11) which is assigned to Early Eocene (ypresian) with age 54.17(ma).