THE DISINTEGRATION OF GRANITE IN EGYPT 



387 



does not reveal the presence of incipient exfoliation or flaking. 

 The exposure is southerly and therefore one that affords the maxi- 

 mum exposure to insolation. These rocks, as can be seen from 

 Fig. 2, rise directly out of the Nile and there would seem to have 

 been no chance of their having been buried and protected by accu- 

 mulations of sand or debris. Other examples of inscriptions 

 carved in fresh surfaces and not showing disintegration are those 



Fig. 2. — The Island of Konosso. View taken looking north-northeast. The 

 hieroglyphics mentioned are on the south face of the right hand of the two natural 

 monoliths. 



along the trail from Aswan to Shellal numbered by Weigall 323, 

 326, 334, 343, and 350 and dating from the eleventh, twelfth, and 

 thirteenth dynasties; an obelisk and a statue lying unfinished in 

 the ancient quarries and referred by Wiegall to the reign of Amen- 

 hotep III, 1411-1375 B.C., and numerous discarded quarry blocks 

 in the ancient quarries and along the ancient quarry roads, dating 

 probably from not later than the last century B.C. These blocks 

 in many cases consist of a half, a quarter, or an eighth of a bowlder 

 of exfoliation and in most cases it is readily possible to determine 

 which were the originally fresh and which were the originally exfo- 

 liating surfaces. The surfaces which were originally fresh are still 



