History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c17.s3.t3.1

v1.c17.s3.t3.1

Though the occurrence of emerald in Ethiopia had been known to the ancients, the locality became completely forgotten. The earliest known emerald locality is in upper Egypt, not far from the coast of the Red Sea. The ancient mines discovered by Cailliaud in 1819 A.D. have been dated as early as 1650 B.C.; these are located in a depression of the long range of mountains which borders the west coast of the Red Sea. The mines are in Jebel (=Mountain) Sikait (also Sakketto, from Sanskrit Saikat?) and Jebel sabara (Zabara or Varvara in Sanskrit).