Paleo-tectonic positions of Northeast Africa d

The middle/late Paleocene basalts which cover the Late Cretaceous sandstone in the East Gilf Kebir Plateau were sampled for paleomagnetic investigation. The progressive thermal demagnetization revealed that − The hematite component was parallel to the present-day field and the goethite overprint. Its pole is considered as representing recent low-temperature martitization of the magnetite upon exposure to intensive chemical alteration. − The magnetite-anchored component was N–S dual-polarity with shallow equatorial inclinations. Based on its overwhelming existence, this component was considered as the characteristic remanence of the sampled basalt. Its north pole (71.7°N/203.5°E) was considered as representing the geomagnetic field during the eruption of the basalt. The reliability of the East Gilf Kebir basalt (59 ± 1.7 Ma) pole was constrained by its comparison with synchronous poles rotated from the main tectonic units using Euler Pole rotation. This basalt pole places NE Africa, along its present N–S azimuth at a far south tropical paleo-latitude. Cairo [30°N], was at paleo-latitude 11.8°N in middle/late Paleocene (59 Ma), that is about 18° south to its present-day latitude. Comparing the present pole with the Mansouri ring complex (132 ± 10 Ma) Early Cretaceous pole (47°N/259°E) and two poles from the Wadi Natash volcanic field; the alkali basalt (104 ± 7 Ma) Middle Cretaceous pole [55°N/250°E] and the trachyte/Phonolite (86–78 Ma) Late Cretaceous pole [66.5°N/229°E], a Cretaceous–Paleocene segment [132–59 Ma] of the Apparent Polar Wander Path [APWP] of Africa could be traced. These poles can, concurrently, verify the paleo-azimuth and paleo-latitude evolution of the African plate during the Cretaceous and Paleocene

Archaeological Exploration using Magnetic and GPR Methods at the First Court of Hatshepsut Temple in Luxor, Egypt

The Hatshepsut Temple at Luxor, southern Egypt was built as a garden for Amun, and the first court indeed had exotic trees and vegetations. The pathway to the temple was along a sphinx-lined causeway linking the valley to pylons, which are missing now. As an effort to outline remains of the vanished garden and missing pylons and any other possible archaeological structures at this first court site, an extensive integrated magnetic/ground-penetrating radar (GPR) geophysical survey was conducted. The magnetic survey covered the entire area of the first court (100 x 60 m), while the GPR survey covered only an area of 50 x 50 m. The acquired GPR data were processed and presented as 2-D depth sections providing a reasonable vertical/horizontal resolution for the upper 6 m of the investigated site. The acquired magnetic data was processed and presented as 2-D image. The integrated interpretation of the acquired GPR and magnetic data revealed some archaeological features including a rectangular depression which is presumably an ancient man-made pond in the garden of the temple, a rectangular feature that may be a foundation of the missing pylon of the temple, and a suite of aligned anomalies that could be the remnants of sphinx. Such findings reflect the archaeological potentiality of the surveyed site and outline the extension of the temple. Meanwhile, these results necessitate further geophysical investigation or archaeological excavation to be confirmed