Corsi 838, approx. 145 x 73 x 40 mm, © Oxford University Museum of Natural History
| OUMNH Number: | 838 |
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| Name and quarry location: | probably granito Sardo, from Capo Testa, Olbia-Tempio, Sardinia, Italy; but possibly granito rosso antico, from between Aswan and Shellal District, Nile Valley, Egypt |
| Geological description: | A medium-grained granite with pink potash feldspar, biotite and quartz. |
| Comments: | This is most probably granito sardo from Capo Testa, northern Sardinia, Italy, and is of Palaeozoic age. Jervis (1889) describes the stone and the quarry of Santa Riparata on the Testa peninsula which has yielded it since Roman times. Today the very similar granito limbara is obtained from the Sassari region of Sardinia. Alternatively this may be a rather atypical granite from the Precambrian basement rocks exposed at numerous localities between Aswan and and Shellal District, Nile Valley, Egypt (Harrell, pers. comm). The similarity between granito sardo and some paler varieties of Aswan granite is noted in Borghini et al (1997) and other authors. |
| References: | Borghini (1997) 221, 225-226; Consorzio Ventuno (2002); Harrell (2010a); Jervis (1889) 444; Lazzarini (2002c) 228-229; Mielsch (1985) 68, taf. 23; Price (2007) 219-221; Watson (1911) 43-45. Other examples: Naturhistorisches Museum Wien. |
| Further information: |
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| Corsi's classification: | Class 16. Granites; i. Antique granite |
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| Corsi's text: | 207.26 Granito antico. Marmor Syenite. Marmo Sienite... [trovata] presso la città di Siene sul confine fra Egitto, e l'Etiopia... Pyrrhopoecilon... Psaronion...Aethiopicum perchè... era Siene sul confine dell' Etiopia. |