Archaeologists have found evidence of the use of slaves in the gold mines of ancient Egypt

The finding proves that at least some of the workers who mined gold during the Ptolemaic dynasty (late 3rd century BC) were slaves.

The findings were published in the journal Antiquity.

Gold mines in Egypt have existed for thousands of years, but it was during the Hellenistic period, after the conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C., that gold mining took on a special dimension. The precious metal was needed for both large-scale construction projects and military campaigns in the Mediterranean.

A team of researchers spent several years studying the Gozza mine and found that it operated in two periods. During the first period, the mine resembled a regular village with houses, administrative buildings and even baths. This suggests that the workers were free, paid a salary and lived in relatively comfortable conditions.

However, in the second period the situation deteriorated. Some workers continued to be paid (this is confirmed by the inscriptions on the pottery fragments found), but there were also those who were forced to work against their will. This is evidenced by the discovery two years ago of heavy iron shackles lying in a room used for repairing tools and shackles.

Walking with such shackles on one's feet was hard and exhausting. Redon believes that these shackles clearly indicate the use of forced labour in the mines. The historian notes, however, that slaves could have been prisoners of war and criminals, as well as other categories of people whose origins have not yet been established.

Details: Bérangère Redon, Iron shackles from the Ptolemaic gold mines of Ghozza (Egypt, Eastern Desert), Antiquity (2025). DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2025.39