According to historian and archaeologist Bérangère Redon, gold mining experienced a boom during the Ptolemaic period, beginning after the Conquest.

Egypt

of Alexander the Great in 332 BC. Photo: @Cambridge University.

This era opened with the reign of general Ptolemy I, a dynasty that saw more than 40 gold mines excavated across the world.

Ancient Egypt

Photo: @La Brujula Verde.

The gold extracted from these mines helped finance the ambitions of the new dynasty founded by Ptolemy I. Photo: @Cambridge University.

The dynasty needed gold to finance military campaigns in the Mediterranean and to build grandiose buildings in Alexandria that reflected its power and wealth. Photo: @IFLScience.

New discoveries at a 2,300-year-old gold mine suggest that some people may have been forced to mine the material. Photo: @AK

They were bound with heavy chains around their ankles, highlighting the cruelty and insensitivity that

Ptolemaic I Empire

ancient times. Photo: @Bérangère Redon.

Specifically, two sets of iron shackles were discovered. The first set included seven leg shackles along with two chains. The second set had four chains and pieces from two leg shackles. Photo: @Bérangère Redon.

“These shackles are not for tying animals, they are designed for human use. Walking with them would be slow and tiring, especially considering their weight,” said Bérangère Redon. Photo: @Bérangère Redon.

While this may sound gruesome, it's not surprising to learn that the ancient Egyptians used forced labor in their gold mines. Photo: @Bérangère Redon.

For example, historical texts written by the writer Agatharchides in the second century BC reveal that convicts were all tied up, and they worked tirelessly day and night in gold mines. Photo: @Bérangère Redon.

“Beneath the riches of Egypt and the majestic mountains of the Eastern Desert lies a gruesome history of gold mining, all at a human cost,” says Bérangère Redon. Photo: @Yoli Schwartz.