2,200-year-old shackles discovered at ancient Egyptian gold mine
undefined 18, 2025
Two sets of iron ankle shackles discovered in Egypt’s Ghozza gold mine reveal the harsh conditions miners faced during the Ptolemaic period. These shackles, among the oldest in the Mediterranean, suggest that some miners were forced laborers. The Ghozza mine, in use from 250 to 200 B.C., housed both paid workers and enslaved individuals. The shackles complement ancient texts describing the use of prisoners and criminals in mines, highlighting the human cost of gold mining that funded Ptolemy I’s military campaigns.
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