THE USE OF SATELLITE DATA TO MAP SOURCE ROCKS FOR THE THEBAN NECROPOLIS NEAR LUXOR, EGYPT

The Theban Necropolis is a complex that encompasses a number of well know Egyptian archeological sites including: The Valley of the Kings, The Valley of the Queens, Dayr-el Medina, Sheik Abd’el Qurna. This region covers an area of approximately 40 square Kilometers. Weeks (2000), Herminia (1990) and Said (1990) have provided excellent regional geologic mapping of the area, however detailed geologic mapping of the necropolis has not been conducted. Detailed geologic field mapping of Sheik Abd’el Qurna was completed in 2001. The detailed geologic mapping of the in the vicinity of Sheik Abd’el Qurna revealed that the Tarawan Formation, Esna Shale, Thebes Group, and an unnamed Pleistocene(?)Conglomerate are present within the study area. These units are important within the region as marker beds, source materials for Pharonic Egyptian monuments and tomb excavations. This study investigates the use of Remote Sensing data for expanding the geological mapping of the region to encompass the full Theban Necropolis. Investigated within this project are the effects of both spatial and spectral resolution on geologic mapping in the Egyptian desert. This study uses a variety of remote sensing data sources including Spot™, Quickbird™, Landsat, and Aster. Preliminary assessments have indicated that the spectral characteristics of the lithologies are distinct and detailed mapping may be possible using the higher spatial resolution data products. The mixed signatures found within the alluvial outwash deposits are similar to the source rocks and special attention is being paid to techniques for extracting the lithologic boundaries for these sediments.