Other stones were also exploited to a great extent, for example alabaster, diorite, marble and serpentine, for making statues and vases, basalt for making sarcophagi, dolomite for hammers to work hard stone. Thousands of objects made of these materials have been discovered and are displayed in museums all over the world. The oldest mining map in existence is of a gold mine drawn on papyrus - it is now in the Museum of Turin, Italy. Hathor was the miner's goddess. In many discovered mining localities a statue or inscriptions were found of this goddess who was supposed to protect the miners in their work.
Gold is found in Egypt mainly in the Eastern Desert.
Practically all the gold mines known today were already exploited by the Ancient Egyptians. A small copper serpent, about 15 cm long, with a golden head was among the discoveries, made in a mining district in Sinai. It is believed that serpents such as this were used as amulets for those bitten by a serpent. It is remarkable that mention of such serpents is found in the Bible. Metal working Gold and copper were known at the time of the Old Kingdom.