Black stone that sometimes looks dark brown after weathering. In prehistoric times it was already used to make pots, despite the fact that its hardness makes it a difficult stone to work. Basalt vessels, found in the Faiyum and at Merimda-Benisalame, are among the oldest stone vessels ever found in Egypt. In the Old Kingdom, basalt was occasionally used as material to make sarcophagi and statues, but it was particularly popular for making floors. It is found in various pyramid complexes from the fourth and fifth dynasties (e.g. Khufu, Sahure, Nyuserre, Userkaf). It was very probably quarried in the Faiyum region.