The Unfinished Obelisk in Aswan is the largest known ancient Egyptian obelisk. Ordered by Queen Hatshepsut (c. 1508–1458 BC), it was intended to complement the Lateran Obelisk. If finished, it would have measured 42 meters and weighed nearly 1,200 tons. However, during the carving process, cracks appeared in the granite, leading to the project being abandoned while still attached to the bedrock. This site is of immense archaeological value because it provides a direct 'snapshot' into ancient stone-quarrying techniques. Workers used dolerite (a stone harder than granite) to pound the rock and create trenches. They also used wet wooden wedges inserted into cracks; as the wood expanded, it would split the stone. The site offers a rare look at the sheer scale and ambition of Egyptian engineering.