Sebakh

In English, the term is primarily used to describe decomposed mudbricks from archaeological sites, which is an organic material that can be employed both as an agricultural fertilizer and as a fuel for fires.

This material is composed of ancient mud mixed with the nitrous compost of the hay and stubble that the bricks were originally formulated with to give added strength before being baked in the sun.

An archaeological site could provide an excellent source of sebakh because decomposed organic debris creates a soil very rich in nitrogen.

Sebakh is most commonly associated with the finding of the site of Amarna (Arabic: العمارنة, romanized: al-ʿAmārna).

In 1887, a local inhabitant who was delving into sebakh deposits accidentally discovered more than 300 cuneiform tablets that turned out to be pharaonic records of correspondence.