Camilla Jessen
Egyptian craftspeople were ‘ahead of their time,’ study says.
A small copper object first unearthed more than a century ago is now prompting archaeologists to rethink the technological capabilities of Ancient Egypt.
Researchers say the artefact, originally dismissed as a simple awl, may in fact be the earliest known example of a far more sophisticated device.
A forgotten discovery
The tool was excavated in the 1920s by British archaeologist Guy Brunton, who classified it as a small copper awl wrapped in leather.
For decades, it attracted little attention.
Now, a fresh analysis led by Dr Martin Odler of Newcastle University suggests the object was used as part of a bow drill, a mechanical device capable of faster and more controlled drilling than hand-twisting methods.
“This re-analysis has provided strong evidence that this object was used as a bow drill, which would have produced a faster, more controlled drilling action than simply pushing or twisting an awl-like tool by hand,” Dr Odler said.
Evidence under the microscope
Researchers used microscopic analysis to examine wear patterns on the copper-alloy shaft. They found markings consistent with repeated rotational motion.
The tool also retains six coils of fragile leather thong, which scientists believe would have formed part of the bow-driven mechanism. In such a system, a string is wrapped around the drill shaft and moved back and forth using a bow, spinning the drill in a motion similar to a modern electric drill.
“This suggests that Egyptian craftspeople mastered reliable rotary drilling more than two millennia before some of the best-preserved drill sets,” Dr Odler said.
Rethinking Egyptian technology
Bow drills are known from later periods of Egyptian history, including depictions in New Kingdom tombs. However, the newly re-examined tool is believed to date from roughly 2,000 years earlier.
If confirmed, this would significantly alter the accepted timeline of mechanical innovation in Ancient Egypt.
“Behind Egypt’s famous stone monuments and jewellery were practical, everyday technologies that rarely survive archaeologically,” Dr Odler said.
“The drill was one of the most important tools, enabling woodworking, bead production, and furniture making.”
Scholars say the findings highlight how seemingly minor artefacts can reshape understanding of ancient civilisations, suggesting that Egyptian engineering may have been more advanced, and earlier, than previously thought.
Sources: Newcastle University research team, LadBible
