Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com – Scientists have recently re-examined a small copper-alloy object that was excavated nearly a century ago from a cemetery at Badari in Upper Egypt. Their analysis has revealed that this artefact is the earliest known rotary metal drill from ancient Egypt, dating back to the Predynastic period (late 4th millennium BCE), which predates the era of the first pharaohs.
Bow drill in action, New Kingdom tomb painting from Western Thebes, Tomb of Rekhmire, object 31.6.25. Credit: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, public domain
The research was conducted by experts from Newcastle University and the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna. The artefact, catalogued as 1924.948 A in the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Cambridge, was originally found in Grave 3932—the burial site of an adult man. When it first appeared in archaeological records during the 1920s, it was simply described as “a little awl of copper, with some leather thong wound round it.” This brief description led to its significance being overlooked for decades.
Upon closer examination using magnification tools, researchers identified wear patterns such as fine striations, rounded edges, and a slight curvature at one end—features consistent with rotary drilling rather than simple puncturing. They also noted six coils made from an extremely fragile leather thong attached to the tool. The team suggests this is likely a remnant of a bowstring used to power a bow drill—a type of ancient hand drill where rapid spinning is achieved by moving a string-wrapped shaft back and forth with a bow.
These findings were published in the journal Egypt and the Levant and offer new insights into early technological innovation in ancient Egypt.
“The ancient Egyptians are famous for stone temples, painted tombs, and dazzling jewellery, but behind those achievements lay practical, everyday technologies that rarely survive in the archaeological record. One of the most important was the drill: a tool used to pierce wood, stone, and beads, enabling everything from furniture-making to ornament production.
Original photograph of the artefact published in 1927 by Guy Brunton (left) and the actual artefact. Credit: Martin Odler
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. This suggests that Egyptian craftspeople mastered reliable rotary drilling more than two millennia before some of the best-preserved drill sets,” Dr Martin Odler, Visiting Fellow in Newcastle University’s School of History, Classics and Archaeology and lead author, explains in a press release.
Bow drills are well documented in Egyptian history, especially during the New Kingdom period (mid to late second millennium BCE). Archaeological findings include actual bow drill artifacts and tomb illustrations from the West Bank of Luxor, which show craftsmen using these tools for bead-making and woodworking.
Recent research utilizing portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) has provided new insights into the materials used to make these drills. One analyzed example was found to be made from a unique copper alloy containing arsenic, nickel, lead, and silver. According to co-author Jirí Kmošek, this composition would have produced a metal that was both harder and visually distinct compared to standard copper. The inclusion of silver and lead suggests deliberate alloying decisions by ancient craftspeople. It also points toward possible trade networks or technological exchanges between Egypt and other regions in the Eastern Mediterranean as early as the fourth millennium BCE.
See also: More Archaeology News
This study is part of the UKRI-funded EgypToolWear project (Horizon Europe Guarantee) and highlights how museum collections continue to contribute valuable discoveries.
Even small artifacts excavated many years ago can reveal important information—not only about early metalworking techniques but also about tool usage through rare traces of organic material preserved on them.
More information: “The Earliest Metal Drill of Naqada IID Dating”, Martin Odler and Jiří Kmošek Ägypten und Levante / Egypt and the Levant (Vol. 35, 2025) DOI: 10.1553/AEundL35s289
Written by Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com Staff Writer
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