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Image Credit: Martin Odler
5300 Year Old Bow Drill Reveals Early Egyptian Mechanical Innovation
A reassessment of a small copper-alloy object from a Predynastic cemetery in Upper Egypt has revealed the earliest known rotary metal drill from ancient Egypt, dating to about 5,300 years ago. The finding pushes back the origins of mechanically sophisticated drilling technology to before the rise of the pharaohs.
The object was excavated a century ago from a grave at Badari and is now held by the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge. Long described simply as a small copper awl with a leather thong, it attracted little attention until researchers re-examined it using modern analytical methods. Microscopic study revealed wear patterns—fine striations, rounded edges, and a slight curvature—consistent with rotary drilling rather than simple piercing.
Crucially, the artifact preserves fragile coils of leather wrapped around the shaft. These are interpreted as remnants of a bowstring, indicating that the tool functioned as a bow drill. In this system, a bow moves a string back and forth to rotate the drill rapidly, producing faster and more controlled results than hand-twisting. The study demonstrates that Egyptian craftspeople had mastered reliable rotary drilling in the late fourth millennium BC.
Chemical analysis shows the drill was made from an unusual copper alloy containing arsenic and nickel, with traces of lead and silver. Such a composition would have produced a harder, visually distinctive metal, suggesting deliberate alloying choices and possibly wider connections across the eastern Mediterranean during the Predynastic period.
Bow drills are well known from later phases of Egyptian history, particularly the New Kingdom, when they appear in tomb scenes depicting craft activities. This newly identified example shows that the technology has much deeper roots. Published in Egypt and the Levant, the study highlights the enduring research potential of museum collections and the importance of re-examining long-known finds to better understand early technological innovation.
Published on: 09-02-2026
Edited by: Abdulmnam Samakie
Source: Newcastle University