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Copper-based Metallurgy (up to 332 BCE)

Authors:
Frederik W. Rademakers at British Museum
Frederik W. Rademakers
Martin Odler at Newcastle University
Martin Odler
Johannes Auenmüller at Museo delle Antichità Egizie di Torino
Johannes Auenmüller
  • Museo delle Antichità Egizie di Torino
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Abstract

Copper played a central role in the material culture of ancient Egypt. Appearing in the archaeological record as early as the fourth millennium BCE, copper and copper alloys were the most widely used metals throughout pharaonic history. Significant copper ore deposits, such as those of the Eastern Desert and Sinai, were located in proximity to the Nile Valley and were usually mined through large state-organized expeditions. In addition to textual and iconographic evidence, copper alloy objects constitute a valuable source for our understanding of the procurement, use, and circulation of goods within ancient Egyptian society. With the advancement of scientific methods their analysis has become part of the wider development of archaeometallurgy, which aims to shed light on the entire production chain of metals in their historical and social contexts. Indeed, Egyptology, archaeology, and archaeometallurgy are complementary and can benefit from the same research questions.
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COPPER-BASED METALLURGY (UP TO 332 BCE)
ﻰﺘﺣ) ﺔﯿﺳﺎﺤﻨﻟا ندﺎﻌﻤﻟاو سﺎﺤﻨﻟا مﺎﻋ 332 ﻞﺒﻗدﻼﯿﻤﻟا(
Frederik W. Rademakers, Martin Odler, and Johannes Auenmüller
E
DITORS
A
NNA
H
ODGKINSON
Editor, Material Culture
Berlin, Germany
W
ILLEKE
W
ENDRICH
Editor-in-Chief
Los Angeles, USA
SOLANGE ASHBY
Los Angeles, USA
Upper Nile Languages and Cultures
ANNE AUSTIN
St. Louis, USA
Individual and Society
MENNAT-ALLAH EL-DORRY
Cairo, Egypt
Natural Environment: Flora and Fauna
A
NNETTE
I
MHAUSEN
Frankfurt, Germany
Domains of Knowledge
CHRISTINE JOHNSTON
Bellingham, USA
Natural Environment: Landscapes, Climate
JUAN CARLOS MORENO GARCÍA
Paris, France
Economy
MASSIMILIANO NUZZOLO
Turin, Italy
Geography
R
UNE
N
YORD
Atlanta, USA
History of Egyptology
TANJA POMMERENING
Marburg, Germany
Domains of Knowledge
ANDRÉAS STAUDER
Paris, France
Language, Text, and Writing
JONATHAN WINNERMAN
Los Angeles, USA
Religion
Citation:
Rademakers, Frederik W., Martin Odler, and Johannes Auenmüller, 2024, Copper-based Metallurgy (up
to 332 BCE). In Anna Hodgkinson and Willeke Wendrich (eds.), UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology, Los
Angeles. ISSN 2693-7425. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5070/G9.4307
4307 Version 1, September 2024, ark ID 21198/z1m38fcv
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