5300-year-old bow drill evidence shows that ancient Egyptians developed advanced mechanical drilling technology much earlier than previously believed. A new scientific study reveals that a small copper-alloy object, discovered over a century ago in Upper Egypt, was in fact the oldest known rotating metal drill used in ancient Egypt.
Researchers from Newcastle University and the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna re-examined the artifact, which was originally unearthed during early 20th-century excavations at a Predynastic cemetery in Badari, Upper Egypt. Their findings were published in the academic journal Egypt and the Levant.
A forgotten object reexamined
The artifact, cataloged as 1924.948 A at the University of Cambridge’s Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, was discovered in Tomb 3932, the burial of an adult male. Measuring only 63 millimeters in length and weighing approximately 1.5 grams, the object was initially described in the 1920s as a “small copper awl wrapped with a leather strip.”
Due to its small size and brief description, the object attracted little attention for decades and was largely overlooked in archaeological discussions.
Clear signs of rotary drilling
When examined under magnification, researchers identified distinctive wear patterns consistent with rotary drilling rather than simple piercing. Fine linear scratches, rounded edges, and a slight curvature at the working tip all indicated repeated rotational motion.
These characteristics strongly suggest that the tool functioned as part of a bow drill, a mechanical device in which a cord wrapped around a shaft is moved back and forth using a bow, allowing the drill to spin rapidly and efficiently.
Evidence of ancient leather cord
The study also identified six extremely fragile strips of leather, believed to be remnants of the bowstring used with the drill. This organic material provides rare physical evidence of how the tool was operated, something that is almost never preserved in archaeological contexts.
According to Dr. Martin Odler, lead author of the study and visiting researcher at Newcastle University, such everyday technologies were essential to ancient Egyptian craftsmanship but are rarely visible in the archaeological record.
Technology behind Egypt’s great achievements
Dr. Odler explained that while ancient Egypt is famous for monumental temples, decorated tombs, and elaborate jewelry, these achievements depended on practical tools like drills. Bow drills allowed craftsmen to work efficiently with wood, stone, and beads, enabling furniture production, ornament making, and fine artistic detail.
This discovery demonstrates that Egyptian artisans mastered reliable rotary drilling techniques more than 2,000 years earlier than previously documented examples from the New Kingdom period.
An unusual copper alloy
Using portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analysis, the research team determined that the drill was made from an unusual copper alloy containing arsenic, nickel, lead, and silver. This composition would have produced a harder and visually distinctive metal compared to standard copper.
Co-author Jiří Kmošek noted that the presence of silver and lead may indicate deliberate alloying choices and possibly wider material or knowledge networks connecting Egypt to the broader eastern Mediterranean during the late 4th millennium BC.
Rethinking Predynastic innovation
Bow drills are well known from later periods of Egyptian history, particularly the New Kingdom, where tomb paintings from Luxor’s West Bank depict craftsmen drilling beads and woodworking materials. However, this newly identified 5300-year-old bow drill pushes the origins of this technology far deeper into Egypt’s Predynastic past.
The findings highlight the importance of revisiting museum collections, as small and overlooked artifacts can still transform our understanding of early technological innovation.