Copper in Ancient Egypt

Martin Odler, Ph.D. (2020), Czech Institute of Egyptology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University, Prague, studies the ancient Egyptian crafts, especially copper metallurgy. He published two monographs, on the Old Kingdom copper tools and on the Leipzig collection of Egyptian metalwork.

• PrefaceAcknowledgementsList of FiguresList of Tables1 Introduction: The Subject, Its Chronological and Chorological Scope1 Copper as a Chemical Element and Raw Material2 Copper and (Tin) Bronze: Cases of Terminological Imprecision3 Chronology, Geography, and Societies4 Egyptian Copper Reflected outside of the Field5 Position within Archaeological Theory2 Chaîne Opératoire and Sources’ Survey1 Categories of Ancient Egyptian and Our Thinking2 Data and Statistical Populations in Egyptian Archaeology3 Categories of Sources3 Words for Material and People—Copper and Metalworkers1 Identified Metals2 Main Words and Their Context4 Expeditions: Procurement, Initial Processing and Transport of Ore1 Predynastic and Early Dynastic Period2 Old Kingdom3 Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period4 Lead Isotopes of the Ores and Artefacts5 Copper Storage, Revenues, and Transactions1 Administration of Resources in the Early Dynastic Period2 Administration of Resources in the Old Kingdom3 Administration of Resources in the Middle Kingdom4 Changes in the Second Intermediate Period and New Kingdom5 Whose Copper? Royal, Non-royal and Other Contexts6 Looting of Copper6 Metalworkers and Their Institutions1 Early Dynastic Period2 Old Kingdom3 First Intermediate Period and Middle Kingdom4 Second Intermediate Period7 Workshops1 Old Kingdom Workshop Scenes2 First Intermediate Period and Middle Kingdom Workshop Scenes3 Archaeology of Workshops4 Furnaces and Crucibles5 Ingots6 Moulds7 Length Measures and Regularization8 Main Alloys9 Techniques of Metalworking10 Papyri Reisner and Lahun Papyri11 Question of Independent Nubian Metalwork12 Performative Aspects of the Craft8 Uses of Artisan, Textile and Leather Tool Kit1 Artisan Tool Kit2 Textile and Leather Processing Tool Kit9 Tools of Conspicuous Display: Weaponry, Personal Care and Adornment1 Weaponry2 Hunting and Food Processing Tool Kit3 Cosmetic Tool Kit4 Personal Adornment, Pigments and Raw Materials10 Ritual Tools (Vessels, Statuary, Regalia) and Hardware1 Vessels2 Furniture, Thrones and Hardware3 Statuary, Regalia and Boats4 Musical Instruments5 Objects of Unknown Use11 Ancient Egyptian Copper in Eastern Mediterranean Context1 Copper and Metalworkers2 Copper Ore Procurement3 Raw and Semi-Processed Copper, Transactions with Copper4 Copper Artefacts12 ConclusionBibliographyIndex