Archaeologists Unearth “First Direct Evidence” of Advanced Ancient Metallurgy in Egypt’s Middle Kingdom
Archaeologists say they have uncovered new evidence that the production of arsenical bronze was known to the ancient Middle Kingdom Egyptians.
The surprise discovery, detailed in a study in the journal Archaeometry, argues that metalworkers from what is also known as Egypt’s Period of Reunification, which lasted roughly from 2040 to as recently as 1700 BC, possessed a greater degree of technological advancement than previously known to archaeologists.
At the heart of the findings was the discovery of a byproduct of metalworking known as “speiss” that was discovered on Elephantine Island, located near Aswan, Egypt, which is believed to date as far back as 4000 years ago. The research was led by Jiří Kmošek of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna and the Czech Academy of Sciences, along with Newcastle University researcher Dr. Martin Odler.
“The use of speiss in the production of arsenical bronze during the MBA on Elephantine Island has been confirmed,” the researchers write in their study, which they say reveals “a more complex metallurgical process than previously suspected.”
Speiss UNcovered at an Ancient Egyptian Site
Speiss, which is composed of a mixture of impure metals, includes high levels of arsenic, iron, and lead. Its discovery from a site associated with Egypt’s Middle Kingdom is significant, since this material is known to have been employed during later periods as a reagent in the production of arsenical bronze.