A diminutive copper-alloy implement, previously categorized as a mere awl, has been retrospectively identified as the most ancient known rotary metal drilling device originating from ancient Egypt.
Original photograph of the Badari drill published in 1927 by Guy Brunton (left) and the actual artifact. Image credit: Martin Odler & Jiří Kmošek, doi: 10.1553/AEundL35s289.
This ancient drilling instrument measures a mere 6.3 cm (2.5 inches) in length and possesses a mass of approximately 1.5 grams.
Its provenance traces back to the Predynastic era (4th millennium BCE), predating the establishment of the first dynasties, with its discovery site located in Badari, Upper Egypt.
“While the ancient Egyptians are renowned for their monumental stone temples, vividly decorated tombs, and exquisite jewelry, the bedrock of these accomplishments was built upon sophisticated, everyday technologies that seldom endure in the archaeological strata,” articulated Dr. Martin Odler, an archaeologist affiliated with Newcastle University.
“Among the most vital of these was the drill: an implement instrumental in perforating wood, stone, and beads, thereby facilitating a wide array of constructions, from the fabrication of furnishings to the creation of decorative adornments.”
Upon its initial disclosure in the 1920s, the Badari drill was characterized as ‘a small copper awl, around which a leather thong had been wound.’
This concise description proved readily neglectable, and the artifact garnered minimal scholarly interest for many decades.
However, Dr. Odler and his collaborator, Dr. Jiří Kmošek, identified distinct wear patterns on the tool, indicative of drilling actions: subtle striations, rounded edges, and a slight concavity at the functional extremity, all characteristics suggestive of rotary motion rather than rudimentary puncturing.
Furthermore, six remnants of an exceedingly delicate leather cord were unearthed—a vestige of the bowstring employed to operate a bow drill, an ancestral counterpart to the modern hand drill, wherein a cord wrapped around a spindle is propelled back and forth by a bow, inducing rapid rotation of the drill bit.
“This re-examination has furnished compelling substantiation that this implement served as a bow drill—a method capable of generating a more rapid and precisely controlled drilling action compared to the simple manual application of pressure and rotation inherent in awl-like tools,” Dr. Odler stated.
“This finding implies that Egyptian artisans achieved proficiency in reliable rotary drilling over two millennia prior to the documented existence of some of the most remarkably preserved drill assemblies.”
Employing the portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) methodology, the investigative team ascertained that the Badari drill was fabricated from an unconventional copper alloy.
“The composition of the drill incorporates arsenic and nickel, alongside significant quantities of lead and silver,” commented Dr. Kmošek, a researcher associated with the Institute of Science and Technology in Art at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna and the Nuclear Physics Institute at the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic.
“Such a formulation would have yielded a metal exhibiting enhanced hardness and a distinct visual character in contrast to standard copper.”
“The presence of silver and lead might signify intentional alloying decisions and, potentially, the existence of extensive trade routes for materials or knowledge that interconnected Egypt with the wider ancient Eastern Mediterranean region during the 4th millennium BCE.”
The researchers’ publication detailing these findings appeared in the esteemed journal Ägypten und Levante.
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Martin Odler & Jiří Kmošek. 2025. The earliest metal drill of Naqada IID Dating. Ägypten und Levante 35: 289-306; doi: 10.1553/AEundL35s289
