Between centre and periphery: early Egyptian and Nubian copper alloy artefacts in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna (KHM)
Abstract
Metals have not been used frequently for the studies of Ancient Egyptian economy. Important sources are the artefacts in the collections of world-famous museums outside Egypt, foremost the artefacts with known provenance.
The Egyptian and Near Eastern Collection at the KHM contains artefacts from several important sites of the 4th, 3rd and beginning of the 2nd Millennium BC in Egypt: Giza, Tura, Mostagedda and the Nubian sites Kubbaniya and Toshka. X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) will be performed on a selected sample of these artifacts in order to obtain their chemical composition.
The analyses may confirm assumptions that several types of arsenical copper were used for the full-size functional tools and weapons (from A-group Kubbaniya, Old Kingdom Tura and Middle Kingdom Mostagedda and Toshka) and almost pure copper for model tools (Old Kingdom Giza). Also imported Near Eastern copper, in the form of ore and finished artefacts, is mentioned in Old and Middle Kingdom sources, yet there were no attempts in the past to discern supposed differences in the alloys.
Additionally, the important question of the possibility of a varied use of alloys in the Memphite centre of the state and its periphery is tried to be answered using XRF.