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Stone and stone working in Ancient Egypt: vessels

The production of stone vessels reached a high level already in the Naqada Period (4000 - 3100 BC). Not surprisingly, then, the main tool for creating a stone vessel became the hieroglyphic sign for 'craftsman'. At the beginning of the production stones were roughly shaped with stone tools. The vases were hollowed out with a drill borer, maybe bow-driven tubes. UC 16038 seems to be made by a twisted-reverse-twist drill of a type sometimes shown in tomb decorations. It had a parallel-sided core and produced as waste the drill cores shown.


basalt borer for vases
drill cores

Aston/Harrell/Shaw 2000: 64-65


 

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