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Recent developments in the research of ancient Egyptian copper metallurgy

We welcome you to join Martin Odler (Newcastle University) in this collaboration between Ancient Technologies & Materials Seminar series (ATMS) and Liverpool Egyptology Seminar (LES).

Thursday 3 October 5pm (UK) | Rendall (TBC) or Online | Open to the public, and University of Liverpool staff and students

This is a hybrid event, and we encourage in-person attendance which facilitates discussion and fosters a sense of community among the ‘Liverpool’ Egyptologists. As always there will be drinks and nibbles and time to chat with the speaker, Martin Odler, afterwards.

Black and white illustrations of Ancient Egyptian characters making materials and using tools to create objects

Abstract

In the lecture, I would like to summarize the interim results of the recent research into the ancient Egyptian copper metallurgy, focusing on the Bronze Age and Chalcolithic. We understand many phenomena much better and newly published datasets enriched our understanding of particular periods and alloys used in them. However, we are still far from a substantial and detailed synthesis, and we will also explore why. The lecture introduces the current post-doctoral project of the lecturer at the end.

Suggested readings

We strive to encourage scholarly debate around the presentation. For that purpose, the speaker has been asked to provide a range of readings that would help the student audience gain familiarity, if and where needed, with the context in which the specialized research is embedded.

  • Odler, Martin. 2023. Copper in Ancient Egypt: Before, During and After the Pyramid Age (c. 4000 – 1600 BC). Culture and History of the Ancient Near East 132. Leiden ; Boston: Brill. [Available online via SJL Library Catalogue]
  • Odler, Martin, and Jiří Kmošek. 2020. Invisible Connections: An Archaeometallurgical Analysis of the Bronze Age Metalwork from the Egyptian Museum of the University of Leipzig. With Chapters by Katarína Arias, Veronika Dulíková, Lucie Jirásková. Archaeopress Egyptology 31. Oxford: Archaeopress. [Available online via SJL catalogue]