Unearthing Fresh Copper at Tell el-Retaba: From the Second to the Third Intermediate Period

Abstract

This article reports on the archaeometallurgical investigation of thirty-one metalworking and artefact samples from the Egyptian site Tell el-Retaba in Wadi Tumilat. These objects were uncovered by a joint Polish-Slovak mission active at the site since 2007. The samples, dating to the Second Intermediate Period and New Kingdom, contribute to the already published research on contemporary metalwork, including not only copper but also a unique silver toggle pin from the early New Kingdom. For the Third Intermediate Period—known as the Early Iron Age in archaeological terminology—this article provides the first dataset on settlement metallurgy from Egypt ever investigated. The material also includes a copper ingot fragment found on site’s surface, which likely dates to the Second Intermediate Period. The most unexpected finding is the identification of freshly processed copper, presumably sourced from mining sites in either the Eastern Desert or Sinai.