Metal, Monuments, and Makers.
Dr. Martin Odler is a researcher at the Czech Institute of Egyptology, at Charles University in Prague. He studies the tools and objects that Egyptians used to build their famous monuments. Martin has worked on many excavations, and his research has added greatly to our knowledge of technology. He sat down with me to discuss this work, and the insights we can gain from ancient tools and metals.
Learn more about Dr. Odler on Academia.edu, on Twitter, and buy his book Old Kingdom Copper Tools and Model Tools (2016) available from Archaeopress and all good booksellers.
Date: Old Kingdom (3rd Millennium BCE).
Music by Ancient Lyric.
Music by Jeffrey Goodman.
Sound interludes by Luke Chaos.
Banner image isawnyu, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Check out The History of North America Podcast at https://anchor.fm/mark-vinet
See other shows from the Agora Podcast Network.
The History of Egypt Podcast endorses RA EGYPTIAN, the clean, natural skincare line with products derived from ancient Egyptian sources. Use the checkout code EGYPT to enjoy 30% off your order!
Priests
Kyla
Evan A
Kendra Jones
Jason
TJ Kahn
Terri Jones
Linda Yancey
Hereditary Nobles
Anders Hegvik
Rabia Altaf
Shawn Knight
William Russell
Brandy Coullier
David Pepper
Mark Sexton
Lucas Wilson
Louise East
Mandy Boody
Alexander Smygegård
Connor Leech
Karin W.
James Waters
Stephen King
Jan Dodoo
Kate Potter
Peter Culicover
Katherine Lewis
Logan Hennlich
Pernille Engberg
Meicost Ettal
Conner Rice
Simone
Eline
Ra Egyptian
Sarah Musi
Elna Nilsson
Christopher Ward
Skip Howard
Rich
Shann
Eric J Holmes
Sandi & Stuart
Simon Oliphant
Chrissi Ross
Steven Rasp
Fascinating information, excellent scholarship. The arsenical copper issue is particularly intriguing.
Thank you, this was a very interesting conversation. You Egyptological folks seem to be a pretty multinational circle : )
And it brings up another issue… Arsenic is not the healthiest of metals, and so is arsenical copper.
I remember reading a study about ancient Rome that said that the inhabitants of the city of Rome suffered from stomach cancer and this health problem is now being attributed by specialists to the type of metal their pots and other vessels were made of. I believe it was copper, but I may be mistaken, here.
Now, the issue arises – what could the influence of this arsenical copper could have been on the health of ancient Egyptians (cancers, hair loss etc.). Projecting what we know about the negative side effects of arsenic on humans, this would tell us more about their health.
Thanks again for this interview,
Ivonna Nowicka