Researchers identify 5,300-year-old metal bow drill in Egypt as earliest rotary tool

Exam-focused facts from the 12 February 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

Researchers from Newcastle University and the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna identified a tool from a Predynastic cemetery in Badari, Upper Egypt, as the oldest known metal drill in the country.
The artifact dates to the late fourth millennium BCE and measures 63 millimetres in length with a weight of approximately 1.5 grams.
Portable X-ray fluorescence analysis revealed the tool is composed of a copper alloy containing arsenic, nickel, silver, and lead to increase hardness.
Microscopic inspection of the tip showed fine parallel lines and rounded edges, confirming its function as a rotary tool rather than a piercing instrument.
The presence of dried leather coils on the shaft indicates the tool was part of a bow drill system where a cord was used to spin the shaft.