Miniature Tools - 2040 BC

Three weeks ago, I had the opportunity to tour the Danish National Museum in Copenhagen. I hadn't planned to visit the museum. In fact I didn't even know it existed until I found an information sheet at the tourist office. As a result, my tour of the exhibits followed no particular plan. I just started on the top floor of the museum, at the Near Eastern and Classical Antiquities display, intending to work down through three floors of exhibits, back to the entry.

Ten minutes into my tour I entered the second display room which included a collection of items found within one of the tombs of ancient Egypt. Sitting in the case, along with perhaps fifty other objects was a small box and six miniature tools. The box was just over 5 inches long and 2.5 inches wide, and the longest tool was just under 4 inches in length.

The items had been removed from the coffin of Nekhetkawi who died circa 1990 BC, nearly four thousand years ago! Clearly these were the earliest "miniature" tools I had ever seen. I was fascinated by the set and was able to contact a resident Egyptologist who kindly provided a scanned image of the tool set from their files along with a description of the find.

Partial Museum Description:

"Although robbers had removed the mummy, the coffin of Nekhetkawi still contained some typical finds. The six models of carpenter's tools were found in a small box with a matching lid. Above are a saw, a bow (minus string) and an axe, and below a drill, awl and adze. The blades of the axe and adze are fastened to their shafts with fine linen thread smeared with resin. The blade of the axe has clearly visible incised lines, but they do not constitute any recognizable signs. The purpose of the bow was to rotate the drill.

It would be tempting to believe that the set of tools had some professional association with Nekhetkawi - that perhaps he was a carpenter or boat builder. Such implements have, however, been discovered in a large number of tombs of the period and, in general, there is nothing to suggest that the tomb models could have any "biographical" connotations."

Later in the day I saw a second miniature tool set at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek Museum (also in Copenhagen) from approximately the same period. This set came from the tomb of Wadsethotep.

A sign in the case near the first tool set reads...."Miniature tools, like the axe, the adz, the chisel and the saw are as valuable grave goods as real tools."

These displays add an exciting new dimension to miniature tool building!