Flint shaped like a bird
Description
eccentric. Predynastic–Early Dynastic, Naqada II–Dynasty 1, ca. 3300–2900 B.C. Flint. h. 2 7/8 in (7.4 cm); w. 2 7/16 in (6.1 cm); th. 3/8 in (1 cm). Said to be from: Nag el-Deir, Upper Egypt, Thebes, Egypt. Subject: Birds. Credit: Rogers Fund, 1926.
AI image analysis GPT-5.4-nano
Machine-generated from the object's image on Jul 2026. Not curatorial; treat deities, names, and signs below as the model's best reading, not authority.
A small, roughly worked flint piece shaped to resemble a bird form, with a prominent broad “head” area and a tapering tail.
The object is an irregular, off-white to pale gray flint implement presented against a plain white background. Its silhouette suggests an avian shape: one end forms a rounded/flattened protrusion that could be interpreted as a head or body shoulder, while the opposite end tapers toward a narrow point resembling a tail. Edges are uneven from working and natural flaking, with faint, shallow surface marks and abrasion consistent with prehistoric knapping rather than later carving. No clear engraved hieroglyphs or other inscriptions are visible on the provided image. No cartouches, royal names, or readable text are present. No tool marks or diagnostic features beyond general shaping are distinct enough to identify specific species or symbolic motifs.
Connections
About this record's data
- From the source institution — accession, description, dimensions, and dating are as catalogued by Metropolitan Museum of Art — Egyptian Art (Open Access).
- AI-inferred — the image-analysis panel (deities, names, signs) is machine-generated and may be wrong.
- Approximate location — most map points are plotted at the site centroid, not the exact findspot.
- Inferred links — cross-references marked with a match method other than explicit-source-field were matched by us, not stated by the source.