Bifacial knife with hooked handle
Description
Early Dynastic Period, Dynasty 1–2, ca. 3100–2649 B.C. Flint. L. 12.4 × W. 3 × Th. 8 cm (4 7/8 × 1 3/16 × 3 1/8 in.). From: Osiris Temple precinct, Abydos, Northern Upper Egypt, Egypt. Excavation: Egypt Exploration Fund excavations. Credit: Gift of Egypt Exploration Fund, 1902.
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.
The image shows a small, weathered flint implement with a chipped, elongated blade and a curved/“hooked” end consistent with a bifacial cutting tool.
The artifact is photographed against a light gray background. It appears to be a single piece of flint or chert with an elongated form. One end tapers and shows multiple sharp, chipped edges suggesting working surfaces on two sides (bifacial). Near the left end there is a pronounced curvature consistent with a hooked handle/terminal form described in the catalogue. The surface is largely patinated and knapped, with minor discoloration (including a small reddish spot near the top) from age or handling. No carved decoration, relief, or text is visible. There are no clear hieroglyphs or inscriptions. The overall appearance is consistent with an Early Dynastic flint knife type.
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.