gems, ancient Egypt, Red Sea

In this paper, the focus is on a small aspect of early foreign trade which involved Egypt and her neighbors to the far south. While the analysis of obsidian itself may appear to be rather insignificant at first glance, the implications for long-distance trade to the south, the location of the land of Punt, and the techniques of shipbuilding and shipping will all arise in this discussion. While in specific cases, I will refer to obsidian samples from the Old Kingdom and later, the thrust of the study will focus on the Predynastic–Archaic periods. For it is in these periods that the underlying pattern of Egyptian trade into the Red Sea was established. Obsidian, as a natural glass of volcanic origin, can be studied by classical petrochemical methods, but, in terms of archaeological investigations, trace element analyses were discovered as a means for identifying the trade route patterns. Obsidian became an ideal object to research due to its homogeneous nature and the apparent ease with which different sources could be identified based on trace elements. Additionally, since early obsidians were prized for their flaking ability and their extremely sharp edges, and archaeologists could recover their remains very systematically, the study of obsidian distribution became rather popular. Initial work by optical emission spectroscopy helped determine Neolithic and Bronze Age distribution patterns in the Aegean, Mediterranean, and Anatolia. Subsequent techniques have refined the process of identification and more precise trade patterns have been identified. Simultaneously, more sophisticated models and interpretation techniques have been set up to deal with obsidian trade and distribution.