Disc-shaped macehead
Unknown Artist
ca. 3850–3500 B.C.
Medium
Hornblende diorite
Dimensions
Diam. 8 × H. 2.6 cm (3 1/8 × 1 in.)
Classification
Macehead, disc
Period
Predynastic, Naqada l–Early Naqada II
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of The Egypt Exploration Fund, 1909
Accession Number
09.182.1
Art Historical Context
Step back in time over 5,000 years to Predynastic Egypt, during the Naqada I to Early Naqada II periods (ca. 3850–3500 B.C.), when communities along the Nile were forging the foundations of one of history's greatest civilizations. This disc-shaped macehead, a modest yet mighty artifact from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Egyptian Art collection, exemplifies the era's ingenuity. Carved from tough hornblende diorite—a dense, dark stone prized for its durability and sheen—the macehead measures just 8 cm in diameter and 2.6 cm high, small enough to fit in your palm but designed for lethal impact...