Abstract
The excavations of the Czech Institute of Egyptology at the temple at Usli (Bárta et al. 2013b) have brought to light several bronze fragments (Figs. 1-2), which have been found in a secondary position among the blocks of the stone floor of the temple. Fragments Aand B were examined following archaeological documentation by means of ametallographic section and analysed by SEM-EDS.
Fragment A has been interpreted as a bronze plaque from a foundation deposit, made of leaded bronze with traces of arsenic, cast without further processing (Figs. 4-6, Table 1). Fragment B is a fragment of a chisel, made of tin bronze with 0.7 % Pb and 0.1 % P, annealed after casting (Figs. 7-8, Table 1).
The chisel might have been part of the foundation deposit as well; tools had occurred in foundation deposits since Dynasty 11 and metal/bronze plaques since Dynasty 19 (Weinstein 1973). Analogies of the artefacts have been published by Cowell from Nuri (1997) and from New Kingdom contexts e.g. by Schoske (2007).
The current state of research does not allow us to determine whether the fragments could be dated to the New Kingdom or the Napatan Period.