It was very likely copper since bronze tools were not in use until the middle kingdom ca.
Egyptian stone cutting tools.
Franz löhner thinks that only forged iron chisels can cut through the hard granite.
The mean variation of the cutting of the stone from a straight line and from a true square is but 0 1 inch in a length of 75 inches up the face an amount of accuracy equal to the most modern opticians straight edges of such a length.
These joints with an area.
Franz löhner doesn t allege that the ancient egyptians already knew the difficult and elaborate procedure of making wrought iron but that they acquired the valuable iron by trading.
As neither copper nor bronze is sufficiently hard to cut such stones as basalt diorite granite quartzite and schist.
In basic terms any tool should have a greater hardness than the material being cut or shaped.
Ancient egyptian stone drilling.
Reproduction ancient egyptian stone mason s tools used for carving demonstrations.
Machine tools in ancient egypt.
Although the idea was first raised by petrie.
For the time being the balance of evidence seems to suggest the mainstream view that primitive metal and wooden tools used by common stone masons were sufficient for cutting through granite.