Technical Transfers Between Chert Knappers: Investigating Gunflint Manufacture in the Eastern Egyptian Desert (Wadi Sannur, Northern Galala, Egypt)

Abstract This study presents an integrated analysis of two nineteenth-century gunflint workshops located in the Wadi Sannur (Eastern Desert, Egypt) and dated from Mehemed Ali’s reign. Our research focuses on the technological analysis of the lithic production from excavated assemblages and a broader survey of the mining area. The workshops are organized in both extraction and manufacturing zones, indicating segmentation of the knapping activities and craft specialization. The lithic assemblages – comprising 4,006 artifacts from four workstations – demonstrate a gunflint manufacturing process similar to those observed in Western Europe. The technological framework of these workstations suggests a flexible organization of knapping stages between the two sites. This raises questions about the identity of the craftspeople and the labor organization within the quarry’s lifespan. The dominant technique involves an integrated blade–debitage system producing standardized, rectangular gunflints of French-English style. Lithic evidence suggests the adoption of a Western European-inspired knapping tradition, aligning with the introduction of imported muskets and locally manufactured French-style firearms in the Egyptian army. Additionally, a secondary technique indicates the presence of Mediterranean-style gunflint production in select workstations. The coexistence of these technical traditions highlights the transfer of chert knapping expertise toward military-industrial strategies under Mehemed Ali’s modernization efforts. It also underscores the complexity of technological transmission in lithic production, shaped by both cultural traditions and functional military requirements.