Copper for the early oxhide ingots: an Egyptian source?

The provenance of a group of Late Minoan IB copper oxhide ingots found on Crete remains a mystery in Mediterranean archaeometallurgical research. The distinctive isotopic signature of the Late Minoan IB Cretan ingots points to an ore source from the Neoproterozoic or early Cambrian eras, effectively excluding most of the well-documented copper sources within the Mediterranean region. Drawing upon a blend of legacy geochemical data, historical evidence, and archaeological findings, we argue that the yet-to-be-defined ‘Old Copper’ signature derives from the Arabian-Nubian Shield. Based on this interpretation, we suggest that copper from the Red Sea region was traded via Egypt to the Late Minoan IB Minoan palaces in the form of oxhide ingots. This interpretation sheds light on the development of the Minoan-Egypt trade interface at the beginning of the Late Bronze Age.