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In Cambridgeshire, curators preparing for an exhibition at the University of Cambridge made an exciting discovery. A 4,000-year-old handprint was found on an ancient Egyptian tomb offering. This handprint was found on a “soul house”, a type of clay model typically discovered in burials. Curator Helen Strudwick described the handprint, which dates back to 2055 to 1650 BC, as a rare and thrilling find. The handprint will be showcased at the Made in Ancient Egypt exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum opening on 3 October.
Ms. Strudwick, a senior Egyptologist at the Fitzwilliam Museum, expressed her enthusiasm about the find. She mentioned that although fingerprints have been found on other artifacts, finding a complete handprint beneath a soul house is extremely rare and exciting. The handprint was left by the maker who touched it before the clay dried. According to Ms. Strudwick, this is the first time she has seen such a complete handprint on an Egyptian object.
The focus of the exhibition is on the ancient Egyptian craftspeople who made these artifacts. While ceramics were widely used in ancient Egypt, little is known about the potters themselves compared to other craftsmen. The museum cited a text called the Teaching of Khet, which likened potters to pigs who wallow in mud. The exhibition aims to shed light on these often-overlooked artisans and showcase their skills.
Soul houses were essential in ancient Egyptian tombs, acting as offering trays or places for the soul of the deceased. Offerings such as loaves of bread, lettuce, and ox heads were laid out in these structures. Analysis of the soul house revealed that the potter first created a framework of wooden sticks, which burnt away during firing, leaving behind an empty space. The handprint found underneath the soul house suggests that it was made by the potter before firing in a kiln. The Made in Ancient Egypt exhibition highlights not only the artifacts themselves but also the individuals who crafted them
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