Latest news with #MadeinAncientEgypt
Arab News
39 minutes ago
- General
- Arab News
UK museum finds 4,000-year-old handprint on Egypt tomb
LONDON: British researchers have discovered a rare handprint on a 4,000-year-old Egyptian artifact, a Cambridge museum said. The ancient handprint was found by museum conservators on the base of an Egyptian soul house — a clay offering tray in the shape of a building which may have been used in tombs for laying out food offerings or as a dwelling for souls. The unique discovery was made after the piece, crafted between 2055-1650 BC, was examined by conservation staff in preparation for a new exhibition. 'I have never seen such a complete handprint on an Egyptian object before,' said Helen Strudwick, senior curator and Egyptologist at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. The handprint was left by the maker of the soul house, when they picked it up before drying and firing the clay. 'When you see something like this, you feel very close to the person who left their mark on an object,' Strudwick said, describing the finding to AFP as an 'exciting moment.' 'You can see all the fingers, and also where the heel of the hand rested,' she said. The rare artifact will be on display at the museum's Made in Ancient Egypt exhibition which opens on October 3. The exhibition will focus on the makers of Egyptian artifacts such as jewelry, ceramics and sculptures. It is important to understand how the ancient objects were made 'in order to look after them properly,' the curator said. The museum in southeast England has been researching how the artifacts were created since 2014, but little is known about the potters that worked in Ancient Egypt. Since pottery was seen as having a low value, Egyptian potters may have been accorded a lower social status than other craftspeople. 'We can't really say anything about the identity of the person from the handprint. It is quite small — about the same size as my own hand,' said Strudwick. 'If this is a man's handprint, it's possible that — given the scale of it — he was a younger person, or it may be that a more junior person in the workshop was responsible for moving these objects out to dry,' she speculated. Strudwick says the history of Egyptian craftspeople was often overlooked by researchers. But with new research methods, 'we are able to know more and more about how they worked, lived and how they wanted to be remembered for all time,' she said. The exhibition will include a large loan of antiquities from the Louvre museum in France, the most significant of its kind to visit the UK in almost 20 years.
CTV News
3 hours ago
- General
- CTV News
4,000-year-old handprint found on ancient tomb
A 4,000-year-old ancient Egyptian handprint has been discovered on a 'soul house' at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. (Joe Giddens/via CNN Newsource) A 4,000-year-old handprint has been discovered on a clay model used for offerings in an Ancient Egyptian tomb. Researchers from Cambridge University's Fitzwilliam Museum, in the United Kingdom, stumbled upon the imprint while preparing for an exhibition, which is set to open this fall. It was found on the base of a 'soul house,' a building-shaped clay model typically found in burials and said to have provided a place for the soul to live, according to a press release from the museum. The model has an open space at the front where food offerings, like bread, lettuce or an ox's head, could be placed. Dating back to about 2055–1650 BCE, the soul house underwent extensive examinations that revealed how it was made four millennia ago. It showed that the unnamed potter would have first created a framework of wooden sticks for the two-story building, which was then coated with clay. The firing process would have burnt the wood away. The handprint was found underneath the soul house and was most likely formed when the potter moved the model while the clay was still damp and before it was fired in a kiln. 'We've spotted traces of fingerprints left in wet varnish or on a coffin in the decoration, but it is rare and exciting to find a complete handprint underneath this soul house,' said Helen Strudwick, senior Egyptologist at the museum and curator of the exhibition. 'This was left by the maker who touched it before the clay dried,' she said in the release. 'I have never seen such a complete handprint on an Egyptian object before. You can just imagine the person who made this, picking it up to move it out of the workshop to dry before firing.' 'Things like this take you directly to the moment when the object was made and to the person who made it, which is the focus of our exhibition,' Strudwick added. Vast amounts of pottery have survived from the ancient Egyptian period as ceramics were widely used for functional objects and decorative pieces. It was common for pottery containing food and drink to feature in burials. While much is known about ancient Egyptian rulers like Tutankhamun, the stories of those who made some of the many artifacts discovered in their tombs is often overlooked. The ready availability of clay and low value of pottery is likely to have affected social status of potters, according to the museum. The soul house will be on display at the Cambridge museum as part of the 'Made in Ancient Egypt' exhibition, which aims to highlight the stories of artisans like the one who left this handprint behind. It opens on October 3. By Lianne Kolirin, CNN
eNCA
17 hours ago
- Science
- eNCA
UK museum finds 4,000-year-old handprint on Egypt tomb
LONDON - British researchers have discovered a rare handprint on a 4,000-year-old Egyptian artefact. The ancient handprint was found by museum conservators on the base of an Egyptian soul house -- a clay offering tray in the shape of a building which may have been used in tombs for laying out food offerings or as a dwelling for souls. The unique discovery was made after the piece, crafted between 2055-1650 BC, was examined by conservation staff in preparation for a new exhibition. "I have never seen such a complete handprint on an Egyptian object before," said Helen Strudwick, senior curator and Egyptologist at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. The handprint was left by the maker of the soul house, when they picked it up before drying and firing the clay. "When you see something like this, you feel very close to the person who left their mark on an object," Strudwick said, describing the finding to AFP as an "exciting moment". "You can see all the fingers, and also where the heel of the hand rested," she said. The rare artefact will be on display at the museum's Made in Ancient Egypt exhibition, which opens on October 3. The exhibition will focus on the makers of Egyptian artefacts such as jewellery, ceramics and sculptures. It is important to understand how the ancient objects were made "in order to look after them properly," the curator said. The museum in southeast England has been researching how the artefacts were created since 2014, but little is known about the potters who worked in Ancient Egypt. Since pottery was seen as having a low value, Egyptian potters may have been accorded a lower social status than other craftspeople. "We can't really say anything about the identity of the person from the handprint. It is quite small -- about the same size as my own hand," said Strudwick. "If this is a man's handprint, it's possible that -- given the scale of it -- he was a younger person, or it may be that a more junior person in the workshop was responsible for moving these objects out to dry," she speculated. Strudwick says the history of Egyptian craftspeople was often overlooked by researchers. But with new research methods, "we are able to know more and more about how they worked, lived and how they wanted to be remembered for all time," she said. The exhibition will include a large loan of antiquities from the Louvre museum in France, the most significant of its kind to visit the UK in almost 20 years.
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Incredible complete handprint found on ancient Egyptian tomb ornament in museum – that had gone unnoticed for millennia
AN INCREDIBLE detail on an Ancient Egyptian tomb item that had gone unnoticed for millennia has been spotted. This "rare and exciting" Advertisement 4 The complete handprint was spotted on an ancient clay model Credit: PA 4 Helen Strudwick, curator of Made in Ancient Egypt, views a 4,000-year-old ancient Egyptian handprint Credit: PA 4 It will be shown at the forthcoming exhibition Made in Ancient Egypt opening in October Credit: PA A complete handprint was spotted on a clay model designed to go inside a tomb. It is likely the hand of the object's maker, who would have touched it before the clay set, an The hand print is estimated to have been left a Helen Strudwick, senior Egyptologist at the Fitzwilliam Museum, said: "We've spotted traces of fingerprints left in wet varnish or on a coffin in the decoration, but it is rare and exciting to find a complete handprint underneath this soul house. Advertisement read more in tech "This was left by the maker who touched it before the clay dried. "I have never seen such a complete handprint on an Egyptian object before." The print was found on the base of a "soul house" - a These soul houses may have acted as offering trays - or as a place for the deceased's soul to reside. Advertisement Most read in Science Live Blog This particular model is dated to 2055-1650 BC. It is set to go on display at the university's Made in Ancient Egypt exhibition, which opens on October 3. First look inside incredible immersive Egyptian experience coming to Glasgow Strudwick added: "You can just imagine the person who made this, picking it up to move it out of the workshop to dry before firing. "Things like this take you directly to the moment when the object was made and to the person who made it, which is the focus of our exhibition." Advertisement Analysis suggests this item was made by coating a framework of wooden sticks with clay to form a two-storey building. Its staircases would have been made by pinching the wet clay. The use of ceramics was widespread across Ancient Egypt - both for functional and decorative use. It is not the only amazing Egyptian discovery to be reported in recent weeks. Advertisement Researchers have used modern technology to learn more about The Bashiri Mummy, also known as the "untouchable one". This mummy has long remain fully wrapped up due to fears of causing damage to the intricately tied fabric. But X-ray and CT scanners have allowed researchers to unveil ancient mysteries without causing such harm to artefacts. Scans revealed that the that Bashiri Mummy would have been an adult man who stood about 5.5 feet tall. Advertisement 4 This particular model is dated to 2055-1650 BC Credit: PA
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Incredible complete handprint found on ancient Egyptian tomb ornament in museum – that had gone unnoticed for millennia
A complete handprint was spotted on a clay model designed to go inside a tomb HAND THAT TIME FORGOT Incredible complete handprint found on ancient Egyptian tomb ornament in museum – that had gone unnoticed for millennia AN INCREDIBLE detail on an Ancient Egyptian tomb item that had gone unnoticed for millennia has been spotted. This "rare and exciting" discovery was found on the artefact as it was prepared for display at a museum exhibition. 4 The complete handprint was spotted on an ancient clay model Credit: PA 4 Helen Strudwick, curator of Made in Ancient Egypt, views a 4,000-year-old ancient Egyptian handprint Credit: PA 4 It will be shown at the forthcoming exhibition Made in Ancient Egypt opening in October Credit: PA A complete handprint was spotted on a clay model designed to go inside a tomb. It is likely the hand of the object's maker, who would have touched it before the clay set, an Egyptologist at Cambridge's Fitzwilliam Museum said. The hand print is estimated to have been left a jaw-dropping 4,000 years ago. Helen Strudwick, senior Egyptologist at the Fitzwilliam Museum, said: "We've spotted traces of fingerprints left in wet varnish or on a coffin in the decoration, but it is rare and exciting to find a complete handprint underneath this soul house. "This was left by the maker who touched it before the clay dried. "I have never seen such a complete handprint on an Egyptian object before." The print was found on the base of a "soul house" - a building-shaped clay model placed inside a tomb. These soul houses may have acted as offering trays - or as a place for the deceased's soul to reside. This particular model is dated to 2055-1650 BC. It is set to go on display at the university's Made in Ancient Egypt exhibition, which opens on October 3. First look inside incredible immersive Egyptian experience coming to Glasgow Strudwick added: "You can just imagine the person who made this, picking it up to move it out of the workshop to dry before firing. "Things like this take you directly to the moment when the object was made and to the person who made it, which is the focus of our exhibition." Analysis suggests this item was made by coating a framework of wooden sticks with clay to form a two-storey building. Its staircases would have been made by pinching the wet clay. The use of ceramics was widespread across Ancient Egypt - both for functional and decorative use. It is not the only amazing Egyptian discovery to be reported in recent weeks. Researchers have used modern technology to learn more about The Bashiri Mummy, also known as the "untouchable one". This mummy has long remain fully wrapped up due to fears of causing damage to the intricately tied fabric. But X-ray and CT scanners have allowed researchers to unveil ancient mysteries without causing such harm to artefacts. Scans revealed that the that Bashiri Mummy would have been an adult man who stood about 5.5 feet tall.
