Discovery of 4000-Year-Old Handprint Reveals Fascinating Details About Ancient Egyptians' Lives
A team of archaeologists discovered a remarkably preserved human handprint on a clay model of an ancient Egyptian tomb dating back over 4000 years, during preparations for a new exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.
The handprint, found on the base of a funerary model known as the 'House of the Spirit,' astonished researchers with its clarity and preservation over thousands of years. Experts believe it belonged to the actual maker of the piece, who touched the clay before it dried, leaving behind a rare human trace connecting the past to the present.
Helen Strudwick, an Egyptologist at the Fitzwilliam Museum and curator of the new exhibition, said: 'We have seen traces of fingerprints left in wet varnish or on a coffin in decoration, but it is rare and exciting to find a complete handprint under this funerary enclosure.'
She added: 'It was left by the maker who touched it before the clay dried... I have never seen such a complete handprint on an Egyptian artifact before.'
The clay model, known as the 'House of the Spirit,' dates back to the period between 2055 and 1650 BC. It was used as part of funerary rituals, designed to hold offerings such as bread loaves, lettuce, and a bull's head.
Analysis of the piece revealed that the potter constructed it by first building a structure of wooden sticks, then covering it with a layer of clay. It is speculated that the handprint was placed when the model was moved from the workshop to dry before firing in the kiln.
Strudwick emphasized that such discoveries provide a direct window into the lives of the ancients, saying: 'You can imagine the person who made this, picking it up to take it out of the workshop to dry before firing... These things take you directly to the moment the piece was made and to the person who made it, which is the focus of our exhibition.'
The 'House of the Spirit' will be displayed in the new exhibition 'Made in Ancient Egypt,' opening to the public on October 3, offering a unique glimpse into the craftsmanship and details of daily life in Pharaonic Egypt.
It is worth noting that pottery was widely used in ancient Egypt, whether for functional or decorative purposes, but finding a complete handprint in this condition is an exceptionally rare discovery.
