Cambridge Exhibition Unveils 4,000-Year-Old Handprint of an Egyptian Potter
Perhaps they weren’t a pharaoh, but one ancient Egyptian potter really left their mark.
The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge discovered an ancient handprint–4,000 years old, to be exact.
While preparing for the Made in Ancient Egypt exhibition, curators uncovered a complete handprint pressed into the underside of a clay “soul house,” a model structure buried with the dead to serve as a resting place for the soul and a surface for offerings. The rare imprint likely originated from the potter who created the piece, a fleeting moment preserved in clay, dating back to somewhere between 2055 and 1650 BC.
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“We’ve seen smudges or traces of fingers before, but never a whole handprint like this,” said Helen Strudwick, senior Egyptologist at the museum. “It’s a rare and exciting find.”
The soul house, which includes depictions of bread, lettuce, and even an ox head, was built around a wooden frame coated in clay. When fired, the wood burned away, leaving open spaces. The handprint, experts believe, may have been made when the potter moved the drying piece from the workshop, leaving behind an unintentional signature.
While pharaohs and golden coffins often steal the spotlight, this exhibition seeks to highlight the often-anonymous artisans who made everyday magic possible.
Little is known about ancient Egyptian potters—often considered of low status—yet their creations have endured for millennia. Now, thanks to a hand pressed into clay thousands of years ago, one humble craftsman’s print makes it into print.
