Ancient Egyptian Clay Object Discovered Featuring 4,000-Year-Old Handprint
Photos: The Fitzwilliam Museum/University of Cambridge (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
A 4,000-year-old handprint has been found on an ancient Egyptian clay object, providing a concrete insight into the lives of individuals from a remote past. The imprint—showing clear impressions of the palm and fingers—was unveiled by scholars at Cambridge University’s Fitzwilliam Museum at the bottom of a clay “soul house,” a handcrafted model of a structure commonly placed in tombs to contain food gifts.
The soul house is believed to originate from approximately 2055–1650 BCE, and evaluators at the Fitzwilliam Museum suspect that the handprint may have been created when an ancient Egyptian potter handled it while still moist. The creator likely commenced by constructing a framework using wooden sticks, followed by layering clay to form a two-story edifice reinforced by pillars. The staircases were simply shaped by pinching the wet clay. Once fired, the wood incinerated, leaving empty spaces within.
Beginning in October 2025, The Fitzwilliam Museum will feature the Made in Ancient Egypt exhibition, where the remarkable soul house will take center stage. “I have never encountered such a complete handprint on an Egyptian artifact before,” remarks Helen Strudwick, the leading Egyptologist and exhibition curator. “One can easily envision the individual who crafted this, lifting it to relocate it from the workshop to dry before firing it.”
The ancient Egyptians are celebrated for their ornamental pottery, but clay items like this one reveal intriguing insights into their spirituality. Historians have discovered that providing food and beverages to the departed was an essential ritual, with soul houses utilized to display the edible offerings. This specific soul house displays sculpted forms at its base, symbolizing bread, a lettuce, and an ox’s head.
The handprint distinguishes this soul house from other ancient Egyptian relics today, yet it is plausible that the artisan who made it subsequently wished they hadn’t left their imprint. Discoveries like this one draw us closer to our history, aiding us in forming a narrative around the object.
Check out images of the soul house below and learn more about the discovery on the University of Cambridge website.
A 4,000-year-old handprint has been found on an ancient Egyptian clay object, providing a concrete insight into the lives of individuals from a remote past.
Clear impressions of the palm and fingers can be discerned on the base of this soul house, which were often placed in tombs to contain food gifts.
Can you notice where the maker’s fingers were? Historians think the ancient Egyptian potter must have relocated it while still wet.
It also presents sculpted clay forms at its base, symbolizing bread, a lettuce, and an ox’s head.
The soul house represents a two-story structure, complete with hand-sculpted pillars.
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Source: 4000-year-old ancient Egyptian handprint discovered
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