This annotation was created by Emilia Porubcin. The last update was by Christina J. Hodge.

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Our Dark Materials: Rediscovering an Egyptian Collection

DAILY LIFE

Student curators came to believe that imagining the past may be easier when we are not dazzled by the precious materials or rare significances that often dominate representations of ancient Egypt. Instead, we are invited to find common connections between past and present by objects of everyday life.

Some items and their roles are utterly familiar, like tweezers and locks. Some are strangely analogous, like stone arrowheads or devotional figurines. Some, such as miniature ceramic food offerings and gilded death masks, realize fundamental distinctions between ancient worlds and our own. In creating this exhibit, curators—sometimes literally—looked into a mirror of the past, to see vanity, aspiration, and, most of all, themselves reflected in their interpretations.

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While the rich and powerful were buried in tombs of stone, ancient Egyptians with smaller budgets buried their loved ones underneath a soul house like this one. These models represented shelter and offerings to sustain the deceased. A complete example is shown in a nearby picture. The fragments displayed here represent the deceased individual with a table and bowls of food, alongside cuts of meat. The rough fabric and cursory shaping of the clay highlight the common status of the recipient. This item was destroyed in the earthquake of 1906, but its surviving fragments are whole enough for interpretation. While the craftsman paid little attention to detail, this soul house was sturdy enough to fulfill its purposes: to survive the tests of time and provide continual offerings to the buried in the afterlife.
This object is remarkable not for its trivial purpose or simple construction but for the careful efforts put into its conservation. The hole on its upper body marks a loss. It was originally a “spouted vessel” used to hold and pour liquid. When whole, it resembled the complete Pre-dynastic vessel (ca. 3500 BCE) shown in the accompanying image. Despite missing parts, inexpert mends, scratches, and damage, considerable effort was put into this vessel’s restoration in the early twentieth century when conservation practices weren’t as advanced as they are now. This determination highlights the importance of the vessel to the collector. We find value in the effort that went into making this common, simple vessel whole again.
This figurine is the Egyptian crocodile god Suchus (a.k.a. Sobek) missing his snout. The picture of a complete version from the same site is shown nearby. As it is an object meant for worship, it may seem odd that the object is so roughly constructed. For instance, when looking at the top of the object, one can clearly see the join between the figurine’s two molded sides. This careless construction elucidates that this object was intended for commoners. Such figurines were mass-produced for worshipers of Suchus to put on their altars at home.
Pharaonic Egyptians were quite self-aware and conscious of their appearance, making mirrors a commonplace item among the elite in both life and death. Mirror handles varied in material and decoration. Men favored fewer embellishments than women. A close look at this mirror reveals a crosshatch pattern indented in its surface, evidence of its fabrication through hammering. Although no longer reflective, its common form creates a seamless connection between ancient Egyptian culture and contemporary society.
Used in tandem with a mirror, this decorative hairpin offers yet another material connection between ancient personal practices and those of contemporary society. A luxury item, hairpins were used by wealthy Roman Egyptian women to maintain their elaborate hairstyles. Although many hairpins were straight, some, like this one, were crescent-shaped. Of a type known as an orbis, this piece was meant to be seen, simultaneously showing an Egyptian aesthetic and acting as a status symbol.
Tweezers were commonplace in ancient Egypt and often used in conjunction with mirrors. Early tweezers like these were used by individuals to pluck hairs—much like in our own society. Egyptologists also believe that certain tweezers were used as tongs to hold pots over ovens. The difference in function came down to size; larger tweezers were necessary for cooking, while smaller tweezers, such as these, were meant for one’s body.
A seemingly simple combination of a rod and chain links tells a story of appearance in ancient Egypt. Jewelry was an important component of everyday life of all classes in ancient and later Egypt. Gold and copper were typically reserved for the wealthy; however, the technology of bronze provided luxury at a fraction of the cost. We believe this bronze rod and chain was most likely a jewelry component, perhaps securing a necklace or wrist bangle, worn by a working member of later Egyptian society.
Perhaps taking inspiration from Mesopotamian technology, ancient Egyptians crafted this decorated item to keep valuables secure in life and death. It entered the collection with fragments of jewelry, so we assume this lock once kept jewelry protected from thieves or tomb robbers. Adornments were so commonplace in ancient Egypt, jewelry was a “luxury” that became almost a necessity. Thus, many people needed a place to keep it safe. This piece draws further parallels between contemporary and ancient experiences. Just as we have special places to put valuables, so too did ancient Egyptians.
A spindle is used to spin and twist fibers into thread. In ancient Egypt, this thread was more than likely linen, a light cloth for the hot desert. Flax fibers were extracted from harvested flax seeds. These fibers were then spun, woven, and finally sewed by women at home. Egyptian writings describe spindles as early as circa 2000 BCE; however, spindles of that era were mostly crafted in wood, suggesting this is a later example. Despite being hundreds or even thousands years old, this spindle rivals spindles still being used today.
This jar’s wavy ornamentation evokes the undulating flow of water. Early ceramicists decorated similar vessels with figural representations of animals, people, and ships to highlight the importance of the Nile River to Neolithic Egyptians. Pressing damp clay between his/her hand and a large, flat wooden paddle, the potter shaped a thin-walled vessel for the easy carrying and storing of grains, cereals, and other starches, residues of which are preserved inside.
While the rich and powerful were buried in tombs of stone, ancient Egyptians with smaller budgets buried their loved ones underneath a soul house like this one. These models represented shelter and offerings to sustain the deceased. A complete example is shown in a nearby picture. The fragments displayed here represent the deceased individual with a table and bowls of food, alongside cuts of meat. The rough fabric and cursory shaping of the clay highlight the common status of the recipient. This item was destroyed in the earthquake of 1906, but its surviving fragments are whole enough for interpretation. While the craftsman paid little attention to detail, this soul house was sturdy enough to fulfill its purposes: to survive the tests of time and provide continual offerings to the buried in the afterlife.
While the rich and powerful were buried in tombs of stone, ancient Egyptians with smaller budgets buried their loved ones underneath a soul house like this one. These models represented shelter and offerings to sustain the deceased. A complete example is shown in a nearby picture. The fragments displayed here represent the deceased individual with a table and bowls of food, alongside cuts of meat. The rough fabric and cursory shaping of the clay highlight the common status of the recipient. This item was destroyed in the earthquake of 1906, but its surviving fragments are whole enough for interpretation. While the craftsman paid little attention to detail, this soul house was sturdy enough to fulfill its purposes: to survive the tests of time and provide continual offerings to the buried in the afterlife.

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