This is a dark grey jug. Found above grave 3506 at Saqqara. The ancient Egyptians used opium, a drug derived from the poppy Papaver somniferum, as a sedative and as…

This is a spouted beer pot. It is from grave 722 at Qau el-Kebir (Antaeopolis). This spouted jar would have made the beer easy to pour. A lid would have…

This is a round pot with wavy line decoration. It is from grave B230 at el-Amra. This squat shape is one type of decorated pottery found in graves. The painted…

This is a large pot. It is from the a cemetery at el-Amra. This large jar was probably meant to hold beer, or possibly food such as grain or preserved…

This is a jar. It is from grave a47 at el-Amra Many of the graves from this site contained large black-topped jars such as this one. Wide-necked pots were probably…

This is a dish. Found above grave 3507 at Saqqara. Fine bowls such as this one were needed to serve the food and eat from. The quality of the pottery…

This is a bowl. It is from Egypt but the exact location is unknown. As well as the jars and pots holding food, the dead needed dishes to eat from.…

This is a shabti jar. There is a vertical band of yellow paint down one side for decoration. It is from grave D35 at Abydos. Shabtis were often housed in…

These are shabtis. They are from Abydos. Shabtis developed from the model figures placed in tombs in the Middle Kingdom (about 2055-1650 BCE). At first, the dead were provided with…

This is a shabti. It is from Egypt but the exact location is unknown. A shabti or 'answerer'. The inscription on a shabti usually has part of the prayer to…