| Ancient Egypt is a place of wild beauty and great | | | | Pottery in ancient Egypt was almost always made |
| fascination to many people today. Once, a hotbed | | | | for use rather than made for decoration. Even |
| of intrigue, commerce, and industry there is much | | | | the smaller pieces were meant to hold perfumes |
| about Egypt that remains dark and mysterious | | | | with the larger pieces of pottery holding grains, |
| even in the modern world in which we currently | | | | water, wine, and even meat for later use or |
| live. One thing is certain however, the ancient | | | | consumption. The pottery of ancient Egypt could |
| Egyptians were artisans in their own right and one | | | | also be found in many sizes to accommodate the |
| type of art in which they excelled was pottery. | | | | different needs the pottery filled. It was common |
| The pottery of ancient Egypt is often imitated | | | | to find various pieces ranging in sizes from inches |
| today for many reasons. | | | | tall to three or four feet in height. Pottery was as |
| Scholars have come to some sort of consensus | | | | common to the Egyptians of old as appliances are |
| of belief that the ancient Egyptians may have | | | | today and it did serve to make life go much |
| been the first to use enamel in pottery-a practice | | | | more smoothly for the people who used it. |
| that adds great beauty and value to the pottery | | | | In ancient Egypt pottery was also used for some |
| pieces, making them a true work of art. The | | | | of the most sacred rites of burial. Pottery pieces |
| amazing thing is that this is something that was | | | | were used to hold certain organs after they were |
| introduced, we believe, nearly four thousand | | | | removed from the body during the embalming |
| years ago and is still valued in today's modern | | | | process to prepare the body for burial. Each of |
| society. | | | | the following: heart and lungs, liver, small intestines, |
| To illustrate just how important pottery was to | | | | and the stomach were placed in four separate |
| the ancient Egyptians there are actually pieces of | | | | containers made of pottery and buried along with |
| pottery that are included in the ancient | | | | the body. It should be noted that the Egyptians |
| hieroglyphics that depicted acts of day to day | | | | are not the only civilization to use pottery in |
| living in this ancient civilization. Pottery was included | | | | relation to the dead. The ancient Greeks also |
| in more than a few of these glimpses into history | | | | stored the ashes of their dead in ceramic |
| establishing its importance and the commonality of | | | | containers. |
| its use. | | | | |