Archaeologists Found a 4,000-Year-Old Handprint That Was Never Meant to Be Seen

The hand print was likely left by an Egyptian potter on an ancient structure used in burial practices.

Roughly 4,000 years ago, an ancient Egyptian potter left a full handprint on the bottom of a clay “soul house” used in a burial. At the time, the mark would likely have gone unnoticed, as potters did not hold high status in society. Today, however, this rare handprint is set to be part of a new fall display at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.

Helen Strudwick, curator of the Made in Ancient Egypt exhibit and senior Egyptologist at the museum, explained that while fingerprints are sometimes seen on coffins or in wet varnish, finding a complete handprint beneath a soul house is exceptional. The mark was left by the maker before the clay dried, capturing a direct, personal connection to the object.

The soul house itself is a small structure shaped like a building with an open courtyard, designed to hold food offerings in tombs. These miniature installations served as symbolic offering sites and resting places, reflecting ancient Egyptian burial practices and beliefs in the afterlife.