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Tagged with 'Middle Kingdom'

Egyptian sacrificial plate

The ancient Egyptians placed food at tomb entrances to nurture the deceased with bread, milk, wine and beer etc. The provisions perished fast and today’s archaeologists can at best detect some traces in a laboratory. But the sacrificial plate shown here survived and is a testimony to Egyptian death rituals. It was made during the Middle Kingdom, at the beginning of the 2nd Millennium BC. Drinks were poured on the tray and the liquid drained off via the grooves. Solid food was decomposed by bacteria and fungi. However, the ancient Egyptians sure deduced other theories from the invisible consumption of the food. This sacrificial plate is an exciting reminder of a distant belief.