of Egypt, whereas Axum developed near the Red Sea in the
region of modern Ethiopia. In Nubia of Kerma’s era, people
favored Egyptian-style jars for storage of grains and perhaps
beer. For cooking and eating they used copper utensils that
were either imported from Egypt or copied from Egyptian
designs. Household objects included brushes, perhaps for
cleaning house, and cups and bowls.
More is known about Kush’s household items, partly
because of Kush’s long association with Egypt and also be-
cause Kush made more extensive use of metal, which is not
as perishable as most other substances used in manufactur-
ing household goods. Th e homes of wealthy Kushites had
bowls as thin as eggshells that were made of very strong, well-
fi red clay. Th ese bowls compare well with the best ceramics
of China and Korea of the same era. Glass bottles, jars, and
vases were common; the bottles apparently contained beer.
Goblets of glass, bronze, and iron were used for drinking
beer or wine. Th at beer was popular is shown by the numer-
ous pots made for fermenting beer found just about every-
where in Kush. Large jars were used to store wine. Even poor
households had beer pots and heavy ceramic cups for drink-
ing beer. Th e bowls and pots of poor households tended to be
heavy, even bulky.
Ceramic jars for containing healing ointments were
common, as were spoons for dishing out the ointments. Th ese
spoons were usually decorated with small fi gures following
the Egyptian fashion, especially swimming girls, though the
Kushite swimmers are plainly Kushites in color and features.
Mirrors of copper or bronze were used for grooming. Th ese
tended to be well decorated on one side and may have been
more common in homes of the well-to-do than in poorer
households.
Stone was oft en used for housewares even aft er Kush
became Africa’s most important manufacturer of iron in the
600s b.c.e. Th ere were grinding stones for turning grain into
fl our and simple implements of stone such as cleavers. Lamps
were made of copper in many homes, while bronze or silver
lamps were rarer. Razors of copper or iron were in homes, as
well as combs of metal or wood. Furniture varied according
the wealth of the household. In the houses of city dwellers and
the wealthy, furniture included chairs and stools. Beds were
sometimes made of masonry. Boxes and chests were used for
storage. In poorer households in farmlands, people might
have had no furniture or only baskets or boxes for storage.
Much has yet to be discovered about everyday household
goods in Axum. Axumites had chairs and chests, probably
made of wood. Th e region was a center for trade between Af-
rica and Asia, and it is reasonable to suppose the people had
many consumer goods from around the world. Th ey did have
jewelry, especially beads, from Egypt, Asia, and of their own
manufacture.EGYPT
BY CHRISTINE END
Th e ancient Egyptians built their homes with sun-dried mud
brick. Because of the highly degradable nature of this mate-
rial, domestic architecture is scantly preserved. Tombs, how-
ever, had to last an eternity, so the Egyptians furnished them
with an abundance of household goods for use in the aft erlife.
Th ey produced many of these objects especially for mortu-
ary use, while others give indications that they were well-used
favorite items of the deceased. Th e depiction of household
items of many types on tomb walls magically provided their
services for the deceased as well. It is from this evidence that
Egyptologists know most about the trappings of an ancient
Egyptian home.
Oil lamps provided light for the home. Such a lamp may
have been as si mple as a w ick i nser ted i n a sma l l, oi l-fi lled clay
bowl. Salt added to the oil would have kept the home from
becoming unpleasantly smoky. Other, more elaborate, lamps
decorated with patterns or the heads of household gods such
as Hathor and Bes also survive. Larger “fl oor lamps,” which
provided even more light, stood on top of tall stands.
Some mud-brick furniture incorporated into the struc-
ture of the house itself eliminated the need for expensive,
freestanding wooden furniture. A low dais, or platform, may
have functioned as a kitchen table for dining. Ingredients and
preser ved foods were stored in clay ja rs of ma ny sizes. A cel la r
near the cooking area normally served as a pantry for the larg-
est of these storage vessels. Th e preparation of food took place
inside another set of clay vessels. Meals were cooked outside,
perhaps in a courtyard, to keep cooking fi res from making
the house too hot. Open fi res or ovens made of clay were fu-
eled by wood, coal, or manure. Aside from the oven, a silo for
storing barley or emmer and a large stone surface for mak-
ing bread were all usual “appliances” of the ancient Egyptian
kitchen. Pottery plates, bowls, and cups served as tableware.
Eating food from these dishes using only the hands was the
norm, regardless of the social status of the diner. However, an
upper-class Egyptian banquet may have included a good set
of dishes and cups, possibly including fancier items made of
faience (a type of glasswork), stone, or metal.
In the earliest periods of ancient Egyptian history fur-
niture created hastily and unskillfully from local woods and
plant lashing was common. Over time, however, the Egyp-Stone chopping tools from Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, dating to the
Lower Paleolithic, almost two million years ago. (© Th e Trustees of the
British Museum)
562 household goods: Egypt