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Tour guide in Cairo kept calling every pot a 'ritual vessel' and I snapped
Went on a group tour of the Saqqara dig site last spring, and our guide pointed at three different clay pots, each clearly used for storage or cooking, and labeled every single one a 'ritual vessel.' I finally asked him how he could tell, and he laughed and admitted it's just what they say to tourists because it sounds more mysterious. Then he showed me the actual wear marks on the rims where lids sat, plus the soot on the bottoms. It made me wonder how many museum labels we all trust are basically made-up flavor text. Has anyone else caught a guide or exhibit just guessing at an artifact's purpose?
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eric_johnson4d ago
Well, that explains why my Tupperware drawer looks so sacred. Guess I've been storing leftovers in a ritual vessel this whole time.
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umasullivan4d ago
Ritual vessel" is the perfect way to describe it. I once lost my favorite spatula for a week and found it in the weird little drawer under the oven, next to a cookie sheet I swear I never owned. My kitchen is basically a garage sale of forgotten tools at this point, but hey, at least we're organized chaos.
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