Stone vessels in ancient Egypt
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Ancient Egyptian stone vessel production was one of the most prolific and long-lived industries in the Mediterranean. Such vessels were an important status indicator, and commonly used to hold liquids or cosmetics, for ritual and display purposes, and as canopic jars. The earliest stone vessels in Egypt date as far back as the Late Neolithic (c. 5100 – c. 4700 BC). From the Predynastic Period (c. 4000 – c. 3100 BC) onward, hundreds of thousands were created in a wide variety of shapes and materials, many from hard stones but the majority from soft calcareous rocks, especially travertine. Hard stone vessels were luxury items that only the elite had access to. As such, they were frequently imitated with less expensive materials. Production peaked around the early Dynastic period (c. 3100 – c. 2686 BC), perhaps due to the adoption of a turning device like the potter's wheel. At the start of the Old Kingdom focus shifted away from stone vessels towards other stone-based displays such as pyramids, statues and sarcophagi. They were also increasingly replaced by equivalents of different materials like glass, faience and precious metals. Both hard and soft stone vessels continued to be produced until the end of antiquity and beyond, although in diminished quantity and variety. The production process of stone vessels began in a quarry, where vessel blanks (rough versions) were hewn from the bedrock. These were subsequently transported to workshops where they were hollowed out with drills. Sometimes rotary devices were used to shape them, perhaps potter's wheels or horizontal lathes. Lastly, their exterior was smoothed and decorated.