Overview

• Senior conservator Julie Dawson identified the handprint in July 2025 while preparing a Middle Kingdom soul house for display.
• The imprint was left on the underside of a clay model dated to 2055–1650 BCE, likely when a potter moved the wet structure before firing.
• Soul houses were small funerary models placed in tombs to hold sculpted food offerings and symbolically shelter the deceased’s soul.
• The artifact will anchor the ‘Made in Ancient Egypt’ exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum from October 3, 2025, through April 12, 2026.
• Researchers plan to examine other soul houses in the museum’s collection for similar maker’s marks and insights into ancient workshop practices.