562 household goods: Egypt Stone chopping tools from Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, dating to the Lower Paleolithic, almost two million years ago (© The Trustees of the 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 The region was a center for trade between Africa and Asia, and it is reasonable to suppose the people had many consumer goods from around the world They did have jewelry, especially beads, from Egypt, Asia, and of their own manufacture British Museum) EGYPT BY 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 because Kush made more extensive use of metal, which is not as perishable as most other substances used in manufacturing household goods The homes of wealthy Kushites had bowls as thin as eggshells that were made of very strong, wellfired clay These 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 That beer was popular is shown by the numerous pots made for fermenting beer found just about everywhere in Kush Large jars were used to store wine Even poor households had beer pots and heavy ceramic cups for drinking beer The 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 These spoons were usually decorated with small figures 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 These 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 often used for housewares even after Kush became Africa’s most important manufacturer of iron in the 600s b.c.e There were grinding stones for turning grain into flour 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 CHRISTINE END The ancient Egyptians built their homes with sun-dried mud brick Because of the highly degradable nature of this material, domestic architecture is scantly preserved Tombs, however, had to last an eternity, so the Egyptians furnished them with an abundance of household goods for use in the afterlife They produced many of these objects especially for mortuary use, while others give indications that they were well-used favorite items of the deceased The 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 simple as a wick inserted in a small, oil-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 “floor lamps,” which provided even more light, stood on top of tall stands Some mud-brick furniture incorporated into the structure 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 preserved foods were stored in clay jars of many sizes A cellar near the cooking area normally served as a pantry for the largest of these storage vessels The preparation of food took place inside another set of clay vessels Meals were cooked outside, perhaps in a courtyard, to keep cooking fires from making the house too hot Open fires or ovens made of clay were fueled by wood, coal, or manure Aside from the oven, a silo for storing barley or emmer and a large stone surface for making 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 furniture created hastily and unskillfully from local woods and plant lashing was common Over time, however, the Egyp-