Representational file photo showing an Egyptian archaeologist looks at the sarcophagus of King Tutankhamun in his burial chamber in the Valley of the Kings, close to Luxor.
London: British researchers have discovered a rare handprint on a 4,000-year-old Egyptian artefact, a Cambridge museum said on Monday.
The ancient handprint was found by museum conservators on the base of an Egyptian soul house -- a clay offering tray in the shape of a building which may have been used in tombs for laying out food offerings or as a dwelling for souls.
The unique discovery was made after the piece, crafted between 2055-1650 BC, was examined by conservation staff in preparation for a new exhibition.
"I have never seen such a complete handprint on an Egyptian object before," said Helen Strudwick, senior curator and egyptologist at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.
The handprint was left by the maker of the soul house, when they picked it up before drying and firing the clay.
"When you see something like this, you feel very close to the person who left their mark on an object," Strudwick said, describing the finding to AFP as an "exciting moment".
"You can see all the fingers, and also where the heel of the hand rested," she said.
The rare artifact will be on display at the museum's Made in Ancient Egypt exhibition which opens on October 3.
The exhibition will focus on the makers of Egyptian artifacts such as jewellery, ceramics and sculptures.
