Carrying Inundation Blessings: A Discussion of Pilgrim Flask Amulets in Ancient Egypt

Abstract

Pilgrim flasks were a ceramic form that first appeared in Egypt in the Eighteenth Dynasty. A small quantity of faience amulets in the shape of pilgrim flasks are known in several museum collections, but have not been studied in detail. The amulets are standardized in material and shape and, based on the limited contextual information, likely reflect a specific aspect of local belief, especially since their worn surface and bail for stringing suggests they were worn and touched regularly. It is suggested that these amulets are chronologically restricted and date between the Third Intermediate Period and Late Period, and are related to the contemporary appearance of New Year’s Flasks – a type of pilgrim flask predominantly made in faience and thought to be for celebration of the Nile inundation. By presenting a macro-focus on a little-known amulet type, it is hoped this study will expand our understanding of religious ideology, symbolic meaning, and the changing socio-cultural context in the Third Intermediate Period.