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Egyptian Artifacts

White Cross-Lined Ware Pottery with Crocodiles

Today π“‡π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‡³, we are going to travel all the way back to predynastic Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š– (c. 3650-3500 B.C.E.)! More specifically, this piece is dated to the Naqada II Period (also known as the Gerzean Period), which is a period of accelerated development in art and culture. This time period is when more elaborate pottery began to appear and people started to get buried in larger and more elaborate tombs π“‡‹π“«π“Šƒπ“‰π“ͺ! This was all before the first 𓏃 writing π“Ÿπ“›π“₯ even appeared, which was during Naqada III (3200-3000 B.C.E.).

This piece of pottery π“ π“ˆ–π“‡‹π“‹ is commonly referred to as β€œwhite cross-lined ware” by archaeologists. Flinders Petrie, the first Egyptologist to try and date predynastic pottery, described white cross-lined ware pottery π“ π“ˆ–π“‡‹π“‹ as being a reddish-brown or dark red π“‚§π“ˆ™π“‚‹π“…Ÿ color that was decorated with white π“Œ‰π“†“π“‡³ images 𓅱𓏏𓅱π“ͺ or geometric drawings. White cross-lined ware pottery π“ π“ˆ–π“‡‹π“‹ is usually only found in Upper Egypt 𓇓, near Abydos π“‹π“ƒ€π“ˆ‹π“Š– and Naqada.

I absolutely love this piece of pottery π“ π“ˆ–π“‡‹π“‹ because beautifully π“„€ drawn crocodiles π“…“π“‹΄π“Ž›π“†Œπ“¦ that are on it!  Much like the hippopotamus π“Œ‰π“π“ƒ―, the crocodile π“…“π“‹΄π“Ž›π“†Œ is one of the animals that appears frequently in early Egyptian imagery 𓏏𓅱𓏏 probably because the people of the Nile π“‡‹π“π“‚‹π“…±π“ˆ—π“ˆ˜π“ˆ‡π“Ί needed to always be on their guard in regards to crocodiles π“…“π“‹΄π“Ž›π“†Œπ“¦ since they could come out of the water π“ˆ— and on to the banks of the Nile π“‡‹π“π“‚‹π“…±π“ˆ—π“ˆ˜π“ˆ‡π“Ί!

Even as ancient Egyptian culture evolved, Egyptians π“†Žπ“π“€€π“π“ͺ both feared and revered π“‡‹π“Œ΄π“„ͺ crocodiles π“…“π“‹΄π“Ž›π“†Œπ“¦ due to their strength 𓄇𓏏𓂝𓏭 and power. While crocodiles π“…“π“‹΄π“Ž›π“†Œπ“¦ were the feared animals along the Nile π“‡‹π“π“‚‹π“…±π“ˆ—π“ˆ˜π“ˆ‡π“Ί, images 𓅱𓏏𓅱π“ͺ of them could offer protection π“…“π“‚π“Ž‘π“€œ, such as in the form of amulets π“Šπ“Šͺπ“…†π“ͺ which evolved much later.

Sobek π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘π“†‹, the god π“ŠΉ  was both feared and revered due to him being a crocodile π“…“π“‹΄π“Ž›π“†Œ! He was worshipped 𓇼𓄿𓀒 in order to ensure the fertility of both people and crops, but also to protect against crocodile π“…“π“‹΄π“Ž›π“†Œ attacks. Sobek π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘π“†‹ was one of the gods π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ that was named in the Pyramid Texts, which makes him one of the oldest deities π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ in the Egyptian pantheon, however, this piece of pottery π“ π“ˆ–π“‡‹π“‹ is still older than Sobek π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘π“†‹!