The Shipibo-Conibo people live along the Ucayali River, a tributary of the Upper Amazon in Peru. They are famous for their polychrome earthenware pottery, like this piece, which they have been producing for more than 1200 years. Shipibo women produce the largest and thinnest coil-built […]
Smoking tobacco for religious and social reasons became widespread in North Carolina around 3000 years ago, at the beginning of what archaeologists call the Woodland Period. Though archaeologists rarely find the ancient plant itself, they do often turn up the stone pipes used for smoking. […]
This amulet dates to the Late Dynastic Period of ancient Egypt, between 664 and 332 BCE. It served as a personal devotional charm of Taweret, a goddess of childbirth and protector of women and children. Taweret was responsible for protecting women during pregnancy and childbirth […]
Tea is the most consumed beverage in the world after water. Its origins can be traced back to ancient China. According to popular legend, it was first discovered by the mythical Chinese emperor Shennong who is thought to have lived around 2500 BCE. Shennong used […]
This colorful camel cover from the late 19th or early 20th century comes from the Uzbek people. The Uzbek are a Turkic ethnic group who make up the majority of the population of Uzbekistan, but also live in surrounding Central Asian countries. They are traditionally […]
This beer pot was made by a Zulu potter from South Africa. For the Zulu, pottery is a woman’s artform passed down from mother to daughter. Archaeological evidence shows that the ancestors of the Zulu are started making pottery around 1000 years ago. Ceramic vessels […]
