Egyptian Bes Cup

Artifacts March/April 2025

Courtesy of the Tampa Museum of Art, Florida, Photo by Philip LaDeau
SHARE:

What is it?

Bes cup

Material

Ceramic

Culture

Egyptian

Date

Second century b.c.

Dimensions

1.5 inches tall

Found

Fayum Oasis, Egypt

It is tempting to think that the ancient Egyptians only considered the gods when their thoughts turned toward death. Many of the most spectacular objects they created, the hieroglyph-covered walls they painted, and the ways in which they preserved the bodies of the deceased were intended to ensure that the gods would grant the dead an easy passage to the afterlife and that they would have all they needed there. But the popular dwarf god Bes was a different type of deity. Among his many functions, he was a protector of homes, mothers, children, childbirth, life, and joy. From the New Kingdom (ca. 1550–1070 b.c.) through the Ptolemaic and Roman periods—a span of more than 2,000 years—ceramic vessels in the shape of Bes’ head circulated throughout Egypt. Now, for the first time, archaeologists have pinpointed what was inside at least one of these pots, and it proves to have been an intoxicating brew. “When we analyzed the mug’s contents, we were able to identify all the chemical signatures of the diverse components of a liquid concoction that was used for an otherwise unknown ritual practice,” says archaeological scientist Davide Tanasi of the University of South Florida. 

Tanasi detected a number of plants with psychotropic and medicinal properties, including wild Syrian rue, blue water lily, and African spider plant. He also discovered that the mug contained bodily fluids such as breast milk, as well as a mixture of beer, wine, honey, sesame seeds, pine nuts, and licorice. “I thought there was just going to be residue of beer or milk, so I was very surprised by the complexity of the vessel’s contents,” Tanasi says. “But if you can imagine a civilization that is capable of doing this kind of magical religious stuff, it’s the ancient Egyptians.”

  • Features March/April 2025

    The Shell Seekers

    How hunter-gatherers in northern Florida facing an uncertain future revived a powerful symbol of their past

    Read Article
    © Majka Media
  • Features March/April 2025

    Unearthing an Elusive Empire

    Archaeologists have discovered rare evidence of an enlightened medieval dynasty that ruled much of Central Asia

    Read Article
    Photo by Kubatbek Tabaldiev and Kunbolot Akmatov
  • Features March/April 2025

    The Secrets of Porvenir

    Remembering the victims of a 1918 massacre that shook a Texas border community

    Read Article
    Courtesy David Keller
  • Features March/April 2025

    Ahead of Their Time

    Excavations reveal the surprising sophistication of Copper Age villagers in southwestern Iran 6,000 years ago

    Read Article
    Zohreh Prehistoric Project Archive