The objects that survive from Ancient Egypt are often beautiful things, to enjoy looking at. Or practical items that remind us that they were people too, just like us. But there are also less palatable remnants – like this mace from Predynastic or Early Dynastic times.

This roughly 6000 year old carefully smoothed and shaped piece of stone with a hole for the handle painstakingly (and slowly) drilled through it was not intended to inspire or delight, it was intended to be used to hit someone else with until they stopped fighting back.

It’s also a symbol of power – from the Narmer palette through to every temple pylon facade there’s the image of Pharaoh holding an enemy by the hair and raising his mace up to execute his victim. Not all of Egyptian history is gold and beauty, some of it is power and fear.

It’s in the Garstang Museum, either E.611 or E.614. I saw it at the Before Egypt exhibition they put on in 2019.

See it on my photo site: https://photos.talesfromthetwolands.org/picture.php?/401/

Jigsaw puzzles:
easier: https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=0bad9e035424
harder: https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=1c02c05d3be5