ABSTRACT
Egyptian workshops had been manufacturing stone vessels since the predynastic period: for everyday use, for ritual purposes such as foundation deposits and temple votives, and as essential equipment accompanying the deceased on their journey to the afterlife (for corpora of Egyptian stone vessels, see Aston 1994; Kaplony 1968; el-Khouli 1978; Lilyquist 1995; Petrie 1937). A wide variety of different stone types was available either in Egypt itself or in its desert periphery, while growing involvement in long-distance trade networks increased the range of materials available for exploitation (Aston et al. 2000; Harrell 1989; Klemm and Klemm 1993). Despite great variability in stone use in the early periods of production, especially in the first and second Dynasties, Egyptian calcite came to dominate stone vessel assemblages from the Old Kingdom onwards (Aston 1994: fig. 21). This was probably due to a combination of ready availability, ease of manufacture and a visual appeal that satisfied consumer demands (Sparks 1998: 308, fig. 44). The more exotic stones tended to be reserved for social elites such as the royal family and high ranking officials.
