• About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Donation
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Archaeology News
  • Home
  • News
    • Archaeology
    • Anthropology
    • Paleontology
  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • VR Tours
  • Quiz & Game
  • Download
  • Encyclopedia
  • Forum
Archaeology News
No Result
View All Result
Home News Archaeology

4,500-year-old fingerprints reveal child labor in ancient pottery craftwork at Hama, Syria

by Dario Radley
October 15, 2024

Recent research into 4,500-year-old pottery from the ancient Syrian town of Tel Hama has uncovered remarkable evidence of child labor in the Early Bronze Age. Led by Dr. Akiva Sanders from Tel Aviv University, in collaboration with researchers from the National Museum in Copenhagen, the study analyzed 450 pottery vessels made during the peak of the Ebla Kingdom, one of the most significant early city-states of the Levant. The research, published in the journal Childhood in the Past, reveals that approximately two-thirds of these vessels were crafted by children as young as seven.

4,500-year-old fingerprints reveal child labor in ancient pottery craftwork at Hama, Syria
A child’s fingerprint was preserved on this clay vessel from Tel Hama. Credit: Akiva Sanders / Tel Aviv University

Fingerprint analysis on the pottery offered a key insight into the role children played in the industrial production of pottery in Tel Hama, which was located on the southern edge of the Ebla Kingdom. Fingerprints, which remain unchanged throughout a person’s life, allowed the researchers to estimate the age and sex of the potters based on palm size and the density of the fingerprint ridges. Their findings showed that the majority of these vessels, primarily everyday items such as cups, were made by children, while older men were responsible for the remaining third.

Dr. Sanders explained, “At its peak, roughly from 2400 to 2000 BCE, the cities associated with the Kingdom of Ebla began to rely on child labor for the production of ceramics. The children, starting at age seven, were trained to create cups as uniformly as possible, which were used both in everyday life and at royal banquets. The demand for these cups was high, especially during the alcohol-fueled feasts held at these banquets, where cups were frequently broken and needed to be quickly replaced.”

This use of child labor in the pottery industry mirrored trends seen in later periods, such as the Industrial Revolution in Europe and America, where children were similarly taught repetitive, precise movements to standardize production. The analysis showed that the production of pottery was highly gender-balanced, with boys and girls equally involved in the work, particularly during the kingdom’s peak.

4,500-year-old fingerprints reveal child labor in ancient pottery craftwork at Hama, Syria
Goblets (top) and miniature vessels (bottom) from Hama Period J. Sanders, A., Childhood in the Past (2024) / National Museum of Denmark

However, the study also reveals a more personal and creative side of childhood in this ancient society. Beyond their assigned tasks, children created small figurines and miniature vessels—creations that appeared to be entirely independent of adult involvement. “These children taught each other to make tiny figurines and vessels, likely as an outlet for their creativity and imagination,” said Dr. Sanders. “It seems that, despite the pressures of their labor, these young potters found ways to express themselves artistically.”

RelatedStories

4,500-year-old dog tooth–adorned bags unearthed in Germany reveal burial practices of Neolithic elites

4,500-year-old dog tooth–adorned bags unearthed in Germany reveal burial practices of Neolithic elites

July 14, 2025
Donkey sacrifice from 4,500 years ago in ancient Gath reveals early Canaan–Egypt trade

Donkey sacrifice from 4,500 years ago in ancient Gath reveals early Canaan–Egypt trade

July 10, 2025

The pottery from Tel Hama, excavated in the 1930s and stored in Denmark’s National Museum since then, provided a wealth of information not only about the technical skills of these young potters but also about the broader social dynamics of the time. As cities like those in the Ebla Kingdom began to grow and urbanize, there was an increasing centralization of production, with pottery workshops reflecting this shift.

In Tel Hama, older children, typically around the ages of 12 and 13, initially dominated the ceramic industry. However, as demand for more uniform pottery grew, particularly for royal banquets, the kingdom began to train younger children to meet the increased need for cups. This reliance on child labor, while common in many ancient and more recent societies, complicates our understanding of childhood in the past.

More information: Sanders, A. (2024). Child and Clay: Fingerprints of a Dual Engagement at Hama, Syria. Childhood in the Past, 17(2), 139–148. doi:10.1080/17585716.2024.2380137
Share2Tweet1ShareShareSend

You May Also Like...

Antikythera shipwreck reveals ancient shipbuilding secrets in 2025 excavation
Archaeology

Antikythera shipwreck reveals ancient shipbuilding secrets in 2025 excavation

July 15, 2025
Rural rituals and astral burials shaped ancient Egyptian religion and the myths of Isis and Osiris
Anthropology

Rural rituals and astral burials shaped ancient Egyptian religion and the myths of Isis and Osiris

July 15, 2025
4,500-year-old dog tooth–adorned bags unearthed in Germany reveal burial practices of Neolithic elites
Anthropology

4,500-year-old dog tooth–adorned bags unearthed in Germany reveal burial practices of Neolithic elites

July 14, 2025
Mad emperor Caligula had surprising medical knowledge, new research reveals from ancient Roman texts
Archaeology

Mad emperor Caligula had surprising medical knowledge, new research reveals from ancient Roman texts

July 13, 2025
1,600-year-old tomb of Caracol’s founding king Te K’ab Chaak unearthed in Belize jungle
Anthropology

1,600-year-old tomb of Caracol’s founding king Te K’ab Chaak unearthed in Belize jungle

July 12, 2025
11,000-year-old feast in Iran’s Zagros Mountains reveals long-distance animal transport and early Neolithic social rituals
Archaeology

11,000-year-old feast in Iran’s Zagros Mountains reveals long-distance animal transport and early Neolithic social rituals

July 12, 2025

Follow us


Instagram
246K

Facebook
111K

Threads
43K

LinkedIn
12K

Twitter
6K

YouTube
1K
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Shipwreck Salvage. Credit: rawpixel.com / Public Domain

2,000-year-old shipwreck discovered off Turkish coast with remarkably preserved stacked ceramics

July 2, 2025
Viking age DNA reveals 9,000-year-old HIV-resistant gene originating near the Black Sea

Viking age DNA reveals 9,000-year-old HIV-resistant gene originating near the Black Sea

May 18, 2025
Mad emperor Caligula had surprising medical knowledge, new research reveals from ancient Roman texts

Mad emperor Caligula had surprising medical knowledge, new research reveals from ancient Roman texts

July 13, 2025
Neanderthals operated prehistoric “fat factory” 125,000 years ago on German lakeshore, study finds

Neanderthals operated prehistoric “fat factory” 125,000 years ago on German lakeshore

July 3, 2025
Exceptionally large Roman shoes discovered at Magna fort near Hadrian’s Wall

Exceptionally large Roman shoes discovered at Magna fort near Hadrian’s Wall

July 3, 2025
$1 million prize offered to decipher 5,300-year-old Indus Valley script

$1 million prize offered to decipher 5,300-year-old Indus Valley script

Oldest ever genetic data from a human relative found in 2-million-year-old fossilized teeth

Oldest ever genetic data from a human relative found in 2-million-year-old fossilized teeth

A 21-year-old student successfully deciphered the first word from the Herculaneum scrolls, charred during Mount Vesuvius' eruption

A 21-year-old student successfully deciphered the first word from the Herculaneum scrolls, charred during Mount Vesuvius’ eruption

Exceptionally large Roman shoes discovered at Magna fort near Hadrian’s Wall

Exceptionally large Roman shoes discovered at Magna fort near Hadrian’s Wall

New evidence reveals the source of mercury in the mausoleum of the first Qin emperor

New evidence reveals the source of mercury in the mausoleum of the first Qin emperor

Antikythera shipwreck reveals ancient shipbuilding secrets in 2025 excavation

Antikythera shipwreck reveals ancient shipbuilding secrets in 2025 excavation

July 15, 2025
Rural rituals and astral burials shaped ancient Egyptian religion and the myths of Isis and Osiris

Rural rituals and astral burials shaped ancient Egyptian religion and the myths of Isis and Osiris

July 15, 2025
4,500-year-old dog tooth–adorned bags unearthed in Germany reveal burial practices of Neolithic elites

4,500-year-old dog tooth–adorned bags unearthed in Germany reveal burial practices of Neolithic elites

July 14, 2025
Castillian ambassadors attempting to convince Almohad king Abu Hafs Umar al-Murtada to join their alliance. Contemporary depiction from The Cantigas de Santa Maria. Public Domain

Zīrid Ifrīqiya and the Islamic world in the 10th–12th centuries: an international conference at UCL

July 14, 2025
Mad emperor Caligula had surprising medical knowledge, new research reveals from ancient Roman texts

Mad emperor Caligula had surprising medical knowledge, new research reveals from ancient Roman texts

July 13, 2025

Archaeology News online magazine

Archaeology News is an international online magazine that covers all aspects of archaeology.











Categories

  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • Download
  • Game
  • News
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Paleontology
  • Quiz
  • Tours

Subscribe to our newsletter

© 2024 - Archaeology News Online Magazine. All Rights Reserved.

  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Donation
  • Contact

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

  • Home
  • News
    • Archaeology
    • Anthropology
    • Paleontology
  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • VR Tours
  • Quiz & Game
  • Download
  • Encyclopedia
  • Forum

About  .  Contact  .  Donation

© 2024 - Archaeology News Online Magazine. All Rights Reserved

We use cookies to improve your experience and enable functionality and security of this site. Further detail is available in our Privacy Policy. By accepting all cookies, you consent to our use of cookies and use of data.