The schist bowls, or discs, from the tombs of the first dynasty remain a mystery as to what they actually are, their purpose and how they were made. Generally everyone seems confounded. One idea I came across that caught my attention was that it forms part of a ritualistic tri-flamed oil lamp that would be suspended upon a pole. A wick system comprising six bundles of rushes, bound together, would have been held in place by the lobes and thus kept immersed in the oil. If the ends of the four bundles were separated sufficiently, then twelve separate flames may have resulted instead of three. It’s an interesting idea. To see more detail and the source of this information – click here.
Photo credit: (unknown, other than ‘Cairo Museum’)