Researchers at the National Museum of Denmark made an accidental discovery of 9 clay rattles made in Hama, Syria, dating back to the Bronze Age. This represents the largest collection of clay rattles of its kind from that period, according to France 24.
The toys, difficult to recognize due to being discovered in fragments during excavations, offer a glimpse into the lives of children 4,500 years ago. The rattles were found to contain inclusions within the clay that are exactly the same as those found in ordinary vessels made by professionals, indicating that these toys were crafted by artisans rather than by amateurs or parents themselves.
“If you wanted to entertain your child, you could give them a wooden spoon or a stone,” said Mette Marie Hald, who has been studying these artifacts.
Hald expressed hope that the study would encourage specialists to examine clay pieces more closely. “It may turn out that other items are toys, such as some statues,” she said. “They are often classified as statues placed in temples, but we wonder if they were toys made for children, because they are diverse and look very funny.”
The discovery challenges previous assumptions about certain artifacts. Even in ancient times, for those who couldn’t make things with their own hands, there was the option to purchase professionally made toys. “4,500 years ago, parents went to the market and bought toys made by professionals,” Hald emphasized.
To assist in identifying similar artifacts in the future, the researchers developed a guide to help in the identification of these rattles. This tool aims to aid archaeologists in recognizing toy fragments that might otherwise be overlooked or misclassified.
This demonstrates that the trade of children’s toys is not a modern invention. It existed millennia ago, as evidenced by these clay rattles from the Bronze Age in Hama, Syria.
The study detailing this discovery was published in the scientific journal Childhood in the Past. The rattles, now part of the collections at the National Museum of Denmark, were initially challenging to identify due to their fragmented state. “It is difficult to identify the nature of the toys because most of them were excavated during archaeological digs in the form of shards and were not complete,” researchers noted.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.
