Disposable 3,500-year-old wine glasses

The ancient cup made of clay, inverted cone, no straps, is used once in Minoan parties.

The cup and other disposable items will be on display at the "Waste and people" exhibition at the British Museum, London, from December 20. Scientists found thousands of similar cups at Knossos Castle and other archaeological sites on the island of Crete, Greece. They were produced by the Minoans , one of the first progressive civilizations in Europe.

A 3,500-year-old wine glass besides a modern paper cup, both of which are disposable.(Photo: Guardian).

"People are probably very surprised to learn that disposable cups were not invented by modern society but actually appeared thousands of years ago," said Julia Farley, manager at the British Museum.

The Minoan elite show off their wealth and status by hosting big parties and festivals in the castle. People gathered in large groups and, like today, no one wants to wash dishes. In addition to convenience, disposable cups are a tool to show off wealth because many resources are poured in to make them.

"Humans always make garbage. It's inevitable. We are creatures that use tools and wear clothes, and nothing can exist forever. Creating waste is a part of itself." in human life, "Farley commented.

"We have thousands of disposable Minoan cups. This is already very large. However, the world is producing more than 300 billion paper cups a year. The Minoan civilization is extremely small compared to the previous one." global economy today, " she added.

Ancient people are often considered to live in harmony with nature. But in fact, when cutting trees to make charcoal and burning to burn clay, a large amount of CO2 will also fly into the atmosphere.

Littering is an old-fashioned act. However, modern people are littering on an unprecedented scale with materials that take hundreds or even thousands of years to biodegrade. Farley hopes the new exhibition will give viewers creative thinking about how to reduce waste instead of just feeling guilty when littering.

1. Archaeological bottle of alcohol "immortality" from the 19th century
2. A thousand-year-old cup that swallows wine, restrains greed