Planet

World’s first disposable cup to go on display at British Museum

The finding of an ancient disposable cup that dates back 3,500 years shows that the idea that throwaway vessels for drinks is a modern habit is not true and even ancient civilisations didn’t want “to do the washing up”.
The Minoans, one of the first advanced civilisations in Europe, used the cup to drink wine in Greek island of Crete where they resided. Thousands of the handleless, conical clay cups have been discovered on archeological sites on the island and the palace of Knossos. They will go on display from Friday at the the British Museum, which has been under pressurefrom environment campaigners over its sponsorship by oil giant BP.
Julia Farley, is a curator at the museum, said: “People may be very surprised to know that disposable, single-use cups are not the invention of our modern consumerist society, but in fact can be traced back thousands of years. Minoans gathered at the palace for parties, feasts and gatherings such as bull-leaping festivals – a “more risky” version of “hurdles”.