A 3,500-year-old vessel, which once contained wine, was made by the Minoans, one of the first advanced civilisations in Europe.

The displaying is a part of a exhibition called "Rubbish And Us" at the British Museum in 2019.   

"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," said Julia Farley, who is a curator at the British Museum. 

"The elite were showing off their wealth and status by throwing these great big parties, feasts and festivals. People were getting together in large groups and much like today, nobody wants to do the washing up."  

Minoans gathered at the palace for parties, feasts and gatherings such as bull-leaping festivals - a "more risky" version of "hurdles".  

Thousands of the handleless, conical clay cups have been discovered on archeological sites on the island of Crete and at the palace Knossos.

The civilisation is thought to have collapsed after the Minoans rapidly exhausted resources on the small island and because of a then "natural fluctuation" of climate change.
 

As well as being convenient, the cup was a means of showing off wealth because of all the resources poured into making it.

The ancient cup is shown alongside a waxed paper cup from the early 1990s, made at around the same time modern disposable cups were taking off. Other objects will include a yellow fishing basket made from plastic wrapping and photographs from across the Pacific, showing the extent of the plastic problem.

Source: Telegraph