The painted ceramics of different periods of ancient Egypt beginning with the Negade II culture up to the Coptic time were investigated by energy-and wave-length-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thin-section microscopy, and elementary microanalysis. The ceramic material differed mainly in its Ca content. The ware low in Ca was probably produced from Nile mud, that rich in Ca, from marble clays, e.g., of Qena. In contrast to the low Ca ceramics, the sherd of the Ca-rich ware showed mostly a sintered texture. From its diopside content it was concluded that the firing temperature was gte 850°. In Coptic times the quality of the low Ca ware was improved substantially by higher firing temperatures. -- AATA