A bucket, also called a pail, is a watertight, vertical cylinder or truncated cone, with an open top and a flat bottom, usually attached to a semicircular carrying handle. A bucket is distinguished from other containers by being unlidded. Their main purpose is the carrying of water, but they may also have other purposes. Elaborate ceremonial or ritual buckets in bronze, ivory or other materials are found in several ancient or medieval cultures. They can also be used to transport items other than water such as sand, rocks and fish.