I've seen photos of real-life women carrying baskets and such this way. Strikes me as really painful and inefficient (in the far east, by contrast, heavy items are carried on the back).
@Timmy ...The School of Physics at the University of South Wales says,
"Carrying a load on the head is efficient, as the weight is taken straight downwards. There is no tilting force on the spine since the center of mass lies on the spinal axis."
... the water jar is indeed being carried back from the well on the klacky's head. I don't know if Egyptian women did this ...
@Martin ...The egyptians did indeed carry burdens on their heads as illustrated in this Herget graphic from the National Geographic (October 1941).
see attachment