DOI Artikel:
Grenfell, Bernard P.; Hunt, Arthur S.: Egypt Exploration Fund: graeco-roman branch
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12052#0016
GltAECO-BOMAN BKANCH.
3
belonging to Khonsu-tef-nekht, is now at Brussels, the other at Cairo.
Besides these we found in the tomb a set of Canopic vases, numerous
ushabtis and a good-sized bronze Osiris. The mummies, if ornamented at
all, had merely strings of small blue beads. From the style of the sarco-
phagi and other objects found with them the tomb may be assigned with
confidence to the last century or two before the Ptolemies. Bound the east
and south sides of the town were numerous burials in recesses or small
chambers scooped out of the rock, some of which were Ptolemaic ; but we
found no papyrus cartonnage here, though from one tomb we obtained an
elaborately decorated early Ptolemaic mummy which is now in the Cairo
Museum.
The town itself proved to be of little use as far as papyri were concerned,
the mounds being much affected by damp even in the upper strata, which
were of the Boman period. A detailed description of our finds will be
given in the first volume of the Hibeh Papyri, which we look forward to
issuing in 1905.
Leaving Hibeh early in February, we devoted three weeks to the
examination of the ancient sites on the east bank to the south as far
as Shekh Fadl. Nine miles above Hibeh, close to the Ezbeh Weled El
Shekh on the north-east, we found a few poor late Ptolemaic tombs, the
bodies being placed under ledges of rock with no sarcophagi. Only one
mummy had papyrus cartonnage, and some of the tombs contained dogs.
About one and a half miles south of this ezbeh, at the point where the
lofty Gebel Shekh Umbarak comes down to the river edge, is a Byzantine
village on the slopes. A few fragments of Coptic papyrus (Gth century)
were discovered here, but the houses contained no 'afsh,' and the ruins
were for the most part very shallow. Further to the south, half a mile
beyond the village of Qarara and adjoining the modern Coptic cemetery of
Maghagha, a town on the west bank, is an extensive Byzantine and ancient
Coptic cemetery. The tombs were on the sides of eminences or in the flat
ground and did not exceed 6 ft. in depth. The bodies were wrapped in
cloth, which was especially thick over the face, and were buried on mats,
usually a large number together. Bracelets (silver and copper), glass
beads, leather slippers and bone amulets were common. With one man,
who had no doubt been a scribe, was buried an inkpot and a leather pen-
case containing reed pens; with another was a reed flute and a pair of
bronze clappers fixed on wood. Several inscribed wooden tablets
wei'e found. The finest of these, which is now in the Cairo Museum, con-
tained on one side a long Greek contract concerning a division of property,
probably written in the reign of Heraclius (A.D. 610-640), and on the
3
belonging to Khonsu-tef-nekht, is now at Brussels, the other at Cairo.
Besides these we found in the tomb a set of Canopic vases, numerous
ushabtis and a good-sized bronze Osiris. The mummies, if ornamented at
all, had merely strings of small blue beads. From the style of the sarco-
phagi and other objects found with them the tomb may be assigned with
confidence to the last century or two before the Ptolemies. Bound the east
and south sides of the town were numerous burials in recesses or small
chambers scooped out of the rock, some of which were Ptolemaic ; but we
found no papyrus cartonnage here, though from one tomb we obtained an
elaborately decorated early Ptolemaic mummy which is now in the Cairo
Museum.
The town itself proved to be of little use as far as papyri were concerned,
the mounds being much affected by damp even in the upper strata, which
were of the Boman period. A detailed description of our finds will be
given in the first volume of the Hibeh Papyri, which we look forward to
issuing in 1905.
Leaving Hibeh early in February, we devoted three weeks to the
examination of the ancient sites on the east bank to the south as far
as Shekh Fadl. Nine miles above Hibeh, close to the Ezbeh Weled El
Shekh on the north-east, we found a few poor late Ptolemaic tombs, the
bodies being placed under ledges of rock with no sarcophagi. Only one
mummy had papyrus cartonnage, and some of the tombs contained dogs.
About one and a half miles south of this ezbeh, at the point where the
lofty Gebel Shekh Umbarak comes down to the river edge, is a Byzantine
village on the slopes. A few fragments of Coptic papyrus (Gth century)
were discovered here, but the houses contained no 'afsh,' and the ruins
were for the most part very shallow. Further to the south, half a mile
beyond the village of Qarara and adjoining the modern Coptic cemetery of
Maghagha, a town on the west bank, is an extensive Byzantine and ancient
Coptic cemetery. The tombs were on the sides of eminences or in the flat
ground and did not exceed 6 ft. in depth. The bodies were wrapped in
cloth, which was especially thick over the face, and were buried on mats,
usually a large number together. Bracelets (silver and copper), glass
beads, leather slippers and bone amulets were common. With one man,
who had no doubt been a scribe, was buried an inkpot and a leather pen-
case containing reed pens; with another was a reed flute and a pair of
bronze clappers fixed on wood. Several inscribed wooden tablets
wei'e found. The finest of these, which is now in the Cairo Museum, con-
tained on one side a long Greek contract concerning a division of property,
probably written in the reign of Heraclius (A.D. 610-640), and on the