DOI Artikel:
Ayrton, Edward Russell; Loat, Leonard: Egypt Exploration Fund: excavations at El Mahasna
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12420#0020
6
Egypt Exploeation Fund.
One of the latter was an exceedingly rich burial. Two skeletons
wrapped in matting lay in the usual position, one in the centre of the
grave and the other against the west side. Several pottery vases (black
topped) lined the south end of the grave, and with them lay an ivory
figure of a man and four ivory wands or pendants. Before the face of the
central figure was a mass of ivory bracelets, and against the top of the
head were laid a large number of carnelian and glazed steatite beads. At
the head of the other skeleton stood a polished red bowl with four hippo-
potami in relief on the rim and decorated with a pattern in white on the
interior (see Frontispiece). At the feet were two plain ivory cylindrical vases
and fragments of combs and hairpins, from the former of which probably
comes a small ivory figure of a donkey.
Of slightly later date was another double burial (a woman and a child).
The woman lay in the centre of the grave, but the child's bones had been
scattered and lay in a heap. Lying on the side of the woman was a large
female figure, apparently made of wood, in a semi-contracted position,
that is with the thigh at right angles to the body and feet drawn up.
The figure was armless, the legs were cut in one piece, and the whole
had been painted red. On both wrists of the skeleton were ivory bracelets,
and glazed steatite and carnelian beads were also found. At the head of
the grave were several wide-mouthed, black-topped pottery vases and seven
pear-shaped objects made of clay and pierced at the pointed end for
suspension. These rattled when shaken. Several small cubes of clay lay
behind the head, and at the other end of the grave was found a small table
of clay of which the upper surface was divided by pricked lines into three
rows of six squares each. This is probably a gaming board of which the
cubes are the pieces. We found eleven pieces in all (two larger than the
rest), but. they were so fragile that one may easily have crumbled to
pieces (see Frontispiece).
Another important tomb, which is probably of the protodynastic period,
was evidently the burial of a great chief. The body had apparently been
laid in a wooden box or coffin. Before the face lay four white stone
mace-heads, the copper head of a harpoon, a diorite staff-head, and two
large flakes of flint. A well-cut ivory cup lay at the head of the grave,
but the vases were broken and the grave had evidently been opened before.
A re-used rhombic, slate palette was also found. On the west side and
outside the wooden box lay two dogs wrapped in a mat. At the heads of
the dogs lay clay bunches of garlic.
These were the three most important tombs found on the site.
Of other objects found an ivory cow is of interest, as are also two small
Egypt Exploeation Fund.
One of the latter was an exceedingly rich burial. Two skeletons
wrapped in matting lay in the usual position, one in the centre of the
grave and the other against the west side. Several pottery vases (black
topped) lined the south end of the grave, and with them lay an ivory
figure of a man and four ivory wands or pendants. Before the face of the
central figure was a mass of ivory bracelets, and against the top of the
head were laid a large number of carnelian and glazed steatite beads. At
the head of the other skeleton stood a polished red bowl with four hippo-
potami in relief on the rim and decorated with a pattern in white on the
interior (see Frontispiece). At the feet were two plain ivory cylindrical vases
and fragments of combs and hairpins, from the former of which probably
comes a small ivory figure of a donkey.
Of slightly later date was another double burial (a woman and a child).
The woman lay in the centre of the grave, but the child's bones had been
scattered and lay in a heap. Lying on the side of the woman was a large
female figure, apparently made of wood, in a semi-contracted position,
that is with the thigh at right angles to the body and feet drawn up.
The figure was armless, the legs were cut in one piece, and the whole
had been painted red. On both wrists of the skeleton were ivory bracelets,
and glazed steatite and carnelian beads were also found. At the head of
the grave were several wide-mouthed, black-topped pottery vases and seven
pear-shaped objects made of clay and pierced at the pointed end for
suspension. These rattled when shaken. Several small cubes of clay lay
behind the head, and at the other end of the grave was found a small table
of clay of which the upper surface was divided by pricked lines into three
rows of six squares each. This is probably a gaming board of which the
cubes are the pieces. We found eleven pieces in all (two larger than the
rest), but. they were so fragile that one may easily have crumbled to
pieces (see Frontispiece).
Another important tomb, which is probably of the protodynastic period,
was evidently the burial of a great chief. The body had apparently been
laid in a wooden box or coffin. Before the face lay four white stone
mace-heads, the copper head of a harpoon, a diorite staff-head, and two
large flakes of flint. A well-cut ivory cup lay at the head of the grave,
but the vases were broken and the grave had evidently been opened before.
A re-used rhombic, slate palette was also found. On the west side and
outside the wooden box lay two dogs wrapped in a mat. At the heads of
the dogs lay clay bunches of garlic.
These were the three most important tombs found on the site.
Of other objects found an ivory cow is of interest, as are also two small