DOI article:
M. Johnson, J. de: Egypt Exploration Fund: the greco-roman branch; excavations at Atfieh
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12421#0021
The Geaeco-Eomax Beanch.
9
and levels identical, where the absolutely perfect and the absolutely
decayed lay side by side. The presence of a thick coating of resin on the
body was sufficient to preserve the cartonnage and wrappings as dry and
brilliant as the day they were interred, while its absence enabled the
natural decay of the bodies and the salt crystals to combine in
ruining all.
The stone coffins in cemetery A (and in the very few of this type
occurring in cemetery B) were found in large rectangular pits with no
attempt at orientation, buried either singly, in pairs, or in larger groups
(Figs. 1 and 2). The pot coffins were of the usual type, but their advantage
over the more massive stone coffins in portability rendered possible a
dilferent development of pit — a narrow superficial entrance widening
with concave sides to a ground area treble or four times its size. A
sectional plan and cross section of the extreme development of this type
made to contain three coffins are:—
I Z. TntCrcS
But between this and the ordinary pit with perpendicular sides, in which
pot as well as stone coffins occurred, there was a great variety of
gradation.
Several instances of shallow shafts and chambers, the chamber cut to
contain one stone or pot coffin, also occurred.
In the manufacture of the cartonnage, cloth and the combination of
cloth and papyrus were often used indifferently, although on the whole
the latter luckily predominated. The type of mask occurring in Figs. 3,
4, 5 (Fig. 5 represents the forehead of a mask) appeared only in cloth,
while those in Figs. 6 and 7 were chiefly confined to the combined
materials, papyrus alone also being found. The two body-pieces,
leg-piece and boot were not so distinguishable as the head-piece, differing
chiefly in technique and the material used (Figs. 8 and 10). Of the
9
and levels identical, where the absolutely perfect and the absolutely
decayed lay side by side. The presence of a thick coating of resin on the
body was sufficient to preserve the cartonnage and wrappings as dry and
brilliant as the day they were interred, while its absence enabled the
natural decay of the bodies and the salt crystals to combine in
ruining all.
The stone coffins in cemetery A (and in the very few of this type
occurring in cemetery B) were found in large rectangular pits with no
attempt at orientation, buried either singly, in pairs, or in larger groups
(Figs. 1 and 2). The pot coffins were of the usual type, but their advantage
over the more massive stone coffins in portability rendered possible a
dilferent development of pit — a narrow superficial entrance widening
with concave sides to a ground area treble or four times its size. A
sectional plan and cross section of the extreme development of this type
made to contain three coffins are:—
I Z. TntCrcS
But between this and the ordinary pit with perpendicular sides, in which
pot as well as stone coffins occurred, there was a great variety of
gradation.
Several instances of shallow shafts and chambers, the chamber cut to
contain one stone or pot coffin, also occurred.
In the manufacture of the cartonnage, cloth and the combination of
cloth and papyrus were often used indifferently, although on the whole
the latter luckily predominated. The type of mask occurring in Figs. 3,
4, 5 (Fig. 5 represents the forehead of a mask) appeared only in cloth,
while those in Figs. 6 and 7 were chiefly confined to the combined
materials, papyrus alone also being found. The two body-pieces,
leg-piece and boot were not so distinguishable as the head-piece, differing
chiefly in technique and the material used (Figs. 8 and 10). Of the