DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4664#0059
54
THE CLAY SEALINGS.
Pieces of fossil wood seem to be associated in some
way with this limestone, as the fragments that were
found were near hills so capped ; but no fossil wood
was observed in situ.
From the cliffs which form the eastern border of
the plateau there extends to the cultivation a gentle
slope of fine gravel and sand, on which are angular
blocks of sandstone. At the S. of the map is a large
drainage line, marked out by a line of scrub. No
tombs were found S. of this, till the neighbourhood of
Edfu was reached.
The cultivation has encroached upon the desert
considerably since the prehistoric period, as is shown
by sections exposed in wells.
The little knoll seen to the S.E. of the town is an
"outlier," having been surrounded by the encroach-
ment of the cultivation. In it were found several
jars of the prehistoric or early historic period ; and,
at the head of the old desert, a prehistoric burial of a
child, with a slate palette, several rough pots, and an
ostrich egg. The upper part of the knoll is composed
of rubbish thrown from a pottery kiln. Much pottery
of the early dynasties, such as rough vases with
pointed bases, and rough pot stands, were found here,
as well as a great number of fragments, partly fused
and distorted by heat.
On the N.W. side of the town is another outlier,
in which many fragments of prehistoric pottery and
flint flakes were found.
These outliers give an idea how extensive was the
inhabited district during the prehistoric period.
The map of the district shown on Pl. LXXIIIa.
is drawn to a scale of 66 m.m. = i kilometre, the
scale being t s&00. The field map from which it was
reduced was drawn to a scale of ioo m.m. = I kilo-
metre, or R.F. -nrhro-
A base line 1535 metres long was measured once
by means of a steel tape 25 metres long; this
measurement agreed well with a previous measure-
ment made by pacing, so that any large error is
improbable. The two ends of this base were situated
on two small knolls, one at the foot of the hill in
which are the rock-cut tombs of the New Kingdom,
and the other at the foot of the low cliffs further to
the S.E. The principal points were then fixed by a
triangulation executed by means of a box sextant
reading to 1' of arc.
The positions of points thus fixed agree well with
observations made from points on the El Kab side of
the river, which in turn had been fixed by means of a
triangulation made in 1896.
The details were filled in by means of a small
improvised plane-table, prismatic compass bearings,
and sketches executed to a much larger scale on a
cavalry sketching-board.
The absolute heights having no direct bearing on
the work, it was not judged needful to expend the
time necessary to representing the hill features by
means of contours ; they are therefore shown by form
lines only, but any question regarding the visibility or
invisibility of one point from another, can, owing to
the simple character of the district, be answered with
sufficient accuracy by inspection of the form lines.
The true N. was not established with accuracy,
but this will not be of much consequence, as soon as
the survey of the Nile Valley, now being executed by
the Government, comes to be published.
The magnetic variation for the year 1899 was
more probably 3^° W. than 4° W. as shown.
PL. LXXIV. For the description of the fort see
chapter vi., by Mr. Somers Clarke.
PLS. LXXV.-LXXVIII. These paintings of the
prehistoric tomb are fully described in sections 52,
53. and 54.
[The age of this tomb is given in sequence dates
by the pottery, as follows :—
Type D. 8, sequence date 31-61
„ W. 41
JJ
JJ
63,64
„ R. 81
>>
J)
38-80
„ P. 40
>>
)>
34-70
„ R- 94
>»
J?
49-53
„ R. 24
JJ
Jf
42-80
„ R. IE
»
})
51-63
„ B. 42
JJ
}f
31-70
Here R. 94 is the only type which clashes, as not
being yet known beyond S. D. 53 ; but it might well
go rather later. And thus we can date this tomb
best by the well-defined type of W. 41, which belongs
to S. D. 63.—F. P.]
CHAPTER XIV.
THE CLAY SEALINGS.
By F. Ll. Griffith, F.S.A.
The seals on Pl. LXX.-LXXL, discovered by
Mr. Quibell and Mr. Green at Hierakonpolis, form an
interesting and important addition to the scanty
epigraphic material for the earliest dynasties. As yet
these inscriptions are very difficult to interpret ; and
*
y
THE CLAY SEALINGS.
Pieces of fossil wood seem to be associated in some
way with this limestone, as the fragments that were
found were near hills so capped ; but no fossil wood
was observed in situ.
From the cliffs which form the eastern border of
the plateau there extends to the cultivation a gentle
slope of fine gravel and sand, on which are angular
blocks of sandstone. At the S. of the map is a large
drainage line, marked out by a line of scrub. No
tombs were found S. of this, till the neighbourhood of
Edfu was reached.
The cultivation has encroached upon the desert
considerably since the prehistoric period, as is shown
by sections exposed in wells.
The little knoll seen to the S.E. of the town is an
"outlier," having been surrounded by the encroach-
ment of the cultivation. In it were found several
jars of the prehistoric or early historic period ; and,
at the head of the old desert, a prehistoric burial of a
child, with a slate palette, several rough pots, and an
ostrich egg. The upper part of the knoll is composed
of rubbish thrown from a pottery kiln. Much pottery
of the early dynasties, such as rough vases with
pointed bases, and rough pot stands, were found here,
as well as a great number of fragments, partly fused
and distorted by heat.
On the N.W. side of the town is another outlier,
in which many fragments of prehistoric pottery and
flint flakes were found.
These outliers give an idea how extensive was the
inhabited district during the prehistoric period.
The map of the district shown on Pl. LXXIIIa.
is drawn to a scale of 66 m.m. = i kilometre, the
scale being t s&00. The field map from which it was
reduced was drawn to a scale of ioo m.m. = I kilo-
metre, or R.F. -nrhro-
A base line 1535 metres long was measured once
by means of a steel tape 25 metres long; this
measurement agreed well with a previous measure-
ment made by pacing, so that any large error is
improbable. The two ends of this base were situated
on two small knolls, one at the foot of the hill in
which are the rock-cut tombs of the New Kingdom,
and the other at the foot of the low cliffs further to
the S.E. The principal points were then fixed by a
triangulation executed by means of a box sextant
reading to 1' of arc.
The positions of points thus fixed agree well with
observations made from points on the El Kab side of
the river, which in turn had been fixed by means of a
triangulation made in 1896.
The details were filled in by means of a small
improvised plane-table, prismatic compass bearings,
and sketches executed to a much larger scale on a
cavalry sketching-board.
The absolute heights having no direct bearing on
the work, it was not judged needful to expend the
time necessary to representing the hill features by
means of contours ; they are therefore shown by form
lines only, but any question regarding the visibility or
invisibility of one point from another, can, owing to
the simple character of the district, be answered with
sufficient accuracy by inspection of the form lines.
The true N. was not established with accuracy,
but this will not be of much consequence, as soon as
the survey of the Nile Valley, now being executed by
the Government, comes to be published.
The magnetic variation for the year 1899 was
more probably 3^° W. than 4° W. as shown.
PL. LXXIV. For the description of the fort see
chapter vi., by Mr. Somers Clarke.
PLS. LXXV.-LXXVIII. These paintings of the
prehistoric tomb are fully described in sections 52,
53. and 54.
[The age of this tomb is given in sequence dates
by the pottery, as follows :—
Type D. 8, sequence date 31-61
„ W. 41
JJ
JJ
63,64
„ R. 81
>>
J)
38-80
„ P. 40
>>
)>
34-70
„ R- 94
>»
J?
49-53
„ R. 24
JJ
Jf
42-80
„ R. IE
»
})
51-63
„ B. 42
JJ
}f
31-70
Here R. 94 is the only type which clashes, as not
being yet known beyond S. D. 53 ; but it might well
go rather later. And thus we can date this tomb
best by the well-defined type of W. 41, which belongs
to S. D. 63.—F. P.]
CHAPTER XIV.
THE CLAY SEALINGS.
By F. Ll. Griffith, F.S.A.
The seals on Pl. LXX.-LXXL, discovered by
Mr. Quibell and Mr. Green at Hierakonpolis, form an
interesting and important addition to the scanty
epigraphic material for the earliest dynasties. As yet
these inscriptions are very difficult to interpret ; and
*
y