DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49270#0333
246
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form of bits of flint or of bone spindles, may have served the fisherman in lieu of hooks.172
Spindle gorges are common among primitive peoples,173 and the numerous bone and ivory
points, all more or less like the “slender rod or pin of ivory” 174 shown in fig. 12, which have
been found on predynastic sites, may have been employed in gorge fishing. This, be it
understood, is a pure conjecture; but some color is lent it by the appearance, side by side
with the earliest copper hooks, of copper spindles pointed at either end. Some of these
spindles are bent in the middle as if they had been used as gorges.175
The earliest Egyptian hooks are of the simple forms shown in figs. 87-97. Com-
pared with many of the bronze hooks of Europe, especially with those from the Swiss Lakes,
their length, from the head to the bottom of the bend, is short in proportion to their width,
from the outside of the point to the outside of the shank. The bend is either a half-round
(figs. 87-93) or angular (figs. 94-97). The point is always barbless, and the head, which
/
in all cases lies in the plane of the hook, is formed by doubling over the end of the shank
against the outside of the latter, so as to form a stop (figs. 87, 90, 94, 95?, 96), or an eye.
These eyes might be either open (figs. 88, 89, 91, 97) or — more rarely — closed (figs. 92,
93, 95?). The points of the hooks are sometimes bent in a way which suggests their having
been altered by use (cf. figs. 89, 92). The late predynastic hook shown in fig. 93 is excep-
tional in that the cross sections of the shank, bend, and points are square, although the
end of the shank which is turned for the eye is made round. This hook, which comes
from Nubia, is also exceptionally stout, though other hooks of approximately the same
date are often fairly heavy in comparison to their size (cf. figs. 87, 94).176 In length these
hooks range from about 2 to 6 cm.
Unbarbed hooks like those described were in common use until Middle Kingdom times,
172 Cf. J. de Morgan, op. cit., [2], p. 86.
173 E. g., an "ingenious device employed along the N. Pacific coast for catching fish consisted of a straight pin,
sharp at both ends and fastened to a line by the middle; this pin was run through a dead minnow, and, being gorged
by another fish, a jerk of the string caused the points to pierce the mouth of the fish, which was then easily taken
from the water”; F. W. Hodge [ed.j, Handbook of American Indians, pt. 1, p. 463.
174 D. Randall-Maclver, El Amrah, p. 19.
175 E. Amelineau, Les nouvelles fouilles d’Abydos, 1897-1898 [pt. 1], Paris, 1904, pl. 8, fig. 11. In his text ([pt.
2] Paris, 1905, p. 447), Amelineau refers to these objects as needles. They might be pins, tatooing implements, or
small piercers — how, without an eye or a head, and with tapered ends, they could have served as needles, it is diffi-
cult to see.
176 The stoutness of some of the early hooks is responsible for a grotesque absurdity on the part of E. Amelineau,
who found several of these objects when he excavated — or, rather, looted — the tomb of Perabsen. The hooks
which he discovered resemble those here shown in figs. 90 and 96. In referring to the larger of them he remarked:
"L’entaille de ces deux hamegons [his figs. 20 and 23], et surtout celle du numero 24 [an error: his fig. 24 is not a hook
at all] devait defier les efforts les plus vigoureux: c’etait sans doute de semblables hamegons dont se servait pour la
chasse a 1’hippopotame, comme on le voit dans les representations des tombeaux”; Amelineau, op. cit., [pt. 2], p.
498, with ref. to Ibid., [pt. 1], pl. 8, fig. 20-23. I trust I need hardly remark that the tomb paintings Amelineau
refers to show hippopotami held by harpoons and retrieving lines, and that fishing for such creatures with hooks is
unheard of.
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form of bits of flint or of bone spindles, may have served the fisherman in lieu of hooks.172
Spindle gorges are common among primitive peoples,173 and the numerous bone and ivory
points, all more or less like the “slender rod or pin of ivory” 174 shown in fig. 12, which have
been found on predynastic sites, may have been employed in gorge fishing. This, be it
understood, is a pure conjecture; but some color is lent it by the appearance, side by side
with the earliest copper hooks, of copper spindles pointed at either end. Some of these
spindles are bent in the middle as if they had been used as gorges.175
The earliest Egyptian hooks are of the simple forms shown in figs. 87-97. Com-
pared with many of the bronze hooks of Europe, especially with those from the Swiss Lakes,
their length, from the head to the bottom of the bend, is short in proportion to their width,
from the outside of the point to the outside of the shank. The bend is either a half-round
(figs. 87-93) or angular (figs. 94-97). The point is always barbless, and the head, which
/
in all cases lies in the plane of the hook, is formed by doubling over the end of the shank
against the outside of the latter, so as to form a stop (figs. 87, 90, 94, 95?, 96), or an eye.
These eyes might be either open (figs. 88, 89, 91, 97) or — more rarely — closed (figs. 92,
93, 95?). The points of the hooks are sometimes bent in a way which suggests their having
been altered by use (cf. figs. 89, 92). The late predynastic hook shown in fig. 93 is excep-
tional in that the cross sections of the shank, bend, and points are square, although the
end of the shank which is turned for the eye is made round. This hook, which comes
from Nubia, is also exceptionally stout, though other hooks of approximately the same
date are often fairly heavy in comparison to their size (cf. figs. 87, 94).176 In length these
hooks range from about 2 to 6 cm.
Unbarbed hooks like those described were in common use until Middle Kingdom times,
172 Cf. J. de Morgan, op. cit., [2], p. 86.
173 E. g., an "ingenious device employed along the N. Pacific coast for catching fish consisted of a straight pin,
sharp at both ends and fastened to a line by the middle; this pin was run through a dead minnow, and, being gorged
by another fish, a jerk of the string caused the points to pierce the mouth of the fish, which was then easily taken
from the water”; F. W. Hodge [ed.j, Handbook of American Indians, pt. 1, p. 463.
174 D. Randall-Maclver, El Amrah, p. 19.
175 E. Amelineau, Les nouvelles fouilles d’Abydos, 1897-1898 [pt. 1], Paris, 1904, pl. 8, fig. 11. In his text ([pt.
2] Paris, 1905, p. 447), Amelineau refers to these objects as needles. They might be pins, tatooing implements, or
small piercers — how, without an eye or a head, and with tapered ends, they could have served as needles, it is diffi-
cult to see.
176 The stoutness of some of the early hooks is responsible for a grotesque absurdity on the part of E. Amelineau,
who found several of these objects when he excavated — or, rather, looted — the tomb of Perabsen. The hooks
which he discovered resemble those here shown in figs. 90 and 96. In referring to the larger of them he remarked:
"L’entaille de ces deux hamegons [his figs. 20 and 23], et surtout celle du numero 24 [an error: his fig. 24 is not a hook
at all] devait defier les efforts les plus vigoureux: c’etait sans doute de semblables hamegons dont se servait pour la
chasse a 1’hippopotame, comme on le voit dans les representations des tombeaux”; Amelineau, op. cit., [pt. 2], p.
498, with ref. to Ibid., [pt. 1], pl. 8, fig. 20-23. I trust I need hardly remark that the tomb paintings Amelineau
refers to show hippopotami held by harpoons and retrieving lines, and that fishing for such creatures with hooks is
unheard of.