DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.51705#0018
6
THE OLD KINGDOM CEMETERY
ivory handle), and other objects of a predynastic
date, we found no predynastic graves, though
we offered special rewards to any of the men
who might find them. We ourselves had some
evidence of the existence of graves of this period,
as we found black-topped pottery vases of the
type shown on pl. Ill, no. 1, in the New Kingdom
graves 77 and 86, near points S and T respectively,
and the stone vase (pl. Ill, stone 2) from near
point O, which had obviously been taken from
early graves. It is unlikely that these were brought
from elsewhere, unless it were from the predynastic
cemeteries of El-Harageh. What leads us, how-
ever, to suppose that there may be predynastic
remains here at Gurob is that, in the debris sifted
out by the sabbakhin near point A (plate I), we
found quite a large number of fragments of alabaster
dishes, of a type which might well be anterior
to the proto-dynastic period. It is probable that
there existed here a very small predynastic
cemetery, smaller even than those of El Harageh,
and, like them, forming part of the Gerzeh
settlement. (Petrie and Wainwright, Labyrinth,
Gerzeh, and Mazghuneh.) After all, the site of
Gerzeh is not more than 15 miles away from
Gurob.
12. LOAT, in Saqqara Mastabas I and Gurob,
gives a very brief account of a prehistoric cemetery,
south of the ancient town. Out of the nine pot
types which he gives on pl. I, five (nos. 1, 3, 4, 7,
9) occur in the 17 pottery types from the 16 graves
which we excavated at the point O, pl. I. These
we believe to be proto-dynastic or very slightly
earlier.
As far as one can judge from so small a number
of graves, the normal position of the body seems
to be totally, but not tightly, contracted on the
left side, with the head to the South. The pots,
in all the graves except no. 103, were grouped
together in the grave, without any particular method.
None of the pots contained anything when found,
although all the graves except 117, 118, and 120
were undisturbed. They possibly may have con-
tained grain.
All these graves lay under the siftings of
the New Kingdom town, with a fair number
of empty graves around them. I do not think
that the total number of graves of this period
exceeded fifty.
CHAPTER V
THE OLD KINGDOM CEMETERY
13. Burials in more or less contracted positions
were found in considerable numbers, mostly un-
disturbed, and yielded no objects of interest. Few
of these graves contained objects of any kind. 151
are recorded in detail in the Registers pls. (IV—VI).
There are probably more to be found here, but
as they proved so unprofitable, we thought it better
to concentrate on the New Kingdom and other
cemeteries.
The great bulk of these graves lay in two
groups, a smaller one on higher ground round
point C (13 graves), and its extension on lower
ground, very tightly packed, round point C2
(80 graves). Round points A, B 5 graves were
found, with 41 more further south at El, E2, and
E 3 (see plate I). These last were mixed with graves
of later date; while a few, 11 in all, to the west
round S, were in ground almost entirely occupied
by the New Kingdom cemetery. One, of rather
different type, lay away out north, at L. No distinc-
tions could be drawn between the graves of any
of these groups.
There was no sign that the sexes were segregated
in these cemeteries: on the other hand, the per-
centages of males, females, children in each group
do not vary much. The totals are: males 54,
females 62, children 34, and uncertain 6.
14. The graves, dug in loose sandy gebel, were
from 20 to 80 inches deep, rarely well cut, and often
quite shapeless. A few had a lining or walls of brick-
work, with occasionally arched roofing remaining.
The size of the bricks varied from 101 X 5|X2
to 12 X 6 X 3; in one case (167) it was 9X41X3.
The orientation of the graves was generally speak-
ing north-east, | of the directions lying between
0° and 45°.
Out of 130 bodies, 63 were more or less tightly
contracted on the left side, 17 on the right and
9 on face or back. Of the remainder, 30 were in
various positions on left, and 11 on right (see
Tomb Registers). The proportions of males and
females in the various positions was roughly the
same. All lay head roughly north-east or north,
with the exception of nine with head south; of
these six were tightly and three loosely contracted.
THE OLD KINGDOM CEMETERY
ivory handle), and other objects of a predynastic
date, we found no predynastic graves, though
we offered special rewards to any of the men
who might find them. We ourselves had some
evidence of the existence of graves of this period,
as we found black-topped pottery vases of the
type shown on pl. Ill, no. 1, in the New Kingdom
graves 77 and 86, near points S and T respectively,
and the stone vase (pl. Ill, stone 2) from near
point O, which had obviously been taken from
early graves. It is unlikely that these were brought
from elsewhere, unless it were from the predynastic
cemeteries of El-Harageh. What leads us, how-
ever, to suppose that there may be predynastic
remains here at Gurob is that, in the debris sifted
out by the sabbakhin near point A (plate I), we
found quite a large number of fragments of alabaster
dishes, of a type which might well be anterior
to the proto-dynastic period. It is probable that
there existed here a very small predynastic
cemetery, smaller even than those of El Harageh,
and, like them, forming part of the Gerzeh
settlement. (Petrie and Wainwright, Labyrinth,
Gerzeh, and Mazghuneh.) After all, the site of
Gerzeh is not more than 15 miles away from
Gurob.
12. LOAT, in Saqqara Mastabas I and Gurob,
gives a very brief account of a prehistoric cemetery,
south of the ancient town. Out of the nine pot
types which he gives on pl. I, five (nos. 1, 3, 4, 7,
9) occur in the 17 pottery types from the 16 graves
which we excavated at the point O, pl. I. These
we believe to be proto-dynastic or very slightly
earlier.
As far as one can judge from so small a number
of graves, the normal position of the body seems
to be totally, but not tightly, contracted on the
left side, with the head to the South. The pots,
in all the graves except no. 103, were grouped
together in the grave, without any particular method.
None of the pots contained anything when found,
although all the graves except 117, 118, and 120
were undisturbed. They possibly may have con-
tained grain.
All these graves lay under the siftings of
the New Kingdom town, with a fair number
of empty graves around them. I do not think
that the total number of graves of this period
exceeded fifty.
CHAPTER V
THE OLD KINGDOM CEMETERY
13. Burials in more or less contracted positions
were found in considerable numbers, mostly un-
disturbed, and yielded no objects of interest. Few
of these graves contained objects of any kind. 151
are recorded in detail in the Registers pls. (IV—VI).
There are probably more to be found here, but
as they proved so unprofitable, we thought it better
to concentrate on the New Kingdom and other
cemeteries.
The great bulk of these graves lay in two
groups, a smaller one on higher ground round
point C (13 graves), and its extension on lower
ground, very tightly packed, round point C2
(80 graves). Round points A, B 5 graves were
found, with 41 more further south at El, E2, and
E 3 (see plate I). These last were mixed with graves
of later date; while a few, 11 in all, to the west
round S, were in ground almost entirely occupied
by the New Kingdom cemetery. One, of rather
different type, lay away out north, at L. No distinc-
tions could be drawn between the graves of any
of these groups.
There was no sign that the sexes were segregated
in these cemeteries: on the other hand, the per-
centages of males, females, children in each group
do not vary much. The totals are: males 54,
females 62, children 34, and uncertain 6.
14. The graves, dug in loose sandy gebel, were
from 20 to 80 inches deep, rarely well cut, and often
quite shapeless. A few had a lining or walls of brick-
work, with occasionally arched roofing remaining.
The size of the bricks varied from 101 X 5|X2
to 12 X 6 X 3; in one case (167) it was 9X41X3.
The orientation of the graves was generally speak-
ing north-east, | of the directions lying between
0° and 45°.
Out of 130 bodies, 63 were more or less tightly
contracted on the left side, 17 on the right and
9 on face or back. Of the remainder, 30 were in
various positions on left, and 11 on right (see
Tomb Registers). The proportions of males and
females in the various positions was roughly the
same. All lay head roughly north-east or north,
with the exception of nine with head south; of
these six were tightly and three loosely contracted.