DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.809#0047
EARLY NILOTIC CONNEXIONS
Cumulative evidence—some of which has been for the first time set
forth in the earlier Sections of this work—shows that the source of this
influence must be sought beyond the Libyan Sea, principally, no doubt, in
its incipient stage, among the primitive population of the Nile Delta, some-
what later, in the united Egypt of the earliest Dynasties. The importance
of the old Nilotic factor in early Cretan civilization has, indeed, been greatly
enhanced by the acute researches of Professor Newberry in the proto-historic
field, itself so richly illustrated by the discoveries of De Morgan, Petrie,
Quibell, Reisner, and others at Tukh, El Amra, Naqada, Hierakonpolis, and
elsewhere. Already, from a time before the days of Mena, we are now able
to survey the remarkably carved palettes, the artistic ivory sculptures, the
finely cut vases of variegated stone, the glazed ware and other fabrics
indicative of a high stage of civilization, produced by the men of the ' Olive-
land ' or Tehenu l of the Western Delta. It is interesting to note not only
that the fabric of glazeware and even of glass inlays was already carried to
considerable perfection by this early Nilotic race but that the very name for
such in historic Egypt, tehent, preserves, as Professor Newberry has pointed
out, a record of their source, analogous to the use of the word ' china'
among ourselves.2
The Libyan affinities of this race are clearly indicated ; a Libyan popula-
tion, indeed, survived to the last in the Western Delta, the Egyptian language
itself being unknown to the inhabitants. Sais, the principal centre of their
old dominion, was the seat of the Goddess Neith, whose cult in historic times
was so widely spread among the Libyan tribes, and the most distinctive
article of their attire was the ' Libyan sheath' or penistasche? Of their
general physical type the best idea may be obtained from the exquisitely
carved ivory figures of Hierakonpolis,4 which at the same time reveal the
1 For the explanation of the name see the Nile besides a large part of the Delta.
Early in-
fluence
from the
Delta.
High pre-
dynastic
civiliza-
tion.
The
' Olive-
land'
source of
glaze-
ware.
Libyan
charac-
teristics
of early
Nilotic
race.
Newberry, Ta- Tehenu—' Olive Land' (Ancient
Egypt, 1915, p. 97 seqq.). On a slate palette
in the Cairo Museum (see, too, De Morgan,
Recfarches sur les origines de I'Egypte, 1897,
p. 264 and PI. Ill) the national Libyan ' throw-
ing-stick' symbol appears beside the group of
olive-trees indicating the name of the country.
Ta Tehenu or ' Olive-land' was afterwards
extended to the Libyan country West of
Egypt, including the Oases. Newberry, how-
ever, considered that in early times it was
taken to embrace the Mareotis Lake region,
the country West of the Canopic branch of
2 Egypt as a field of Anthropological Re-
search, Address to Section H, Brit. Ass.,
i923. P- r3-
3 See below, pp. 34, 35, and Fig. 9, a.
4 See Hierakonpolis, Eg. Research Acct.,
Pt. I, 1900 (Mr. J. E. Quibell's discoveries in
1898, with notes by Petrie). The ivories
themselves at present form part of the trea-
sures of the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford,
where several re-constitutions have been made
by Mr. E. T. Leeds which do not appear in
the original publication.
Cumulative evidence—some of which has been for the first time set
forth in the earlier Sections of this work—shows that the source of this
influence must be sought beyond the Libyan Sea, principally, no doubt, in
its incipient stage, among the primitive population of the Nile Delta, some-
what later, in the united Egypt of the earliest Dynasties. The importance
of the old Nilotic factor in early Cretan civilization has, indeed, been greatly
enhanced by the acute researches of Professor Newberry in the proto-historic
field, itself so richly illustrated by the discoveries of De Morgan, Petrie,
Quibell, Reisner, and others at Tukh, El Amra, Naqada, Hierakonpolis, and
elsewhere. Already, from a time before the days of Mena, we are now able
to survey the remarkably carved palettes, the artistic ivory sculptures, the
finely cut vases of variegated stone, the glazed ware and other fabrics
indicative of a high stage of civilization, produced by the men of the ' Olive-
land ' or Tehenu l of the Western Delta. It is interesting to note not only
that the fabric of glazeware and even of glass inlays was already carried to
considerable perfection by this early Nilotic race but that the very name for
such in historic Egypt, tehent, preserves, as Professor Newberry has pointed
out, a record of their source, analogous to the use of the word ' china'
among ourselves.2
The Libyan affinities of this race are clearly indicated ; a Libyan popula-
tion, indeed, survived to the last in the Western Delta, the Egyptian language
itself being unknown to the inhabitants. Sais, the principal centre of their
old dominion, was the seat of the Goddess Neith, whose cult in historic times
was so widely spread among the Libyan tribes, and the most distinctive
article of their attire was the ' Libyan sheath' or penistasche? Of their
general physical type the best idea may be obtained from the exquisitely
carved ivory figures of Hierakonpolis,4 which at the same time reveal the
1 For the explanation of the name see the Nile besides a large part of the Delta.
Early in-
fluence
from the
Delta.
High pre-
dynastic
civiliza-
tion.
The
' Olive-
land'
source of
glaze-
ware.
Libyan
charac-
teristics
of early
Nilotic
race.
Newberry, Ta- Tehenu—' Olive Land' (Ancient
Egypt, 1915, p. 97 seqq.). On a slate palette
in the Cairo Museum (see, too, De Morgan,
Recfarches sur les origines de I'Egypte, 1897,
p. 264 and PI. Ill) the national Libyan ' throw-
ing-stick' symbol appears beside the group of
olive-trees indicating the name of the country.
Ta Tehenu or ' Olive-land' was afterwards
extended to the Libyan country West of
Egypt, including the Oases. Newberry, how-
ever, considered that in early times it was
taken to embrace the Mareotis Lake region,
the country West of the Canopic branch of
2 Egypt as a field of Anthropological Re-
search, Address to Section H, Brit. Ass.,
i923. P- r3-
3 See below, pp. 34, 35, and Fig. 9, a.
4 See Hierakonpolis, Eg. Research Acct.,
Pt. I, 1900 (Mr. J. E. Quibell's discoveries in
1898, with notes by Petrie). The ivories
themselves at present form part of the trea-
sures of the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford,
where several re-constitutions have been made
by Mr. E. T. Leeds which do not appear in
the original publication.