DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4657#0022
ARCHAEOLOGICAL TYPES OF THE THIRD DYNASTY.
17
frequent, and the superstructure is built up high
above all to give final strength and effect to the
tomb. Thus protected, with its passages and shafts
sealed up and disguised, it may well have been
regarded as the most secure burial place existing in
Egypt at the time. A stone pyramid could hardly
have been more deceptive or difficult to enter than
this great tomb, which, though it had been once
previously opened, at this the second attempt, with
a gang of sixty men, for seven weeks defied an
entrance.
The Hard Stone Bowls.
Plates XL, XII. ; XX.; XXIV., XXVII.
50. There was a general similarity between the
bowls from all the tombs. An exception perhaps was
the case of three vases of syenite found in tomb K 5,
of a form not appearing, in that stone at any rate, in
the other tombs. Syenite of various qualities was the
most abundant of all the hard stones : porphyry also
was common, but breccia was more rare. There are in
the main three chief features distinguishing the types,
{a) the curve of the outline, (b) the shape of the rim,
and (c) the proportional height of the vessels. Among
the vessels discovered the first of these features showed
little variation, nearly all being worked to a slight but
regular convex curve, increasing towards the top.
The second feature was represented by two classes,
the one provided with an in-curving lip on the inner
side, the other having no such lip, but ending smoothly
from the inner as well as the outer sectional curve.
The shapes of the lips in the former class showed some
variety; and this variation, together with the third
chief feature, which was also variable, serves best to
define the types. The essential difference, for in-
stance, between the forms 10 and 12 on Pl. XII.,
apart from the quality of the material, lies in the
nature of their rims : but between 12 and 7 it lies in
the differing proportional heights, as between 10 and 8.
The bases of all these vessels were flat, some by
obvious design, as Nos. 4 and 6 ; others seemingly
with the outer curve merely flattened at the bottom,
as No. 2 on the same plate. With regard to this
series of bowls, numerous though they were, it is
noticeable how small is the essential variety in their
types. Their forms also are not new, being prevalent
also generally during the 1st and Ilnd Dynasties ;
even at that early date they may be regarded as
survivals of still earlier forms of the pre-dynastic
period, as may be seen from the numerous examples
found at Abydos (PETRIE, Royal Tombs, II.) and at
Naqada (PETRIE and QuiBELL).
The three forms in syenite outlined on PL. XXVII.,
numbered 1, 2, and 3, from tomb K 5, and the breccia
bowl from the tomb of Hen-Nekht, Pl. XVII., are
also of known types, lasting an earlier date, and con-
tinuing to prevail in general through the time of the
Old Kingdom.
TJie Vessels and Tables of Alabaster.
Plates XIII., XIV. ; XXL, XXII. ; XXVIL, XXIX.
51. The same remarks apply to the vessels of
alabaster: the forms outlined on Pl. XIII. and XIV.
(excepting those numbered 9, 13, 14 and 25), as well
as those on Pl. XXL, as far as number 8, are in many
cases almost the same as the prevailing types of the
hard stone bowls. But this alabaster being far com-
moner has proportionately a greater variety of form.
The tall cylindrical vessel of alabaster, numbered 9
of finely polished surface, with a rope pattern below the
rim, is of a type well known in the preceding dynasties.
It occurred only in a few examples in these tombs,
though models of this type, with surface hardly
smoothed and the inside in many cases hardly worked
at all, abounded by hundreds: a selected series of
types of these is given on PL. XXII.
Spouted vessels are features of the deposits ; they
occurred in both large tombs, but in particular were
noticeable in that of Hen-Nekht, both of alabaster
and of copper. The shape of spout is not always the
same : in the cases numbered 13 on Pls. IX. and XXI.
they are short and open ; that numbered 14 on the
former plate, from tombs 1 and 2, is smaller and with
narrower channel. But a more prevailing and interest-
ing form occurs in the cases 10 and 12 on Pl. XXI. as
it does in the copper vessel found in the same tomb.
In these cases the spout has two channels, connected
with the inside by small round holes, and being pro-
longed externally, extend some way without cover.
The tomb K 5 on the whole revealed the greatest
variety of types. In the alabaster vessels numbered
5 and 6 on Pl. XXVIL there is a noticeable resem-
blance to forms dating so far back as the graves of
Naqada. The large base 15 again is indicative of the
large vessels of alabaster that have been recovered at
various times from the necropolis of Abydos.
Another feature of these deposits of the Illrd
Dynasty was the great number and variety of the
tables of offerings. They were always made of
alabaster; in some cases the stem was cut in one
block with the table ; in other cases it was a separate
piece attached sometimes by cement. The tables
were in nearly all cases found shattered, particularly
D
17
frequent, and the superstructure is built up high
above all to give final strength and effect to the
tomb. Thus protected, with its passages and shafts
sealed up and disguised, it may well have been
regarded as the most secure burial place existing in
Egypt at the time. A stone pyramid could hardly
have been more deceptive or difficult to enter than
this great tomb, which, though it had been once
previously opened, at this the second attempt, with
a gang of sixty men, for seven weeks defied an
entrance.
The Hard Stone Bowls.
Plates XL, XII. ; XX.; XXIV., XXVII.
50. There was a general similarity between the
bowls from all the tombs. An exception perhaps was
the case of three vases of syenite found in tomb K 5,
of a form not appearing, in that stone at any rate, in
the other tombs. Syenite of various qualities was the
most abundant of all the hard stones : porphyry also
was common, but breccia was more rare. There are in
the main three chief features distinguishing the types,
{a) the curve of the outline, (b) the shape of the rim,
and (c) the proportional height of the vessels. Among
the vessels discovered the first of these features showed
little variation, nearly all being worked to a slight but
regular convex curve, increasing towards the top.
The second feature was represented by two classes,
the one provided with an in-curving lip on the inner
side, the other having no such lip, but ending smoothly
from the inner as well as the outer sectional curve.
The shapes of the lips in the former class showed some
variety; and this variation, together with the third
chief feature, which was also variable, serves best to
define the types. The essential difference, for in-
stance, between the forms 10 and 12 on Pl. XII.,
apart from the quality of the material, lies in the
nature of their rims : but between 12 and 7 it lies in
the differing proportional heights, as between 10 and 8.
The bases of all these vessels were flat, some by
obvious design, as Nos. 4 and 6 ; others seemingly
with the outer curve merely flattened at the bottom,
as No. 2 on the same plate. With regard to this
series of bowls, numerous though they were, it is
noticeable how small is the essential variety in their
types. Their forms also are not new, being prevalent
also generally during the 1st and Ilnd Dynasties ;
even at that early date they may be regarded as
survivals of still earlier forms of the pre-dynastic
period, as may be seen from the numerous examples
found at Abydos (PETRIE, Royal Tombs, II.) and at
Naqada (PETRIE and QuiBELL).
The three forms in syenite outlined on PL. XXVII.,
numbered 1, 2, and 3, from tomb K 5, and the breccia
bowl from the tomb of Hen-Nekht, Pl. XVII., are
also of known types, lasting an earlier date, and con-
tinuing to prevail in general through the time of the
Old Kingdom.
TJie Vessels and Tables of Alabaster.
Plates XIII., XIV. ; XXL, XXII. ; XXVIL, XXIX.
51. The same remarks apply to the vessels of
alabaster: the forms outlined on Pl. XIII. and XIV.
(excepting those numbered 9, 13, 14 and 25), as well
as those on Pl. XXL, as far as number 8, are in many
cases almost the same as the prevailing types of the
hard stone bowls. But this alabaster being far com-
moner has proportionately a greater variety of form.
The tall cylindrical vessel of alabaster, numbered 9
of finely polished surface, with a rope pattern below the
rim, is of a type well known in the preceding dynasties.
It occurred only in a few examples in these tombs,
though models of this type, with surface hardly
smoothed and the inside in many cases hardly worked
at all, abounded by hundreds: a selected series of
types of these is given on PL. XXII.
Spouted vessels are features of the deposits ; they
occurred in both large tombs, but in particular were
noticeable in that of Hen-Nekht, both of alabaster
and of copper. The shape of spout is not always the
same : in the cases numbered 13 on Pls. IX. and XXI.
they are short and open ; that numbered 14 on the
former plate, from tombs 1 and 2, is smaller and with
narrower channel. But a more prevailing and interest-
ing form occurs in the cases 10 and 12 on Pl. XXI. as
it does in the copper vessel found in the same tomb.
In these cases the spout has two channels, connected
with the inside by small round holes, and being pro-
longed externally, extend some way without cover.
The tomb K 5 on the whole revealed the greatest
variety of types. In the alabaster vessels numbered
5 and 6 on Pl. XXVIL there is a noticeable resem-
blance to forms dating so far back as the graves of
Naqada. The large base 15 again is indicative of the
large vessels of alabaster that have been recovered at
various times from the necropolis of Abydos.
Another feature of these deposits of the Illrd
Dynasty was the great number and variety of the
tables of offerings. They were always made of
alabaster; in some cases the stem was cut in one
block with the table ; in other cases it was a separate
piece attached sometimes by cement. The tables
were in nearly all cases found shattered, particularly
D