DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4657#0034
THE TOMBS AND BURIALS.
29
that were recorded. This selection has been made
with a double aim, chiefly to secure an average repre-
sentation of the burials accompanied by deposits, but
partly also to illustrate in detail the features of one
or two burials of exceptional interest. Thus the
thirteen diagrams on Pl. XLIII. convey a correct
impression of the more interesting burials, but are
not an average general selection from the whole
number. A great majority of the graves contained
burials that were undistinctive, being unaccompanied
by any deposit, and so were less directly instructive.
The furnished burials, however, were sufficiently
numerous to provide cumulative evidence as to their
own special character. In addition to those remark-
able for richness of their tomb furniture, the features
generally characteristic are deposits of stone vases or
the presence of beads and amulets. Before making
any general comment as to the distribution or dating
of these features, it will be best to examine more
closely the details of the cases selected on Pl. XLIII.
They are assigned numbers merely in working routine,
and arrange themselves only roughly and by accident
in anything like sequence.
M 70. The first diagram on Pl. XLIII. shows a
skeleton in a somewhat unusual position, the right
hand only being before the face, and the left leg fully
bent at the knee. The body lay on its left side, with
its head to the north. It was in a recess in the west
side of a shallow pit dug in the sand, walled about on
the two exposed sides with brick. Under the head,
and wholly hidden, was a mirror (Pl. XL. 17); while
the other tomb furniture consisted of a deposit of
four alabaster vases, whose forms are outlined on
PL. XXXVI., the numbers 12-15 corresponding to
the a, b, c, d, respectively in the diagram. Photo-
graphs of these objects appear on Pl. XXXIV.
M 87. This burial lay in a small chamber, one
metre high and wide, and two metres long, in the
south end at the bottom of a pit tomb three metres
deep, of which the upmost metre was strengthened
with brick walls. The tomb was not furnished with
any large objects, but around the neck of the burial
were two necklaces of uncommon quality. The one
consisted chiefly of white beads, with which pen-
dants of carnelian and green glaze were occasionally
threaded with good effect, as shown in the left hand
of the diagram. The other contained, as a special
feature, a series of gold pendants (shown in the
photograph on PL. XXXIV.) which were threaded
on a string with other pendants (Pl. XXXIX.), beads,
and a seal (Pl. XXXIX.), as shown in the right hand
of the diagram. The arrangement shows a pendant
of carnelian between two white beads in a string of
black ; then follows another bird-pendant of carnelian
between two pairs of white beads ; after which comes
a gold pendant of the vulture and uraeus combination,
representing the sma-wti, uniter of the two Egypts.
A crowned figure of gold follows, between a bead of
carnelian and two glazed beads, after which comes
another sma-wti pendant of gold between a similar
combination. A hieroglyphic sign as a golden pen-
dant and a glazed seal complete the portion of the
necklet represented in the diagram. The remainder
was continued in the same fashion, the alternation of
gold and carnelian pendants with small beads, and
ended in a long thread of black glazed beads. It is
noteworthy that, although the seal, as usual, is of
somewhat conventional geometrical pattern, without
any use of hieroglyphs as on the scarab of later times,
yet the use of special hieroglyphic signs as pendants
is quite familiar. The burial lay almost extended on
its back, with the head to the north, and face towards
the east.
M 100. In the case of the burial represented by
the third diagram on Pl. XLIII., there is an absence
of larger objects, but it is noticeable on account of
some special features among its smaller ornaments.
The head was to the north, as was invariably the
case, and the burial lay in the northern chamber,
which was just large enough to receive it, in a shaft
some four metres deep. The body lay in a usual
position, extended, and chiefly on its back, being only
partly turned over on its left side. The face, as usual,
lay on the left side also, and in this position partly
rested upon a mirror (a). Probably the head had
been originally upon its back, with the mirror sticking
vertically into the sand, but had fallen in time into
the position in which it was found. The remains of
a wooden handle, rotted, were found associated with
the mirror. Around the neck, and over the breast,
lay a necklace (b), consisting of beads of carnelian
and glaze on different threads, and in the centre some
small beads and bird-pendants of gold. A long string
of glazed beads, with which was threaded also the
button seal shown on Pl. XXXIX., seems to have
been held loosely in the left hand (c). With the right
hand was found one large carnelian bead (d) ; but it
had fallen away, and so it cannot be said whether it
had been the chief ornament to a thread ring or
bracelet, or whether it had been held in the hand.
Around each ankle (e, f) was a string of medium-
sized carnelian beads, and threaded with each a pen-
29
that were recorded. This selection has been made
with a double aim, chiefly to secure an average repre-
sentation of the burials accompanied by deposits, but
partly also to illustrate in detail the features of one
or two burials of exceptional interest. Thus the
thirteen diagrams on Pl. XLIII. convey a correct
impression of the more interesting burials, but are
not an average general selection from the whole
number. A great majority of the graves contained
burials that were undistinctive, being unaccompanied
by any deposit, and so were less directly instructive.
The furnished burials, however, were sufficiently
numerous to provide cumulative evidence as to their
own special character. In addition to those remark-
able for richness of their tomb furniture, the features
generally characteristic are deposits of stone vases or
the presence of beads and amulets. Before making
any general comment as to the distribution or dating
of these features, it will be best to examine more
closely the details of the cases selected on Pl. XLIII.
They are assigned numbers merely in working routine,
and arrange themselves only roughly and by accident
in anything like sequence.
M 70. The first diagram on Pl. XLIII. shows a
skeleton in a somewhat unusual position, the right
hand only being before the face, and the left leg fully
bent at the knee. The body lay on its left side, with
its head to the north. It was in a recess in the west
side of a shallow pit dug in the sand, walled about on
the two exposed sides with brick. Under the head,
and wholly hidden, was a mirror (Pl. XL. 17); while
the other tomb furniture consisted of a deposit of
four alabaster vases, whose forms are outlined on
PL. XXXVI., the numbers 12-15 corresponding to
the a, b, c, d, respectively in the diagram. Photo-
graphs of these objects appear on Pl. XXXIV.
M 87. This burial lay in a small chamber, one
metre high and wide, and two metres long, in the
south end at the bottom of a pit tomb three metres
deep, of which the upmost metre was strengthened
with brick walls. The tomb was not furnished with
any large objects, but around the neck of the burial
were two necklaces of uncommon quality. The one
consisted chiefly of white beads, with which pen-
dants of carnelian and green glaze were occasionally
threaded with good effect, as shown in the left hand
of the diagram. The other contained, as a special
feature, a series of gold pendants (shown in the
photograph on PL. XXXIV.) which were threaded
on a string with other pendants (Pl. XXXIX.), beads,
and a seal (Pl. XXXIX.), as shown in the right hand
of the diagram. The arrangement shows a pendant
of carnelian between two white beads in a string of
black ; then follows another bird-pendant of carnelian
between two pairs of white beads ; after which comes
a gold pendant of the vulture and uraeus combination,
representing the sma-wti, uniter of the two Egypts.
A crowned figure of gold follows, between a bead of
carnelian and two glazed beads, after which comes
another sma-wti pendant of gold between a similar
combination. A hieroglyphic sign as a golden pen-
dant and a glazed seal complete the portion of the
necklet represented in the diagram. The remainder
was continued in the same fashion, the alternation of
gold and carnelian pendants with small beads, and
ended in a long thread of black glazed beads. It is
noteworthy that, although the seal, as usual, is of
somewhat conventional geometrical pattern, without
any use of hieroglyphs as on the scarab of later times,
yet the use of special hieroglyphic signs as pendants
is quite familiar. The burial lay almost extended on
its back, with the head to the north, and face towards
the east.
M 100. In the case of the burial represented by
the third diagram on Pl. XLIII., there is an absence
of larger objects, but it is noticeable on account of
some special features among its smaller ornaments.
The head was to the north, as was invariably the
case, and the burial lay in the northern chamber,
which was just large enough to receive it, in a shaft
some four metres deep. The body lay in a usual
position, extended, and chiefly on its back, being only
partly turned over on its left side. The face, as usual,
lay on the left side also, and in this position partly
rested upon a mirror (a). Probably the head had
been originally upon its back, with the mirror sticking
vertically into the sand, but had fallen in time into
the position in which it was found. The remains of
a wooden handle, rotted, were found associated with
the mirror. Around the neck, and over the breast,
lay a necklace (b), consisting of beads of carnelian
and glaze on different threads, and in the centre some
small beads and bird-pendants of gold. A long string
of glazed beads, with which was threaded also the
button seal shown on Pl. XXXIX., seems to have
been held loosely in the left hand (c). With the right
hand was found one large carnelian bead (d) ; but it
had fallen away, and so it cannot be said whether it
had been the chief ornament to a thread ring or
bracelet, or whether it had been held in the hand.
Around each ankle (e, f) was a string of medium-
sized carnelian beads, and threaded with each a pen-