DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.50107#0124
104 OBJECTS FOUND IN CEM. N 500-900
With these figures before us it is now possible to determine as exactly as the condition of the
cemetery permits the frequency of the use of vessels of the different materials for the whole period and for
its three chief subdivisions (Dyn. II—III, Dyn. IV, and Dyn. V-VI). It is obvious that the absolute
numbers of stone or pottery vessels as found do not correspond necessarily to the original numbers, but
give only the original numbers as modified by disturbance (theft, weathering, and sebakh-digging).
The degree of preservation is difficult to determine. I take as an approximate basis those graves which
contain body and/or vessels (line c), and exclude the empty graves from consideration. The empty
graves had been entirely cleared out before we came to the cemetery; and although it is quite impossible
to tell whether they ever had contained anything besides the body, I assume that they once presented
about the same average contents as the better preserved graves. Until quite recent times, plunderers
were looking for precious metals, which were usually on the body; and therefore the body even when it
bore no gold ornaments was usually broken up by the thieves in their search. The pottery and stone
vessels on the other hand were only incidentally removed. The 34 intact graves were perfectly preserved,
except for natural decay. The remaining 290 graves I count as sufficiently preserved for the purposes of
our comparison. But it must be distinctly understood that this total of 324 graves (34 + 290) furnishes
only an approximate basis which is, however, the best obtainable under the circumstances. The original
figures for the frequency of vessels should be slightly larger than those actually obtained. The index
of preservation (1 = perfect) of the graves of the three periods may be taken as the result of dividing the
figures of line (c) by those of line («), as follows:
Dyn.
II-III
Dyn.
IV
Dyn.
V-VI
Whole
Period
Index of preservation (c/a)
0-41
0-41
0-76
0-52
Thus the cemeteries of Dyn. II—III and Dyn. IV were in an equally poor state of preservation, while
that of Dyn. V-VI was in a fairly good condition. By taking the figures of line (c), as the basis for the
following calculations, the index of preservation is eliminated from consideration, and all processes are
simplified.
It is evident from line (/) that a number of graves had never contained either stone or pottery vessels.
A total of 138 graves contained only body (or bodies) without vessels and 12 of these were intact graves.
The approximate proportion of graves which contained stone vessels or pottery vessels may be obtained
by taking the numbers in line (c) as 100% and estimating the per cents, of the figures in lines (m) and (zz).
These figures are contained in lines (x) and (y) (Table IV). Line (x) shows a steady decrease in the pro-
portion of graves which contained stone vessels through the three periods in chronological order, 81-4%,
20-8%, and 8-4%. Line (y), on the other hand, shows a fairly steady occurrence of graves containing
pottery vessels with a slight increase in Dyn. IV, 37-2%, 43-8%, and 36-8%.
To obtain the frequency of the occurrence of stone and pottery vessels, I take the number of vessels
of each kind and period (lines p and q) and divide by the number of graves with contents (line c). The
results are given in lines (v), (w), and (vzv), which give the number of vessels per grave with contents
(frequency index):
Dyn.
Dyn.
Dyn.
Whole
Frequency indices:
II-III
IV
V-VI
Period
Of stone vessels
2-0
0-56
0-23
0-76
Of pottery vessels .
1-0
0-56
o-6
07
Of copper vessels .
0-05
• •
0-006
Of all vessels .
• • 3’0
1-17
0-83
1-466
With these figures before us it is now possible to determine as exactly as the condition of the
cemetery permits the frequency of the use of vessels of the different materials for the whole period and for
its three chief subdivisions (Dyn. II—III, Dyn. IV, and Dyn. V-VI). It is obvious that the absolute
numbers of stone or pottery vessels as found do not correspond necessarily to the original numbers, but
give only the original numbers as modified by disturbance (theft, weathering, and sebakh-digging).
The degree of preservation is difficult to determine. I take as an approximate basis those graves which
contain body and/or vessels (line c), and exclude the empty graves from consideration. The empty
graves had been entirely cleared out before we came to the cemetery; and although it is quite impossible
to tell whether they ever had contained anything besides the body, I assume that they once presented
about the same average contents as the better preserved graves. Until quite recent times, plunderers
were looking for precious metals, which were usually on the body; and therefore the body even when it
bore no gold ornaments was usually broken up by the thieves in their search. The pottery and stone
vessels on the other hand were only incidentally removed. The 34 intact graves were perfectly preserved,
except for natural decay. The remaining 290 graves I count as sufficiently preserved for the purposes of
our comparison. But it must be distinctly understood that this total of 324 graves (34 + 290) furnishes
only an approximate basis which is, however, the best obtainable under the circumstances. The original
figures for the frequency of vessels should be slightly larger than those actually obtained. The index
of preservation (1 = perfect) of the graves of the three periods may be taken as the result of dividing the
figures of line (c) by those of line («), as follows:
Dyn.
II-III
Dyn.
IV
Dyn.
V-VI
Whole
Period
Index of preservation (c/a)
0-41
0-41
0-76
0-52
Thus the cemeteries of Dyn. II—III and Dyn. IV were in an equally poor state of preservation, while
that of Dyn. V-VI was in a fairly good condition. By taking the figures of line (c), as the basis for the
following calculations, the index of preservation is eliminated from consideration, and all processes are
simplified.
It is evident from line (/) that a number of graves had never contained either stone or pottery vessels.
A total of 138 graves contained only body (or bodies) without vessels and 12 of these were intact graves.
The approximate proportion of graves which contained stone vessels or pottery vessels may be obtained
by taking the numbers in line (c) as 100% and estimating the per cents, of the figures in lines (m) and (zz).
These figures are contained in lines (x) and (y) (Table IV). Line (x) shows a steady decrease in the pro-
portion of graves which contained stone vessels through the three periods in chronological order, 81-4%,
20-8%, and 8-4%. Line (y), on the other hand, shows a fairly steady occurrence of graves containing
pottery vessels with a slight increase in Dyn. IV, 37-2%, 43-8%, and 36-8%.
To obtain the frequency of the occurrence of stone and pottery vessels, I take the number of vessels
of each kind and period (lines p and q) and divide by the number of graves with contents (line c). The
results are given in lines (v), (w), and (vzv), which give the number of vessels per grave with contents
(frequency index):
Dyn.
Dyn.
Dyn.
Whole
Frequency indices:
II-III
IV
V-VI
Period
Of stone vessels
2-0
0-56
0-23
0-76
Of pottery vessels .
1-0
0-56
o-6
07
Of copper vessels .
0-05
• •
0-006
Of all vessels .
• • 3’0
1-17
0-83
1-466