DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.50107#0183
IV. THE CHRONOLOGY OF CEM. N 500-900
THE two higher and more prominent knolls bordering the fertile land at Naga-’d-Der between
Wadys Nos. 2 and 3 were occupied by the Cemeteries N 1500 and N 3000 (see Naga-d-Der, I).
Both these were of Dyn. I—II and were completely filled except perhaps that there was room for a few
small graves; and in fact a few stone-roofed graves (type iv a) and a closed corbel grave (type v a) were
inserted after Dyn. II. ‘Northwards’ stood the limestone cliffs which were occupied by rock-cut tombs
during Dyn. V-XII but useless to the men of Dyn. Ill, who were unable to excavate the rock. In this
same direction a small gravel knoll on the northern bank of Wady No. 2 was not large enough for a
stairway tomb. Still farther ‘north’, the ‘southern’ bank of Wady No. 1 was also unsuitable for the
stairway type of tombs, but was actually covered with small tombs of which a few were corbel-vaulted
tombs with entrance (of Dyn. II) and the rest were small stone-roofed tombs of Dyn. II—III (see Mace,
Naga-d-Der, II, Cem. N 3500-5000). Similarly in the wady at the extreme ‘northern’ end of the site
was another small plundered cemetery of stone-roofed graves. These two ‘northernmost’ cemeteries
of Dyn. II—III probably belonged to small separate communities, not to the community which had
produced Cem. N 1500 and N 3000. In any case, the richer community which made the two cemeteries,
N 1500 and N 3000 with their numerous large tombs, could have found no place for tombs of corre-
sponding size anywhere near the old cemetery sites except in the low broad alluvial knoll (Cem. N 500)
adjoining Cem. N 1500 on the ‘south’. There was a large space on the level high ground ‘east’ of Cem.
N 3000 but here the limestone stratum was close to the surface and at the end of Dyn. II still presented
insuperable difficulties to the provincial workmen of the period.
Cem. N 500-900 extended along the ‘northern’ bank of Wady No. 3. The ‘western’ end of the bank
was separated from the alluvial knoll of Cem. N 1500 by an indentation in the coastal line and lower
ground. This lower ground had already been used for a few outlying graves of Cem. N 1500, and was
passed over when Cem. N 500 became the locus of a new cemetery belonging to a new generation
of men from the same community. The new cemetery (N 500) began of course with larger graves but
not necessarily with the large tombs of the stairway type. The graves in this western end of N 500 are
all of the stone-roofed type of which a few examples occurred in Cem. N 1500. It is clear from the
general situation, and because of the continuation of the stone-roofed type from Cem. N 1500 to Cem.
N 500, that Cem. N 500 succeeded Cem. N 1500 in time. The series of objects, as has been shown,
confirms this conclusion.
The ‘western’ part of Cem. N 500-900, that is, map i and map ii A 1-7, is taken by a thickly planted
group of stone-roofed graves of type iv a and b merging ‘eastwards’ into graves of type iv c and v f.
Farther ‘east’ on map ii BCDEFG lies a more widely spaced group of stairway graves (types IV A and
B), fourteen in number; these are surrounded by graves of types iv c, v f, and outlying graves of different
types on the ‘north’ and the ‘south’. Still farther ‘east’ lies one more stairway tomb (ii HI 5-6). Before
it and behind lie graves types v d, v c, v a, v b, &c. Then follow on map iii three large mastabas with
graves of types v a, v b, and v c. And beyond lies a thickly planted group of pit and chamber graves of
Dyn. V-VI types. Finally, on the side of the wady lies an enclave of graves (group j) of the older types
iv a and b. The types of graves on the ‘west’ and those on the ‘east’ are widely separated in time, as is
shown not merely by the difference in the types of graves in these two localities but also by the difference
in the types of burials and other contents of the graves. The great number of grave types in the cemetery,
THE two higher and more prominent knolls bordering the fertile land at Naga-’d-Der between
Wadys Nos. 2 and 3 were occupied by the Cemeteries N 1500 and N 3000 (see Naga-d-Der, I).
Both these were of Dyn. I—II and were completely filled except perhaps that there was room for a few
small graves; and in fact a few stone-roofed graves (type iv a) and a closed corbel grave (type v a) were
inserted after Dyn. II. ‘Northwards’ stood the limestone cliffs which were occupied by rock-cut tombs
during Dyn. V-XII but useless to the men of Dyn. Ill, who were unable to excavate the rock. In this
same direction a small gravel knoll on the northern bank of Wady No. 2 was not large enough for a
stairway tomb. Still farther ‘north’, the ‘southern’ bank of Wady No. 1 was also unsuitable for the
stairway type of tombs, but was actually covered with small tombs of which a few were corbel-vaulted
tombs with entrance (of Dyn. II) and the rest were small stone-roofed tombs of Dyn. II—III (see Mace,
Naga-d-Der, II, Cem. N 3500-5000). Similarly in the wady at the extreme ‘northern’ end of the site
was another small plundered cemetery of stone-roofed graves. These two ‘northernmost’ cemeteries
of Dyn. II—III probably belonged to small separate communities, not to the community which had
produced Cem. N 1500 and N 3000. In any case, the richer community which made the two cemeteries,
N 1500 and N 3000 with their numerous large tombs, could have found no place for tombs of corre-
sponding size anywhere near the old cemetery sites except in the low broad alluvial knoll (Cem. N 500)
adjoining Cem. N 1500 on the ‘south’. There was a large space on the level high ground ‘east’ of Cem.
N 3000 but here the limestone stratum was close to the surface and at the end of Dyn. II still presented
insuperable difficulties to the provincial workmen of the period.
Cem. N 500-900 extended along the ‘northern’ bank of Wady No. 3. The ‘western’ end of the bank
was separated from the alluvial knoll of Cem. N 1500 by an indentation in the coastal line and lower
ground. This lower ground had already been used for a few outlying graves of Cem. N 1500, and was
passed over when Cem. N 500 became the locus of a new cemetery belonging to a new generation
of men from the same community. The new cemetery (N 500) began of course with larger graves but
not necessarily with the large tombs of the stairway type. The graves in this western end of N 500 are
all of the stone-roofed type of which a few examples occurred in Cem. N 1500. It is clear from the
general situation, and because of the continuation of the stone-roofed type from Cem. N 1500 to Cem.
N 500, that Cem. N 500 succeeded Cem. N 1500 in time. The series of objects, as has been shown,
confirms this conclusion.
The ‘western’ part of Cem. N 500-900, that is, map i and map ii A 1-7, is taken by a thickly planted
group of stone-roofed graves of type iv a and b merging ‘eastwards’ into graves of type iv c and v f.
Farther ‘east’ on map ii BCDEFG lies a more widely spaced group of stairway graves (types IV A and
B), fourteen in number; these are surrounded by graves of types iv c, v f, and outlying graves of different
types on the ‘north’ and the ‘south’. Still farther ‘east’ lies one more stairway tomb (ii HI 5-6). Before
it and behind lie graves types v d, v c, v a, v b, &c. Then follow on map iii three large mastabas with
graves of types v a, v b, and v c. And beyond lies a thickly planted group of pit and chamber graves of
Dyn. V-VI types. Finally, on the side of the wady lies an enclave of graves (group j) of the older types
iv a and b. The types of graves on the ‘west’ and those on the ‘east’ are widely separated in time, as is
shown not merely by the difference in the types of graves in these two localities but also by the difference
in the types of burials and other contents of the graves. The great number of grave types in the cemetery,