DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6641#0063
THE
Beads.—Continued.
Material.
Form in plane ol
axis.
Size.
(Axial
length x
diameter1.
Form in
ihe Plate
Remarks.
Blue, translucent ~i
glass. )
Irregular,
round.
3 w ?
To A 5
m.
1, perhaps
doubtful.
Dark brown porce- ^
lain. )
Brick.
3 V 5
10 ^ 32
i.
Annexed (6
together),
numerous.
Do.
»>
5 X- 16
Do.,scarce-
ly divided
(4 together)
White do.
Pipe.
TO X ?
Annexed.
White or yellowish do.
Flower-shaped.
^_ V i
32 ^ 4
a.
Numerous.
White do. with"^
longitudinal dark >
brown stripe. )
Briok,imitating
cowries ?
1 V 1 V 5
2 A 8 A 10
e. to /.
Do.
Dark brown do.
Rounded.
*°:rVXs
Do., some
chained.
Pale blue do.
Short.
smaller.
Many
chained.
Do.
Pipe-shaped.
1 1 v 3
"52 A "52
A few.
Yellow do.
Short.
JOAUU'
smaller.
Many
chained.
Four moulds were brought to me which possibly belong
to a different deposit, the clay of which they are formed
being coarser. They are for an atef crown, a pendant with
a crocodile d, a similar pendant with bull, and lastly one to
stamp the reverse of a sacred eye. The design is in relief,
with a wide margin in order to receive the edges of the
upper mould. The style is the same as in those from the
factory, but the details are different.
It is noteworthy that on comparing the from the
factory and a few other specimens from Tell el YahMiyeh
with those from the mummy-chambers of Tell Basta, an
important difference is traceable in the style. In the
Ramesside examples the eyes are roughly moulded, with very
deep channelling. The amulet-makers of the XXIInd
dynasty on the other hand prefer to have the spaces between
the details wide and smooth, with a gentle curve, and the
details, although sometimes skeletonized, are never deeply
embossed. The Ramesside eyes, too, seem to be almost
uniform and always of moderate size, while those of the
XXIInd are much varied, and often of great size. During
the Saite period the eyes were flat and the details incised.
The occurrence of Ptah and Sekhet in this Ramesside
factory is noticeable. They are abundant also in the
XXIInd dynasty.
The great fortifications, which cut in two the
cemetery of the Middle Kingdom, may be attri-
buted to the New Kingdom. They appear to be
double, consisting of two ramparts, each of which
is protected by a ditch.1
Unfortunately a hurried excavation, which I began in
May, in order to ascertain on what stratum the sand ram-
1 See plan in PI. ix.
'1UATI0NS. 4c>
parts rested, had to be stopped before the base was reached,
in order to give me time for an expedition to the neighbour-
hood of Siut. I have, however, noted the following points :
TJie inner enclosure consists of a rampart, and outside it
a ditch, which furnished the materials of the rampart. In
the eastern part this consists of fairly clean sand, the ditch
having been excavated in the jezireh; in other parts, espe-
cially south-west and west, chiefly of mud and rubbish. The
height of the sand in the loftiest part is not less than 18 ft.
The ditch in some places, at least on the sandy east,
north, north-west, and south sides, was lined with stone to
hold back the sand. In others the upper part of the mud
slope of the rampart was carefully smoothed down, and
sometimes bricked in receding courses (afterwards smoothed
with mud), in order both to hold the rubbish in and to pre-
sent a slippery surface to an attacking party. The ditch
may have been lined here also, but is still choked up, while
in other parts the fellahin are actively digging out the blocks
of stone lining.
I at first thought, like my predecessors, that these blocks
had been the stone facing of a trick wall (cut away) instead
of the lining of a ditch, but they are found equally on the
inner side against the sand rampart. As far as I could tell,
only loose blocks were found in the middle of the ditch, so it
was not a solid stone wall carried down to a rock foundation
(which, with its width of 32 feet, would have been in the
last degree unlikely, for even in Upper Egypt, where stone
is abundant, all town walls are of brick).
I doubt whether a wall was ever built on this rampart.
Nothing of the kind can be found now.
A gateway can be identified, I think, at the junction of
the north and north-west sides, where there is a complete
break in the sand. Other level entrances are not likely to have
existed, and though I searched carefully, I could trace none.
The outer enclosure consisted also of rampart and ditch,
but is now visible only where the ditch crossed the jezireh
at the east end. The remainder being beyond the sand,
consisted no doubt of mud, and has been levelled.
On the jezireh, at about 100 feet from the first rampart,
rise two sandbanks, separated by a less elevated space. The
northern bank reaches a height of fifty feet, and so com-
pletely commands the inner rampart, that it cannot be con-
temporary with it unless it has been increased by later
additions. Outside it is another stone-lined ditch, unfortu-
nately choked up, except on each side of the passage between
the two mounds. Here I cleared a small space and found
the lining on both sides. The width, including the lining,
which appeared to be double at the base, is 32 feet.
The rampart is crowned by a massive wall, built, as usual,
in separate towers. Some of the blocks or towers are placed
at right angles to the rest of the wall, appearing like but-
tresses, and although, on such an insecure foundation, they
could not have the strengthening effect of true buttresses,
they doubtless gave the defenders better opportunities of
molesting assailants. A considerable part of this wall
remains, but the natives are digging away the mixed rubble
Beads.—Continued.
Material.
Form in plane ol
axis.
Size.
(Axial
length x
diameter1.
Form in
ihe Plate
Remarks.
Blue, translucent ~i
glass. )
Irregular,
round.
3 w ?
To A 5
m.
1, perhaps
doubtful.
Dark brown porce- ^
lain. )
Brick.
3 V 5
10 ^ 32
i.
Annexed (6
together),
numerous.
Do.
»>
5 X- 16
Do.,scarce-
ly divided
(4 together)
White do.
Pipe.
TO X ?
Annexed.
White or yellowish do.
Flower-shaped.
^_ V i
32 ^ 4
a.
Numerous.
White do. with"^
longitudinal dark >
brown stripe. )
Briok,imitating
cowries ?
1 V 1 V 5
2 A 8 A 10
e. to /.
Do.
Dark brown do.
Rounded.
*°:rVXs
Do., some
chained.
Pale blue do.
Short.
smaller.
Many
chained.
Do.
Pipe-shaped.
1 1 v 3
"52 A "52
A few.
Yellow do.
Short.
JOAUU'
smaller.
Many
chained.
Four moulds were brought to me which possibly belong
to a different deposit, the clay of which they are formed
being coarser. They are for an atef crown, a pendant with
a crocodile d, a similar pendant with bull, and lastly one to
stamp the reverse of a sacred eye. The design is in relief,
with a wide margin in order to receive the edges of the
upper mould. The style is the same as in those from the
factory, but the details are different.
It is noteworthy that on comparing the from the
factory and a few other specimens from Tell el YahMiyeh
with those from the mummy-chambers of Tell Basta, an
important difference is traceable in the style. In the
Ramesside examples the eyes are roughly moulded, with very
deep channelling. The amulet-makers of the XXIInd
dynasty on the other hand prefer to have the spaces between
the details wide and smooth, with a gentle curve, and the
details, although sometimes skeletonized, are never deeply
embossed. The Ramesside eyes, too, seem to be almost
uniform and always of moderate size, while those of the
XXIInd are much varied, and often of great size. During
the Saite period the eyes were flat and the details incised.
The occurrence of Ptah and Sekhet in this Ramesside
factory is noticeable. They are abundant also in the
XXIInd dynasty.
The great fortifications, which cut in two the
cemetery of the Middle Kingdom, may be attri-
buted to the New Kingdom. They appear to be
double, consisting of two ramparts, each of which
is protected by a ditch.1
Unfortunately a hurried excavation, which I began in
May, in order to ascertain on what stratum the sand ram-
1 See plan in PI. ix.
'1UATI0NS. 4c>
parts rested, had to be stopped before the base was reached,
in order to give me time for an expedition to the neighbour-
hood of Siut. I have, however, noted the following points :
TJie inner enclosure consists of a rampart, and outside it
a ditch, which furnished the materials of the rampart. In
the eastern part this consists of fairly clean sand, the ditch
having been excavated in the jezireh; in other parts, espe-
cially south-west and west, chiefly of mud and rubbish. The
height of the sand in the loftiest part is not less than 18 ft.
The ditch in some places, at least on the sandy east,
north, north-west, and south sides, was lined with stone to
hold back the sand. In others the upper part of the mud
slope of the rampart was carefully smoothed down, and
sometimes bricked in receding courses (afterwards smoothed
with mud), in order both to hold the rubbish in and to pre-
sent a slippery surface to an attacking party. The ditch
may have been lined here also, but is still choked up, while
in other parts the fellahin are actively digging out the blocks
of stone lining.
I at first thought, like my predecessors, that these blocks
had been the stone facing of a trick wall (cut away) instead
of the lining of a ditch, but they are found equally on the
inner side against the sand rampart. As far as I could tell,
only loose blocks were found in the middle of the ditch, so it
was not a solid stone wall carried down to a rock foundation
(which, with its width of 32 feet, would have been in the
last degree unlikely, for even in Upper Egypt, where stone
is abundant, all town walls are of brick).
I doubt whether a wall was ever built on this rampart.
Nothing of the kind can be found now.
A gateway can be identified, I think, at the junction of
the north and north-west sides, where there is a complete
break in the sand. Other level entrances are not likely to have
existed, and though I searched carefully, I could trace none.
The outer enclosure consisted also of rampart and ditch,
but is now visible only where the ditch crossed the jezireh
at the east end. The remainder being beyond the sand,
consisted no doubt of mud, and has been levelled.
On the jezireh, at about 100 feet from the first rampart,
rise two sandbanks, separated by a less elevated space. The
northern bank reaches a height of fifty feet, and so com-
pletely commands the inner rampart, that it cannot be con-
temporary with it unless it has been increased by later
additions. Outside it is another stone-lined ditch, unfortu-
nately choked up, except on each side of the passage between
the two mounds. Here I cleared a small space and found
the lining on both sides. The width, including the lining,
which appeared to be double at the base, is 32 feet.
The rampart is crowned by a massive wall, built, as usual,
in separate towers. Some of the blocks or towers are placed
at right angles to the rest of the wall, appearing like but-
tresses, and although, on such an insecure foundation, they
could not have the strengthening effect of true buttresses,
they doubtless gave the defenders better opportunities of
molesting assailants. A considerable part of this wall
remains, but the natives are digging away the mixed rubble