DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6641#0077
WORK AT TARRANEH
I found no instance of Hathor neb Mafek in the
inscriptions of Philadelphia, which are singularly
uninteresting. I should suggest from these
scraps that, Soter decorated the interior of the
building, and Philadelphus was chiefly concerned
with the exterior.
Fig. 6, with raised hieroglyphics, is finer than
the average work of Soter, and may be earlier.
It speaks of " [Hathor] the cow in the city of the
great lake sesh urt," and " the cow in the city or
nome of Amu."1
Fig. 13 is a unique cartouche, from the exca-
vation. It is incised in a different style from the
other inscriptions. The dedication to Thoth of
Hermopolis and the form of the name Pen amen
points to an early date. On the other hand, <^~>
is a late form; possibly the occurrence of Ret
amen, in the XXVIIIth dynasty, is a guide to
the chronological position of Pen amen. The
inscription is probably to be restored Q ^g^J
fW^Xl^fe the first cartouche
containing the name of a prince "... loving the
two lands, Penamen, son of the king . . ." The
fragment is in the British Museum.
The main track from Tarraneh to the Natron
Lakes follows the embankment to the edge of the
desert, and then passes between two ancient
settlements, one of which, that on the south, keeps
near the alluvial land; the other on the north,
namely Kum abu Billuh proper, is of great extent,
and reached out westward as far as the temple en-
closure. The latter was apparently a point of
gravitation or attraction for the expanding town,
and no doubt formed an excellent defence against
incursions from the desert.
The mound is very deeply covered with late
For this city see Naukratis II., pp. 78 ff.
03
rubbish, and I could not pierce to the base. So
far as the pits went, red brick was invariably found.
On the surface I picked up part of a circular glass
weight (Arabic), a potsherd on which MIX AH A
was written in red ink, and a Coptic, or Greek,
jar-sealing stamped with a cross in a circle (=0,
around which was * * * * * THC A€CI"10INHC
" of the lady....." five letters being broken away.
Besides these, I found the head of a ram from a
large terra-cotta toy (?). An abundance of clear
glass furnished also the well-known proof of late
date. A Saite ushabti (PI. xx-15)^oJ^(JP]J
" Set ra neferab, daughter of Sen . . ." .. . found
on the surface, had probably done duty as an
amulet, and a similar explanation must be found
for the occurrence of a much-worn specimen of
the hunting scarab of Amenhotep III., which I
bought from a native for 1 piastre. He told me
that it was found in the Kom. Sibdkh is not dug
here, but burnt brick is continually sought for,
and limestone as occasion requires. Many good
bricks are found in the ancient cemetery, although
the main part of every tomb is built of crude
materials. On the north side of the town was
the principal necropolis, but there were many
burials also on the south side, and a few in late
terra-cotta coffins a hundred yards west of the
temple. Numerous chips of Roman limestone
stelae are found on the surface, and one was brought
to me nearly perfect; upon it was sculptured in
high relief a figure of the deceased in the attitude
of teaching or haranguing. At the base was the
inscription (PI. xx. 14), a, " Protarkhus, son of
Sotarion, 29 years old. Year 3, the 2nd day of
Phamenoth," and above had been added another,
b, " Tikinnas, son of Nemesus, Phamenoth (?)
..." As to the tombs, I could not distinguish
I found no instance of Hathor neb Mafek in the
inscriptions of Philadelphia, which are singularly
uninteresting. I should suggest from these
scraps that, Soter decorated the interior of the
building, and Philadelphus was chiefly concerned
with the exterior.
Fig. 6, with raised hieroglyphics, is finer than
the average work of Soter, and may be earlier.
It speaks of " [Hathor] the cow in the city of the
great lake sesh urt," and " the cow in the city or
nome of Amu."1
Fig. 13 is a unique cartouche, from the exca-
vation. It is incised in a different style from the
other inscriptions. The dedication to Thoth of
Hermopolis and the form of the name Pen amen
points to an early date. On the other hand, <^~>
is a late form; possibly the occurrence of Ret
amen, in the XXVIIIth dynasty, is a guide to
the chronological position of Pen amen. The
inscription is probably to be restored Q ^g^J
fW^Xl^fe the first cartouche
containing the name of a prince "... loving the
two lands, Penamen, son of the king . . ." The
fragment is in the British Museum.
The main track from Tarraneh to the Natron
Lakes follows the embankment to the edge of the
desert, and then passes between two ancient
settlements, one of which, that on the south, keeps
near the alluvial land; the other on the north,
namely Kum abu Billuh proper, is of great extent,
and reached out westward as far as the temple en-
closure. The latter was apparently a point of
gravitation or attraction for the expanding town,
and no doubt formed an excellent defence against
incursions from the desert.
The mound is very deeply covered with late
For this city see Naukratis II., pp. 78 ff.
03
rubbish, and I could not pierce to the base. So
far as the pits went, red brick was invariably found.
On the surface I picked up part of a circular glass
weight (Arabic), a potsherd on which MIX AH A
was written in red ink, and a Coptic, or Greek,
jar-sealing stamped with a cross in a circle (=0,
around which was * * * * * THC A€CI"10INHC
" of the lady....." five letters being broken away.
Besides these, I found the head of a ram from a
large terra-cotta toy (?). An abundance of clear
glass furnished also the well-known proof of late
date. A Saite ushabti (PI. xx-15)^oJ^(JP]J
" Set ra neferab, daughter of Sen . . ." .. . found
on the surface, had probably done duty as an
amulet, and a similar explanation must be found
for the occurrence of a much-worn specimen of
the hunting scarab of Amenhotep III., which I
bought from a native for 1 piastre. He told me
that it was found in the Kom. Sibdkh is not dug
here, but burnt brick is continually sought for,
and limestone as occasion requires. Many good
bricks are found in the ancient cemetery, although
the main part of every tomb is built of crude
materials. On the north side of the town was
the principal necropolis, but there were many
burials also on the south side, and a few in late
terra-cotta coffins a hundred yards west of the
temple. Numerous chips of Roman limestone
stelae are found on the surface, and one was brought
to me nearly perfect; upon it was sculptured in
high relief a figure of the deceased in the attitude
of teaching or haranguing. At the base was the
inscription (PI. xx. 14), a, " Protarkhus, son of
Sotarion, 29 years old. Year 3, the 2nd day of
Phamenoth," and above had been added another,
b, " Tikinnas, son of Nemesus, Phamenoth (?)
..." As to the tombs, I could not distinguish