DOI Artikel:
Smith, Elliot: Anatomical Report (A)
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18103#0023
ANATOMICAL REPORT (A)
BY
Dr. G. ELLIOT SMITH, F.R.S.
The examination of the human remains brought to light in the
second season's excavations in Lower Nubia was commenced by
Dr. Douglas Deny at Gennari, near the Bab el Kalabsha, on October 21,
1908. In the accompanying report Dr. Derry gives a summary of the
work accomplished between that date and the end of the year.
Some idea of the damaged and disintegrated condition of the
skeletons found in most of the Nubian cemeteries is afforded by the
fact that the contents of about two thousand graves yielded only
three hundred sets of bones in a state of preservation that permitted
complete measurements to be made, although the other fragments
gave us a great deal of valuable information.
It must be added that several cemeteries of the early Christian
period (sixth and seventh centuries), containing large numbers of
bodies in an excellent state of preservation, have been barely touched,
because, with so much more urgent and fruitful work to do, it seemed
unnecessary to spend time in the examination of skeletons the random
sampling of which revealed a state of affairs and a kind of material
which last year's excavations on the island of Hesa (Cemetery No. 2)
yielded in such overwhelming abundance (see Bulletins Nos. 1 and 2).
If, however, we are able to spare the time for such work later in the
season, as many as possible of these Byzantine Nubian remains will
be examined.
The results so far obtained in this season's work, considered in
conjunction with those which have emerged from the fuller considera-
tion of the material yielded by last winter's excavations, afford strong
confirmation to the general conclusions adumbrated in the first and
second Bulletins, and throw considerable light on much that was
BY
Dr. G. ELLIOT SMITH, F.R.S.
The examination of the human remains brought to light in the
second season's excavations in Lower Nubia was commenced by
Dr. Douglas Deny at Gennari, near the Bab el Kalabsha, on October 21,
1908. In the accompanying report Dr. Derry gives a summary of the
work accomplished between that date and the end of the year.
Some idea of the damaged and disintegrated condition of the
skeletons found in most of the Nubian cemeteries is afforded by the
fact that the contents of about two thousand graves yielded only
three hundred sets of bones in a state of preservation that permitted
complete measurements to be made, although the other fragments
gave us a great deal of valuable information.
It must be added that several cemeteries of the early Christian
period (sixth and seventh centuries), containing large numbers of
bodies in an excellent state of preservation, have been barely touched,
because, with so much more urgent and fruitful work to do, it seemed
unnecessary to spend time in the examination of skeletons the random
sampling of which revealed a state of affairs and a kind of material
which last year's excavations on the island of Hesa (Cemetery No. 2)
yielded in such overwhelming abundance (see Bulletins Nos. 1 and 2).
If, however, we are able to spare the time for such work later in the
season, as many as possible of these Byzantine Nubian remains will
be examined.
The results so far obtained in this season's work, considered in
conjunction with those which have emerged from the fuller considera-
tion of the material yielded by last winter's excavations, afford strong
confirmation to the general conclusions adumbrated in the first and
second Bulletins, and throw considerable light on much that was