DOI article:
Derry, Douglas Erith: Anatomical report (B)
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18103#0048
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very few skeletons, and these were in an extremely bad state of
preservation.
No predynastic skeletons were obtained in a sufficiently good
condition to allow of measurements being taken.
Middle Nubian Kemains.
Only six skulls were obtained in a sufficiently good state to allow
of complete measurements being made. Two were men and four
women.
Of the men. one had a long ellipsoid, very narrow, Negro head,
the basi-bregmatic height exceeding the breadth by 23 millimetres,
the most extreme difference which has been measured during this
season's work. No prognathism was visible, however, nor was there
any approximation to it on measurement. In spite of this, the
general facial appearance was very suggestive of Negro influence.
The second man conformed to the Egyptian type with orthognathous
face and narrow, very prominent nose.
Amongst the women, the Nubian type, as has been frequently noticed,
was much more uniformly exhibited. All were definitely prognathous
to the eye, but in only one case did the facial base exceed cranial base.
The shape of two of the skulls varied somewhat from the prevailing
type, one being almost beloid, and the other also was described as a
short, broad, coffin-shaped skull.
Cemetery 74.
This was a very large cemetery, the total number of graves excavated
being 375. Of these an immense number had been completely de-
stroyed by water soakage, the bones being tightly fixed in the hardened
earth, and falling to pieces when this was removed. The great majority
of these were assigned to the Coptic period. A few Pre-Christian
Nubian (X-group) burials were also found, and at the most southerly
extremity some Middle Nubian (C-group) graves were exposed.
Coptic Burials.
Some of the bodies are evidently Egyptian. Of six men completely
measured, four were put down as Egyptians. The women were
Nubian, with possibly one exception.
very few skeletons, and these were in an extremely bad state of
preservation.
No predynastic skeletons were obtained in a sufficiently good
condition to allow of measurements being taken.
Middle Nubian Kemains.
Only six skulls were obtained in a sufficiently good state to allow
of complete measurements being made. Two were men and four
women.
Of the men. one had a long ellipsoid, very narrow, Negro head,
the basi-bregmatic height exceeding the breadth by 23 millimetres,
the most extreme difference which has been measured during this
season's work. No prognathism was visible, however, nor was there
any approximation to it on measurement. In spite of this, the
general facial appearance was very suggestive of Negro influence.
The second man conformed to the Egyptian type with orthognathous
face and narrow, very prominent nose.
Amongst the women, the Nubian type, as has been frequently noticed,
was much more uniformly exhibited. All were definitely prognathous
to the eye, but in only one case did the facial base exceed cranial base.
The shape of two of the skulls varied somewhat from the prevailing
type, one being almost beloid, and the other also was described as a
short, broad, coffin-shaped skull.
Cemetery 74.
This was a very large cemetery, the total number of graves excavated
being 375. Of these an immense number had been completely de-
stroyed by water soakage, the bones being tightly fixed in the hardened
earth, and falling to pieces when this was removed. The great majority
of these were assigned to the Coptic period. A few Pre-Christian
Nubian (X-group) burials were also found, and at the most southerly
extremity some Middle Nubian (C-group) graves were exposed.
Coptic Burials.
Some of the bodies are evidently Egyptian. Of six men completely
measured, four were put down as Egyptians. The women were
Nubian, with possibly one exception.