DOI issue:
Egypt
DOI article:Cwiek, Andrzej: The stratigraphy of West Saqqara
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.41274#0119
WEST SAQQARA
EGYPT
ADDENDUM
Four types of objects, found widely dis-
persed (in various places and on various lev-
els) all over the site, deserve special atten-
tion, because of their potential value for
chronological analyses. These are: pottery,
bricks, faience plaques, and limestone frag-
ments with traces of drilling operations.
The problem of the supposed reuse of bricks
and sherds, signaled above, requires further
investigation, given the amount of evidence
coming from the site. For example, many
walls in the Sixth Dynasty structures had
been built from reused material, with tafl-
and mudbricks of various dimensions occur-
ring together in the same piece of brick-
work. Faience plaques, of the kind well doc-
umented for the first three dynasties, have
been found in large number (over 130 in the
1999 season). In most cases, they seem to be
residual in the layers of debris over Sixth
Dynasty structures, but some of them were
found at surprisingly low levels. If they
come from the so-called 'Blue chambers'
under the Step Pyramid and the South
Tomb of Netjerykhet, this would point to
an early (Sixth Dynasty or even earlier?) date
of the plundering of the Step Pyramid. It
remains possible, however, that they come
from another early royal monument in the
vicinity. Regarding the limestone fragments
that bear traces of drilling operations
(Fig. _5),18) they are not only found dis-
persed all over the site, but also a large
deposit of these artifacts was discovered in
Area I/D+Dl in the layer of debris covering
the rock surface. This would also point to an
early date, although considering the pur-
pose they probably served,19) one may
assume that they could have been produced
for a long period of time.
Fig. 5. Limestone pieces with traces of drilling
(Photo A. Cwiek)
18> Cf. D. Arnold, Building in Egypt. Pharaonic Stone Masonry (London-New York 1990), 266, fig. 6.21; C. M. Firth,
J. Quibell, J.-P. Lauer, The Step Pyramid, vol. II (Cairo 1936), PI. 86,6; 93,1-2.
19) Contrary to Arnold's opinion that these stones were used as a support for objects that were being drilled, our evidence
suggests that the drilling was intentional, connected somehow with the production of limestone powder for plaster or
paints. Many of the pieces found bear traces of drilling from the opposite sides; moreover, the holes are spaced irregularly,
but very close together, covering and piercing virtually the entire stone. In the author's opinion, a flint-pointed drill was
used, simply to obtain limestone powder in a quicker and more expedient way than grinding the stone, which could pro-
duce the same fine-grained uniform material, but after a much longer time.
117
EGYPT
ADDENDUM
Four types of objects, found widely dis-
persed (in various places and on various lev-
els) all over the site, deserve special atten-
tion, because of their potential value for
chronological analyses. These are: pottery,
bricks, faience plaques, and limestone frag-
ments with traces of drilling operations.
The problem of the supposed reuse of bricks
and sherds, signaled above, requires further
investigation, given the amount of evidence
coming from the site. For example, many
walls in the Sixth Dynasty structures had
been built from reused material, with tafl-
and mudbricks of various dimensions occur-
ring together in the same piece of brick-
work. Faience plaques, of the kind well doc-
umented for the first three dynasties, have
been found in large number (over 130 in the
1999 season). In most cases, they seem to be
residual in the layers of debris over Sixth
Dynasty structures, but some of them were
found at surprisingly low levels. If they
come from the so-called 'Blue chambers'
under the Step Pyramid and the South
Tomb of Netjerykhet, this would point to
an early (Sixth Dynasty or even earlier?) date
of the plundering of the Step Pyramid. It
remains possible, however, that they come
from another early royal monument in the
vicinity. Regarding the limestone fragments
that bear traces of drilling operations
(Fig. _5),18) they are not only found dis-
persed all over the site, but also a large
deposit of these artifacts was discovered in
Area I/D+Dl in the layer of debris covering
the rock surface. This would also point to an
early date, although considering the pur-
pose they probably served,19) one may
assume that they could have been produced
for a long period of time.
Fig. 5. Limestone pieces with traces of drilling
(Photo A. Cwiek)
18> Cf. D. Arnold, Building in Egypt. Pharaonic Stone Masonry (London-New York 1990), 266, fig. 6.21; C. M. Firth,
J. Quibell, J.-P. Lauer, The Step Pyramid, vol. II (Cairo 1936), PI. 86,6; 93,1-2.
19) Contrary to Arnold's opinion that these stones were used as a support for objects that were being drilled, our evidence
suggests that the drilling was intentional, connected somehow with the production of limestone powder for plaster or
paints. Many of the pieces found bear traces of drilling from the opposite sides; moreover, the holes are spaced irregularly,
but very close together, covering and piercing virtually the entire stone. In the author's opinion, a flint-pointed drill was
used, simply to obtain limestone powder in a quicker and more expedient way than grinding the stone, which could pro-
duce the same fine-grained uniform material, but after a much longer time.
117