WEST SAQQARA

EGYPT

elements had been dragged away from the
main deposit by some animal. A fragment
of a scapula of a young pig and the gnawed
remains of what might possibly have been
a young pig's limb bone also formed part
of the deposit.
A donkey (Equus asinus) also formed
part of this deposit. An entire skull, with
the mandible a short distance away, was
placed in a central position in the circle.
The nose was pointing in a northerly
direction. The animal's dentition suggests
that the ass was well under two and half
years of age, most probably between a year
and half to two years old at the time of its
death. The left foreleg of a donkey was also
found, although it was not all articulated,
as portions, especially epiphyses, had been
chewed by carnivores. The left scapula,
humerus, radius, ulna, metapodia, and
a carpal were all recovered from the area.
The aging of these bones7) 8 suggests that
they belonged to the same individual as
the skull. Two vertebrae (centrum
unfused) belonging to a large mammal,
possibly the donkey, were also found.
The most immediately noticeable and
dramatic find from this faunal deposit was
the horned skull of a hartebeest {Alcephalis
bubalis). Not only were the horn cores
present, but the keratin sheaths covering
these were preserved, albeit damaged and
splitting due to dryness. Only the horns
and part of the skull of the animal were

present; no portion of the maxilla or
mandible were found as part of the
assemblage. No other identifiable portion
of the animal was found in the deposit,
although it is possible that some of the
small bone fragments found in the
chamber (three) and in the corridor near
the entrance (four) might be associated
with this animal or the donkey.
A large number of identified bones
(thirty, counting teeth in jaws as a unit)
came from different canids {Cants
familiaris/C. aureus)A There were at least
three individuals present, perhaps four. Two
of these were of mature animals,9) 10 and just
represented by cranial and dentary remains,
while the almost complete skeleton of
a third was recovered.10^ Based on dentition
and epiphysial fusion, the age of death of the
youngest animal was between eleven and
fourteen months. Portions of the skeleton
belonging to the third and youngest canid
were found beneath rock fall. It is possible
that the two skulls formed part of the
original deposit, and that the younger
animal had entered the chamber later on
and died as a result of a rock fall or through
natural causes. However, as it is not possible
to date the rock fall, the skeleton of the
young animal might be part of the original
deposit. It is difficult to say why only one
young complete animal was placed in the
deposit; were it a mature animal one could
argue that it was a hunting dog.

7) Humerus: proximal fusing, distal fused; radius: proximal fused, distal unfused; ulna: proximal unfused.
8) It is difficult to distinguish between dogs and jackals without more of the skeleton being present.
9) Two almost complete mandibles with teeth, one left and one right (they did not fit together) were recovered. The left
measured 61 mm from pi to m3, while the right measured 67 mm from pi to m3. A fragment of a third left mandible
(il-c) was also recovered, but due to the fragmentary nature of the bone, it is difficult to determine whether it is a separate
animal, or part of the left mandible. Measurements suggest that it is part of a different individual.
10) Mandible and maxilla fragments; atlas and axis; scapula (left); humerus (right and left) proximal unfused, distal fused;
radius (left) proximal and distal unfused; and ulna (left) proximal fused; tibia (left) distal unfused, proximal unknown; femur
(left) proximal and distal unfused; and five metapodia. Several vertebrae, some ribs, fragments of carpals and tarsals and a few
fragmentary limb bones without epiphyses and evidence of gnawing, as well as fragmentation were found and thought to
be part of this animal.

131