DOI issue:
Egypt
DOI article:Zych, Iwona: Wooden coffins from the Moslem Cemetery at Kom el-Dikka
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.41370#0036
ALEXANDRIA
end. The outside surface was smooth with
only occasional saw cuts visible near the
knot; the inside, on the other hand, was
much rougher, with evident traces of
lengthwise sawing in the other direction
than on the top. At the end preserving the
original edge of the boards, there is
evidence of three iron nails (there may have
been at least two in the missing section
between surviving nails) being driven
through the thickness about 4 cm from the
edge. These were big nails with shafts that
were ca. 0.8 cm in section. Next to the line
of nails, on the side away from the short
edge of the board, there are two or perhaps
even three linear stains, each 1.5 cm wide
and russet-colored at the edges (cf. Fig. 2).
These stains are visible only on the
presumed outside of the coffin and should
be interpreted per analogiam as stained
impressions of finger-thick ropes once
binding the box together, as an extra
measure to make sure that it would not fall
apart (if not for ritual or habitual reasons).3-1
The head and foot boards are 37 and
38 cm wide, respectively, and 2 cm thick,
Fig. 3. The end board of the coffin from grave
E 3 (Photo I. Zych).
the surviving height being negligent in the
case of the foot board, and at least 28 cm for
the head board. Both preserve iron nails,
some still with the big concave, rounded
heads, driven into the wood alongside the
side edges. In the head board there are four
on either side, spaced not too evenly along
a line 2.6 and 2.7 cm away from the edge
(Fig. 3). The nails have thick shafts (0.5 to
0.8 in size, the heads reaching 2 cm in
diameter (the corroded head is naturally
somewhat bigger). Interestingly, all the
nails, in the boards, as well as in the
uprights, if they survive at all, have been
broken flush with the surface of the wood.
The upright members are square beams
measuring about 5 cm to the side, except
for one, which is somewhat slimmer. The
length appears to have been close to 50 cm
(three of the beams; two are shorter, but
Fig. 4. Reconstruction drawing of the wooden
coffin from grave E 3 (Drawing
M. Puszkarski after I. Zych)
3) I am grateful to Prof. W. Godlewski for this suggestion. I have also drawn heavily on the documented evidence, kindly
shared with me by Prof. Godlewski, of several well preserved wooden coffins of various types that have been excavated, this
season in particular, at the medieval Coptic cemetery of Naqlun in the Fayum.
34
end. The outside surface was smooth with
only occasional saw cuts visible near the
knot; the inside, on the other hand, was
much rougher, with evident traces of
lengthwise sawing in the other direction
than on the top. At the end preserving the
original edge of the boards, there is
evidence of three iron nails (there may have
been at least two in the missing section
between surviving nails) being driven
through the thickness about 4 cm from the
edge. These were big nails with shafts that
were ca. 0.8 cm in section. Next to the line
of nails, on the side away from the short
edge of the board, there are two or perhaps
even three linear stains, each 1.5 cm wide
and russet-colored at the edges (cf. Fig. 2).
These stains are visible only on the
presumed outside of the coffin and should
be interpreted per analogiam as stained
impressions of finger-thick ropes once
binding the box together, as an extra
measure to make sure that it would not fall
apart (if not for ritual or habitual reasons).3-1
The head and foot boards are 37 and
38 cm wide, respectively, and 2 cm thick,
Fig. 3. The end board of the coffin from grave
E 3 (Photo I. Zych).
the surviving height being negligent in the
case of the foot board, and at least 28 cm for
the head board. Both preserve iron nails,
some still with the big concave, rounded
heads, driven into the wood alongside the
side edges. In the head board there are four
on either side, spaced not too evenly along
a line 2.6 and 2.7 cm away from the edge
(Fig. 3). The nails have thick shafts (0.5 to
0.8 in size, the heads reaching 2 cm in
diameter (the corroded head is naturally
somewhat bigger). Interestingly, all the
nails, in the boards, as well as in the
uprights, if they survive at all, have been
broken flush with the surface of the wood.
The upright members are square beams
measuring about 5 cm to the side, except
for one, which is somewhat slimmer. The
length appears to have been close to 50 cm
(three of the beams; two are shorter, but
Fig. 4. Reconstruction drawing of the wooden
coffin from grave E 3 (Drawing
M. Puszkarski after I. Zych)
3) I am grateful to Prof. W. Godlewski for this suggestion. I have also drawn heavily on the documented evidence, kindly
shared with me by Prof. Godlewski, of several well preserved wooden coffins of various types that have been excavated, this
season in particular, at the medieval Coptic cemetery of Naqlun in the Fayum.
34