Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (16.2004(2005))

NAQLUN

EGYPT

underlined with half moons. Set between
the stems are spirals with a straight
(Nd.02.178, Fig. 5) or diagonal upright.
These covers are partly unused. They must
have been produced in the same time and
place. Thus, it is likely that they were
produced in workshops to be sold as covers.
It is very possible that these workshops
were in the Fayum.
Another two coffin covers have embroid-
ered bands like the above mentioned
shroud, made in different techniques and of
different material: colored fine silk thread
and stronger floss silk thread, with some
natural-colored linen thread. Neither were
these covers used before.
One of these is only fragmentarily pre-
served (Nd.00.091). It has a row of hexa-
gonal medallions. In these medallions and
between them, elements of cursive script

made of white linen thread are visible
[Fig. 6]. These inscriptions may be identi-
fied as allah in the medallions and as al-izz
("power") in between, but the condition of
the embroidery is so bad that verification is
all but impossible.
The other cover is the more interesting
of the two (Nd.86.475). It is completely
preserved and has a wide, richly embroid-
ered band, which covers the middle of the
length of the coffin. The key to the deco-
ration was a line of pseudo-inscription
with double stems at equal distances, and
underlined with half moons. Between the
double stems there are either spiral or-
naments or cursive script. Around this
band of embroidery, nine big crosses were
painted with ochre. The crosses alone
indicate in this case that the dead person
was a Christian.


Fig. 6. Coffin shroud, fragment. Nd.00.091
(Photo T. Szmagier)

7 Now in the Coptic Museum in Cairo.

200