DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3236#0142
CHAP. XI.—THE SMALL ANTIQUITIES.
77
II., complete the list of silver objects found at
Defenneh and the neighbourhood.
76. Bronze objects were common in the camp,
particularly arrow-heads, of which many hundreds
were collected (pi. xxxix. 8 to 16). It is useless
to do more than describe the principal objects, or
those of interest. A bowl, 7^ inches across and
2 inches deep (pi. xli. 17), was found in the
camp with a dipper (trua) 17 inches long, and
the large bronze lid (xxxix. 23). Two small pans,
which from their convexity cannot be mirrors,
seem to be most probably frying-pans (xxxix. 6, 7).
The bronze stamp of Aahmes (pi. xli. 76) was
found in chamber 19, with the stem of a dipper,
and some arrow-heads which still retained the
Avood in the sockets. The knives found (xxxix. 19,
21) are a puzzle, as they do not seem ever to
have had any sort of edge; perhaps they were
manufactured here, and not yet sharpened for
use ; fig. 21, however, is from chamber 3.
Chisels were found of various shapes (xxxix. 24 to
28), one in chamber 19a, and a duplicate of this
is kept at Bulak. A staple found in chamber 2
is of interest, as it has been fastened to a thin
bronze vessel; a washer of bronze was put round
its tangs before they were bent over, so as to
prevent its tearing the vessel by straining. A
large quantity of bronze tubes were found, often
curved, &th of an inch across, and with signs of
having been bound over with some string or
stuff: they seem as if part of some furniture, or
possibly, a metal-piping sewn into the edge of
tents. More Egyptian articles are an Osiris
found in chamber 18, a sistrum head in chamber
3, a situla 21 in. high in chamber 3, another 3^
in. high in chamber 14, and a double-ended kohl-
stick in chamber 18. That copper was largely
wrought here, and indeed smelted, is evident
from the large amount of waste lying about; the
ground is thick with scraps and drops of copper
and bits of slag in many parts, and pieces of large
crucibles covered with copper slag are found.
Of lead a few pieces of ore (galena) were
found, and some pieces of a U shape, which were
doubtless net sinkers.
77. Iron is as common as bronze, or rather
commoner, and this shows well the relation of
the metals in the early historic period to which
these remains belong. The remains may be
broadly divided into military and civil. Of
military iron the principal pieces are shown on
pi. xxxvii. The horses' bits are sometimes bars
which have had loops of cord or leather at the
ends, as in fig. 1, or with holes for the attach-
ment, as in fig. 2, or riveted through cheek-pieces,
as in figs. 5, 5a, 6. The twisted pattern of fig.
1 is shown also in 5a. Several lance-heads (fig.
4) and pieces of such, were found. The bident
(fig. 3) may be perhaps for fishing, or it may be
the butt of a spear like the bronze tridents of
Nebesheh. The sword (fig. 7) shows the guard
well developed (though now much broken away),
and an equal stay at the end of the handle to
prevent its slipping out of the grasp. The blade
had a rib on each side for some little way from
the hilt. The handle is curiously shaped, with a
groove on either side; partly to lighten it, and
partly to hold the rivets by which a leather cover
was probably fastened on, without a chance of
their galling the hand; such a hollow also would
help the grip. A rather different sword-handle
was kept at Bulak ; it has a knob or pommel at
the end of the handle to balance the blade.
Another form, more like an ordinary knife, is fig.
17; the thickness of the middle of blade (the
section being rhombic) seems to show that this
was for warfare, but, if so, a guard was probably
fastened to the handle. The knife (fig. 20) may
be perhaps for civil uses; the handle shows well
the grain of the wood, which was fastened on by
five rivets of iron. The objects 8 to 11 are
difficult to explain; possibly they may be orna-
ments for the peaks of helmets : the thin strips
bent out splay at the bases of 9, 10, 11, seem as
if to fasten the spike into some leather object,
and yet it would not be suited for a spur, owin"-
■**
77
II., complete the list of silver objects found at
Defenneh and the neighbourhood.
76. Bronze objects were common in the camp,
particularly arrow-heads, of which many hundreds
were collected (pi. xxxix. 8 to 16). It is useless
to do more than describe the principal objects, or
those of interest. A bowl, 7^ inches across and
2 inches deep (pi. xli. 17), was found in the
camp with a dipper (trua) 17 inches long, and
the large bronze lid (xxxix. 23). Two small pans,
which from their convexity cannot be mirrors,
seem to be most probably frying-pans (xxxix. 6, 7).
The bronze stamp of Aahmes (pi. xli. 76) was
found in chamber 19, with the stem of a dipper,
and some arrow-heads which still retained the
Avood in the sockets. The knives found (xxxix. 19,
21) are a puzzle, as they do not seem ever to
have had any sort of edge; perhaps they were
manufactured here, and not yet sharpened for
use ; fig. 21, however, is from chamber 3.
Chisels were found of various shapes (xxxix. 24 to
28), one in chamber 19a, and a duplicate of this
is kept at Bulak. A staple found in chamber 2
is of interest, as it has been fastened to a thin
bronze vessel; a washer of bronze was put round
its tangs before they were bent over, so as to
prevent its tearing the vessel by straining. A
large quantity of bronze tubes were found, often
curved, &th of an inch across, and with signs of
having been bound over with some string or
stuff: they seem as if part of some furniture, or
possibly, a metal-piping sewn into the edge of
tents. More Egyptian articles are an Osiris
found in chamber 18, a sistrum head in chamber
3, a situla 21 in. high in chamber 3, another 3^
in. high in chamber 14, and a double-ended kohl-
stick in chamber 18. That copper was largely
wrought here, and indeed smelted, is evident
from the large amount of waste lying about; the
ground is thick with scraps and drops of copper
and bits of slag in many parts, and pieces of large
crucibles covered with copper slag are found.
Of lead a few pieces of ore (galena) were
found, and some pieces of a U shape, which were
doubtless net sinkers.
77. Iron is as common as bronze, or rather
commoner, and this shows well the relation of
the metals in the early historic period to which
these remains belong. The remains may be
broadly divided into military and civil. Of
military iron the principal pieces are shown on
pi. xxxvii. The horses' bits are sometimes bars
which have had loops of cord or leather at the
ends, as in fig. 1, or with holes for the attach-
ment, as in fig. 2, or riveted through cheek-pieces,
as in figs. 5, 5a, 6. The twisted pattern of fig.
1 is shown also in 5a. Several lance-heads (fig.
4) and pieces of such, were found. The bident
(fig. 3) may be perhaps for fishing, or it may be
the butt of a spear like the bronze tridents of
Nebesheh. The sword (fig. 7) shows the guard
well developed (though now much broken away),
and an equal stay at the end of the handle to
prevent its slipping out of the grasp. The blade
had a rib on each side for some little way from
the hilt. The handle is curiously shaped, with a
groove on either side; partly to lighten it, and
partly to hold the rivets by which a leather cover
was probably fastened on, without a chance of
their galling the hand; such a hollow also would
help the grip. A rather different sword-handle
was kept at Bulak ; it has a knob or pommel at
the end of the handle to balance the blade.
Another form, more like an ordinary knife, is fig.
17; the thickness of the middle of blade (the
section being rhombic) seems to show that this
was for warfare, but, if so, a guard was probably
fastened to the handle. The knife (fig. 20) may
be perhaps for civil uses; the handle shows well
the grain of the wood, which was fastened on by
five rivets of iron. The objects 8 to 11 are
difficult to explain; possibly they may be orna-
ments for the peaks of helmets : the thin strips
bent out splay at the bases of 9, 10, 11, seem as
if to fasten the spike into some leather object,
and yet it would not be suited for a spur, owin"-
■**