DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3236#0143
78
TELL DEFENNEH.
to the barbed form : these barbs could hardly
be for use, as the attachment of the spike by
the splay branches would scarcely be strong
enough to bear the wrench of dragging the barbed
spike out from anything. On the whole then
they were more probably ornamental. Similar
spikes were kept at Bulak. Iron arrow-heads
(xxxvii. 12 to 16) were found in great quantities,
the denuded surface of the ground being strewn
with them along the south side of the camp ;
only the unweathered ones were collected, but
about a couple of hundred of these were brought
away. They are always of a tang form, and not
socketed, which is exactly contrary to the usage
for bronze arrow-heads; the reason is that the
iron were wrought, while the bronze were cast so
that a socket could be readily made. The solid
triangular form is the commonest (12, 13),
though some are bladed (14,15, 16) ; none are of
the three-blade type of the bronze (xxxix. 9, 12).
The large swivel ring (xxxvii. 18) is probably a
part of chariot "fittings. The scale armour (figs.
19, 19a, 19b) is the most unusual find of all ;
scale armour is represented on a statue at
Karnak, probably of Kamessu II., a corslet of
scales is shown in the tomb of Ramessu III.,
there is scale armour on a bas-relief at Tanis,
probably of Sheshonk III., while a piece of a
corslet of leather with bronze scales, two of which
bear the name of Sheshonk, is in the Abbott
collection. The present example seems to have
been a large part of a leather corslet, which was
thrown away in the Greek vase chamber, No. 18 ;
it was covered with scales of iron of the form
shown in pi. xxxvii. 19b (all objects on this plate
are half-size), which were originally about ^ of
an inch thick ; these scales were sewn on by six
holes, each line of scales lapped over half the line
below it so as to completely cover the stitching ;
and each scale lapped over two-thirds of the pre-
vious scale in the row; thus as each scale was
put on the right-hand pair of holes was stitched
through, going through the middle pair of the
previous scale, and the left-hand pair of holes of
the scale next before that. Thus the result was
a mass three deep sideways and two deep from
top to bottom, making the whole mass six scales
thick at every part. The inner surface showing
the stitching holes is given in fig. 19, and the
outer surface at fig. 19a.
78. Of civil iron-work the most common objects
are chisels (pi. xxxviii. 15 to 20), of which about 40
were kept, beside many rejected. One was found
low down in chamber 11, left before the higher-
level floor was made opening on to the entrance
from passage 26. Another was found with an
iron staple in chamber 19. A broad form of
wood chisel is shown in fig. 22, and the socket of
a large wood chisel like those found at Naukratis
in fig. 3. A large long metal chisel was found,
with a square shank and pointed end (fig. 2).
Two pickaxes are of a form new to us (fig. 1),
none like this being found at Naukratis. The
large double-edged knife (fig. 6) is a splendid
specimen in perfect condition, found in chamber
19a ; the grain of the wood on the handle is very
plain, both the cross-piece on the haft of the
blade fastened by three rivets, and the handle
itself fastened by two rivets. Three pokers (figs.
11, 12) were found with it, of the type of that
from Naukratis. A small knife (fig. 23) was
found in chamber 18, and another in the camp.
The knife or razor without a handle (fig. 8) was
also found in chamber 18. A large auger or
rymer, apparently, with a cross-head handle is
shown in fig. 4, and some very curious rasps or
borers in figs. 9, 10; these are made of a piece
of thin sheet-iron, punched all over with holes
like a modern grater, and coiled round into a
cone; they have been found with string at the
base, and fitted on to wooden handles, making a
sort of rat-tail file or rasp: five were found, three
of them in chamber 17. The axe (fig. 24) is of
a different type to that of Naukratis, which had a
socket ; but fig. 21 seems to be a socketed
plough-share of rough form. A block of iron
4x4x1 was found at the bottom of the
TELL DEFENNEH.
to the barbed form : these barbs could hardly
be for use, as the attachment of the spike by
the splay branches would scarcely be strong
enough to bear the wrench of dragging the barbed
spike out from anything. On the whole then
they were more probably ornamental. Similar
spikes were kept at Bulak. Iron arrow-heads
(xxxvii. 12 to 16) were found in great quantities,
the denuded surface of the ground being strewn
with them along the south side of the camp ;
only the unweathered ones were collected, but
about a couple of hundred of these were brought
away. They are always of a tang form, and not
socketed, which is exactly contrary to the usage
for bronze arrow-heads; the reason is that the
iron were wrought, while the bronze were cast so
that a socket could be readily made. The solid
triangular form is the commonest (12, 13),
though some are bladed (14,15, 16) ; none are of
the three-blade type of the bronze (xxxix. 9, 12).
The large swivel ring (xxxvii. 18) is probably a
part of chariot "fittings. The scale armour (figs.
19, 19a, 19b) is the most unusual find of all ;
scale armour is represented on a statue at
Karnak, probably of Kamessu II., a corslet of
scales is shown in the tomb of Ramessu III.,
there is scale armour on a bas-relief at Tanis,
probably of Sheshonk III., while a piece of a
corslet of leather with bronze scales, two of which
bear the name of Sheshonk, is in the Abbott
collection. The present example seems to have
been a large part of a leather corslet, which was
thrown away in the Greek vase chamber, No. 18 ;
it was covered with scales of iron of the form
shown in pi. xxxvii. 19b (all objects on this plate
are half-size), which were originally about ^ of
an inch thick ; these scales were sewn on by six
holes, each line of scales lapped over half the line
below it so as to completely cover the stitching ;
and each scale lapped over two-thirds of the pre-
vious scale in the row; thus as each scale was
put on the right-hand pair of holes was stitched
through, going through the middle pair of the
previous scale, and the left-hand pair of holes of
the scale next before that. Thus the result was
a mass three deep sideways and two deep from
top to bottom, making the whole mass six scales
thick at every part. The inner surface showing
the stitching holes is given in fig. 19, and the
outer surface at fig. 19a.
78. Of civil iron-work the most common objects
are chisels (pi. xxxviii. 15 to 20), of which about 40
were kept, beside many rejected. One was found
low down in chamber 11, left before the higher-
level floor was made opening on to the entrance
from passage 26. Another was found with an
iron staple in chamber 19. A broad form of
wood chisel is shown in fig. 22, and the socket of
a large wood chisel like those found at Naukratis
in fig. 3. A large long metal chisel was found,
with a square shank and pointed end (fig. 2).
Two pickaxes are of a form new to us (fig. 1),
none like this being found at Naukratis. The
large double-edged knife (fig. 6) is a splendid
specimen in perfect condition, found in chamber
19a ; the grain of the wood on the handle is very
plain, both the cross-piece on the haft of the
blade fastened by three rivets, and the handle
itself fastened by two rivets. Three pokers (figs.
11, 12) were found with it, of the type of that
from Naukratis. A small knife (fig. 23) was
found in chamber 18, and another in the camp.
The knife or razor without a handle (fig. 8) was
also found in chamber 18. A large auger or
rymer, apparently, with a cross-head handle is
shown in fig. 4, and some very curious rasps or
borers in figs. 9, 10; these are made of a piece
of thin sheet-iron, punched all over with holes
like a modern grater, and coiled round into a
cone; they have been found with string at the
base, and fitted on to wooden handles, making a
sort of rat-tail file or rasp: five were found, three
of them in chamber 17. The axe (fig. 24) is of
a different type to that of Naukratis, which had a
socket ; but fig. 21 seems to be a socketed
plough-share of rough form. A block of iron
4x4x1 was found at the bottom of the