DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3236#0164
CHAP. XIV.—QANTAKAH.
99
the Bulaq Museum. Also of bronze, a slender
knife, a figure of Osiris, a small bell (for liorse's
trappings ?), a girdle-fastener (hollow triangle
with button at the apex), cylindrical socket
"with traces of wood inside, perhaps the ferrule
of a standard. Of glass, fragments of a large
bottle ? in the form of a bird of dark blue, and
a Roman bottle of clear glass. Several disks of
porcelain and rings for bronze rods. Earthen-
ware moulds for glass hieroglyphs, knotted
cord 0, and cynocephalus. Large mould for
earthenware, of limestone. Large porcelain
feather maa. Several pieces of limestone
squared for sculpture, on one a lotus flower
was delicately drawn in black ink. Coins of
the latest Ptolemies were abundant.
98. Amongst the deserted houses of Qantarah
are to be seen several limestone coffins of the
usual Roman type. The cemetery from which
they were taken is very extensive, stretching
N.E. from the old hospital at the eastern end of
these houses, where there is also the modeim
cemetery, for about half a mile.
The more distant half of this is full of inter-
ments. Some of the bodies, none of which are
mummified, have been enclosed in coffins formed
of two jars joined in the middle, measuring
6 feet in length, with blunt ends, wide in the
middle ; some in terra-cotta coffins rounded at
the ends with flat base and cover. Some are
laid at length in the sand, some apparently in
a crouching position, some again gathered
under half a large jar broken longitudinally.
Others again were laid either with or without
stone or terra-cotta coffins in constructed
chambers of brick or stone rubble. The
bricks are both burnt and unburnt, measuring
5 x 10 inches. All these seem to belong to a
very late period, and are apparently without anti-
quities. I trenched in all parts of the ceme-
tery without finding anything more than the
interments, which were always undisturbed
except where M. Paponot had excavated pre-
viously, or where the limestone had induced
the Arabs to dig for building materials. This
cemetery in fact, from its size and position,
would seem to belong to the caravan route as
much as to the town, from which it is three-
quarters of a mile distant at its nearest point.
99. I proceed to give a list of sites * in the
neighbourhood.
Tel Fararua (F.2 gives a good idea of the
form and position of the mounds, Bng. qfiite
wrong), the ancient Pelusium, consists of two
principal mounds, about three-quarters of a mile
from the edge of the desert on the B., but com-
pletely surrounded by marsh. The mounds are
narrow, stretching 1-J miles or more from E. to
W. in a straight line. The E. mound is small, but
high ; an Arab fort 120 yards square completely
occupies the summit. Details of the plan of this
building could probably be easily made out by
excavation, as the lower part is well preserved.
Between this and the W. mound a consider-
able space intervenes, through which a canal
or perhaps the main stream of the Pelusiac
branch ran. The second mound is long and
narrow, well defined, but sloping gradually
down on all sides to the marsh level, except
where the Arab citadel (see French map) in the
centre of the N. side rises abruptly from the
edge. The N. and S. walls of this measure
about 360 yards, the E. and ~W. about half as
much. The principal gateway is on the N.,
near the E. end, where a narrow mound (not
1 Place names are always difficult to collect, and at
Qantarah they are particularly so, since the population is very
scanty, and the sites are often at a distance from the beaten
tracks, and seldom passed even by the Bedawin. Tell Dahab
and Tell Fadda, which were the names applied to the mounds
of Pelusium by Mr. Chester's guide, who came from Salhiyeh,
I often heard of at Nebesheh. But they were semi-mythical
names, and the Bedawin about Qantarah only once mentioned
Tel el Fadda, by which the mound E. of Pelusium was perhaps
intended. Tel Farama was known by report to every one at
Qantarah. Tel el Dahab I never heard mentioned there.
2 " F." refers to the Atlas Geographique of the French
" Description f " Eng.'; to the Map of Lower Egypt issued
by the English War Office.
2
99
the Bulaq Museum. Also of bronze, a slender
knife, a figure of Osiris, a small bell (for liorse's
trappings ?), a girdle-fastener (hollow triangle
with button at the apex), cylindrical socket
"with traces of wood inside, perhaps the ferrule
of a standard. Of glass, fragments of a large
bottle ? in the form of a bird of dark blue, and
a Roman bottle of clear glass. Several disks of
porcelain and rings for bronze rods. Earthen-
ware moulds for glass hieroglyphs, knotted
cord 0, and cynocephalus. Large mould for
earthenware, of limestone. Large porcelain
feather maa. Several pieces of limestone
squared for sculpture, on one a lotus flower
was delicately drawn in black ink. Coins of
the latest Ptolemies were abundant.
98. Amongst the deserted houses of Qantarah
are to be seen several limestone coffins of the
usual Roman type. The cemetery from which
they were taken is very extensive, stretching
N.E. from the old hospital at the eastern end of
these houses, where there is also the modeim
cemetery, for about half a mile.
The more distant half of this is full of inter-
ments. Some of the bodies, none of which are
mummified, have been enclosed in coffins formed
of two jars joined in the middle, measuring
6 feet in length, with blunt ends, wide in the
middle ; some in terra-cotta coffins rounded at
the ends with flat base and cover. Some are
laid at length in the sand, some apparently in
a crouching position, some again gathered
under half a large jar broken longitudinally.
Others again were laid either with or without
stone or terra-cotta coffins in constructed
chambers of brick or stone rubble. The
bricks are both burnt and unburnt, measuring
5 x 10 inches. All these seem to belong to a
very late period, and are apparently without anti-
quities. I trenched in all parts of the ceme-
tery without finding anything more than the
interments, which were always undisturbed
except where M. Paponot had excavated pre-
viously, or where the limestone had induced
the Arabs to dig for building materials. This
cemetery in fact, from its size and position,
would seem to belong to the caravan route as
much as to the town, from which it is three-
quarters of a mile distant at its nearest point.
99. I proceed to give a list of sites * in the
neighbourhood.
Tel Fararua (F.2 gives a good idea of the
form and position of the mounds, Bng. qfiite
wrong), the ancient Pelusium, consists of two
principal mounds, about three-quarters of a mile
from the edge of the desert on the B., but com-
pletely surrounded by marsh. The mounds are
narrow, stretching 1-J miles or more from E. to
W. in a straight line. The E. mound is small, but
high ; an Arab fort 120 yards square completely
occupies the summit. Details of the plan of this
building could probably be easily made out by
excavation, as the lower part is well preserved.
Between this and the W. mound a consider-
able space intervenes, through which a canal
or perhaps the main stream of the Pelusiac
branch ran. The second mound is long and
narrow, well defined, but sloping gradually
down on all sides to the marsh level, except
where the Arab citadel (see French map) in the
centre of the N. side rises abruptly from the
edge. The N. and S. walls of this measure
about 360 yards, the E. and ~W. about half as
much. The principal gateway is on the N.,
near the E. end, where a narrow mound (not
1 Place names are always difficult to collect, and at
Qantarah they are particularly so, since the population is very
scanty, and the sites are often at a distance from the beaten
tracks, and seldom passed even by the Bedawin. Tell Dahab
and Tell Fadda, which were the names applied to the mounds
of Pelusium by Mr. Chester's guide, who came from Salhiyeh,
I often heard of at Nebesheh. But they were semi-mythical
names, and the Bedawin about Qantarah only once mentioned
Tel el Fadda, by which the mound E. of Pelusium was perhaps
intended. Tel Farama was known by report to every one at
Qantarah. Tel el Dahab I never heard mentioned there.
2 " F." refers to the Atlas Geographique of the French
" Description f " Eng.'; to the Map of Lower Egypt issued
by the English War Office.
2