DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1033#0041
THE FOREIGNERS.
41
edge. Another figure of a foreigner was found at
Gurob (XVIII, 38), carved in wood ; it represents a
harper, whose hair is dressed in the pigtail, which is
a well-known characteristic of the Hittites, and is
not found with any other race represented on the
Egyptian monuments. This must therefore be a
carving of a Hittite harper, and such an instrument
j is not unknown in Hittite sculpture. A third work
which betrays the foreign hand is the bronze mirror
with figure handle (XVIII, 4). The mechanical part
of the design, a figure handle, the form of the mirror,
and the lotus at the socket, are all Egyptian; but the
idea of the female holding the dove in the hand
comes altogether from abroad—no figure holding a
bird is known in pure Egyptian design—it is the
characteristic of the Phoenician Venus ; and when we
look at the details, the lankness of the limbs, the
features, and the style of the hair, we again see the
tokens of a foreign hand. To assign the manufacture
of this to a Phoenician or Cypriote workman living in
Egypt, solves all the peculiarities of it; and we may
add it to the foreign elements of Gurob. The actual
remains of the bodies found in the tombs show that
the race came from abroad ; in tomb 23 was a body
with a copious black wig, and beneath that a scalp of
yellow or light brown hair; the juxtaposition of
these proving the unaltered condition of each: in
tomb 24, again, yellow hair remained on the skull,
and in tomb 25 was a young man with dark hair, but
a light skin.
81. We now turn to a very different evidence, that
of weights. At Gurob fourteen weights were found :
and of these only half are on the Egyptian standard
—the kat—in place of the great majority of the kat
weights found in the weights of Memphis. On looking
at the material of these weights we see that two of
the seven are of alabaster, a material never used for
purely Egyptian weights, which are almost all of
basalt, granite, or hard stones. On looking to the
forms we find that not one of the fourteen is purely
Egyptian of the most typical form, widening to the
top with a dome head. Only one of all the weights
is properly Egyptian, and two of rounded cubic form
are passable as Egyptian in origin ; the other eleven
are entirely marked off as foreign by the standards,
the forms, and the materials. I here publish them on
the same plan as previous weights, the numbering
being consecutive in the series of publication, and the
types of forms referring to those plates of types in
" Naukratis," " Defenneh," &c.
Egyptian Kat (6).
No.
Material.
Form.
Present.
Ch.
Original.
x.
Unit.
4899
4900
4901
4902
4903
4904
117—174
38-43
79—no
2—10
54
48—49
1412-0
1416-6
284-6
3592-8
5748
I472-3
10
10
2
25
40
10
141-2
141-7
142-3
1437
1437
147-2
4905
4906
4907
4908
4909
4910
4911
4912
Haematite, bk.
Haematite, bk.
Lead ..........
Haematite, bk.
Syenite, gy ,
Alabaster .
Lead .......
Lead
Assyrian Shekel (4).
49
52—82
63
49
363-9
627
2523-2
127-3
Attic
Drachma
54
16
52—108
2625-8
3305-8
415-6
30
^Eginetan Stater (i).
108 179-0 16
2530
2626
408
192
20
1
40
50
6
121-3
125-4
126-5
127-3
656
6n-j
68-0
192-0
No. 4905 has three lines on the top, showing three
shekels. No. 4911 has three lines on the top showing
a unit of the double drachma or stater. Of course the
names Attic and ^Eginetan are only retained for
convenience, the standards being older than Athens
or ^Egina. Besides these, four more kat weights
have been found since I left Gurob, alLof them of the
un-Egyptian material, haematite,
F
41
edge. Another figure of a foreigner was found at
Gurob (XVIII, 38), carved in wood ; it represents a
harper, whose hair is dressed in the pigtail, which is
a well-known characteristic of the Hittites, and is
not found with any other race represented on the
Egyptian monuments. This must therefore be a
carving of a Hittite harper, and such an instrument
j is not unknown in Hittite sculpture. A third work
which betrays the foreign hand is the bronze mirror
with figure handle (XVIII, 4). The mechanical part
of the design, a figure handle, the form of the mirror,
and the lotus at the socket, are all Egyptian; but the
idea of the female holding the dove in the hand
comes altogether from abroad—no figure holding a
bird is known in pure Egyptian design—it is the
characteristic of the Phoenician Venus ; and when we
look at the details, the lankness of the limbs, the
features, and the style of the hair, we again see the
tokens of a foreign hand. To assign the manufacture
of this to a Phoenician or Cypriote workman living in
Egypt, solves all the peculiarities of it; and we may
add it to the foreign elements of Gurob. The actual
remains of the bodies found in the tombs show that
the race came from abroad ; in tomb 23 was a body
with a copious black wig, and beneath that a scalp of
yellow or light brown hair; the juxtaposition of
these proving the unaltered condition of each: in
tomb 24, again, yellow hair remained on the skull,
and in tomb 25 was a young man with dark hair, but
a light skin.
81. We now turn to a very different evidence, that
of weights. At Gurob fourteen weights were found :
and of these only half are on the Egyptian standard
—the kat—in place of the great majority of the kat
weights found in the weights of Memphis. On looking
at the material of these weights we see that two of
the seven are of alabaster, a material never used for
purely Egyptian weights, which are almost all of
basalt, granite, or hard stones. On looking to the
forms we find that not one of the fourteen is purely
Egyptian of the most typical form, widening to the
top with a dome head. Only one of all the weights
is properly Egyptian, and two of rounded cubic form
are passable as Egyptian in origin ; the other eleven
are entirely marked off as foreign by the standards,
the forms, and the materials. I here publish them on
the same plan as previous weights, the numbering
being consecutive in the series of publication, and the
types of forms referring to those plates of types in
" Naukratis," " Defenneh," &c.
Egyptian Kat (6).
No.
Material.
Form.
Present.
Ch.
Original.
x.
Unit.
4899
4900
4901
4902
4903
4904
117—174
38-43
79—no
2—10
54
48—49
1412-0
1416-6
284-6
3592-8
5748
I472-3
10
10
2
25
40
10
141-2
141-7
142-3
1437
1437
147-2
4905
4906
4907
4908
4909
4910
4911
4912
Haematite, bk.
Haematite, bk.
Lead ..........
Haematite, bk.
Syenite, gy ,
Alabaster .
Lead .......
Lead
Assyrian Shekel (4).
49
52—82
63
49
363-9
627
2523-2
127-3
Attic
Drachma
54
16
52—108
2625-8
3305-8
415-6
30
^Eginetan Stater (i).
108 179-0 16
2530
2626
408
192
20
1
40
50
6
121-3
125-4
126-5
127-3
656
6n-j
68-0
192-0
No. 4905 has three lines on the top, showing three
shekels. No. 4911 has three lines on the top showing
a unit of the double drachma or stater. Of course the
names Attic and ^Eginetan are only retained for
convenience, the standards being older than Athens
or ^Egina. Besides these, four more kat weights
have been found since I left Gurob, alLof them of the
un-Egyptian material, haematite,
F