DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1033#0050
5°
THE ANCIENT BOTANY.
found in Egypt growing in abundance. The syca-
more fig (Ficus sycomorus, L.) is represented not only
by a large number of its fruits, but also by its wood
and fragments of its leaves. Nearly all the wooden
boxes which Mr. Petrie found under the floors of the
workmen's dwellings at Kahun were made of the
wood of this tree. The fruits, though not much
shrivelled, are very small, much smaller in fact than
those found at Hawara (see " Hawara, &c," § 66).
The nebak (Zisyphus spina-Christi, L.), a tree now
widely distributed in Egypt, was also to be met with
in the Central Provinces in early times. Fruits of this
tree are likewise in Mr. Petrie's collection, and, though
they somewhat vary in size, they are not smaller than
the fruits of the same species which are grown in
Lower Egypt at the present day. The Nile acacia
{Acacia arabica, Willd.), which is, next to the date-
palm, the tree most frequently seen in the villages of
the Egypt of to-day, must also have been very
common in ancient times. Its wood was largely
used, as is shown by the great number of wooden
objects manufactured out of it, which have been
found at Kahun. The pods were also collected,
and were probably used for tanning purposes, as
at the present day. Another tree represented in
Mr. Petrie's Kahun collection by its pods, and which
is still found in Egypt, is the carob (Ceratonia siliqua,
L.). Only one pod and six seeds of this tree were
discovered. They are very much shrivelled with age,
but do not appear to differ in any other respects from
the pods of the same species collected in Egypt at the
present day (see also § 90).
The Kahun plant-remains also throw some light on
the vegetables cultivated in the kitchen-gardens of
Egypt prior to the time of Abraham, for a number of
peas and beans, fragments of leaves and stems of the
cucumber (Cucumis sativiis, L.), and two small radishes
(Rap/iamis sativus, L.) have been identified. The
peas belong to a small variety of the common garden
pea (Pisum sativum, L.), and the beans to the ordi-
nary form of Faba vulgaris, L. The two radishes are
extremely interesting, for, although Herodotus states
(" Euterpe," ii, 125) that in his time a hieroglyphic
inscription was extant recording that radishes
(avpfiaia) were cultivated in the time of Cheops
(IVth dynasty), it has been generally doubted that
they were known in Egypt till a very much later
period. Herodotus, too, mentions that this root,
together with onions and garlic, was supplied by the
State for the sustenance of the workmen who were
engaged in building the Great Pyramid. It is in-
teresting to note that the town of Kahun was built
for the accommodation of the workmen employed in
constructing the Kahun pyramid and temple: per-
haps the Xllth dynasty monarchs, like the IVth
dynasty ones, also allowed their workmen a certain
quantity of radishes for their sustenance, and these
two shrivelled radishes may be the only relics to tell
us of the old custom.
The only cereal grain that has been found at Kahun
is a small variety of barley, and of this Mr. Petrie
brought over to England a large quantity. The grains
are smaller than those at present grown in Egypt,
hardly any of them exceeding 1 cm. in length, whilst
most of them are considerably smaller. Among the
barley grains were found a large number of weed-
seeds, and these show that the barley fields of Xllth
dynasty times were infested with many of the same
weeds which trouble the tillers of the soil at the
present day. Among the weed-seeds I have suc-
ceeded in identifying the following:—
(1.) One hundred and sixty-seven seeds of the
Egyptian clover {Trifolium alexandrhmm, L.).
In a few cases the calyx tubes were still re-
maining around the seeds. These tubes are
oblong in form, and strong 10-ribbed, with
, triangular subulate and spinescent teeth, which
are about one-half the length of the calyx
tube.
(2.) One hundred and thirty-three seeds of a small
species of flax (Linum species ?).
(3.) Twenty seeds of the cultivated flax (L. humile,
Mill).
(4.) Four seeds of an oat (Avena strigosa, Schreb.).*
(5.) One seed of the spiny medick (Medicago
dentiadata, L.).f
(6.) Eight seeds of the small garden pea (Pisum
arvense, L.).
(7.) Five seeds of another species of pea {Pisum
species ?).
(8.) One seed of the Egyptian dock {Rumex den-
tatus, L.).
(9.) Two flower-heads of a species of Compositse.
(10.) Four seeds of a species of Poppy (Papaver
R/ueas, L. ?).
* Seeds of this species were also found among the Barley
grains from Hawara, see "Hawara, Biahmu, and Arsinoe," § 60.
t Compare ibid.
THE ANCIENT BOTANY.
found in Egypt growing in abundance. The syca-
more fig (Ficus sycomorus, L.) is represented not only
by a large number of its fruits, but also by its wood
and fragments of its leaves. Nearly all the wooden
boxes which Mr. Petrie found under the floors of the
workmen's dwellings at Kahun were made of the
wood of this tree. The fruits, though not much
shrivelled, are very small, much smaller in fact than
those found at Hawara (see " Hawara, &c," § 66).
The nebak (Zisyphus spina-Christi, L.), a tree now
widely distributed in Egypt, was also to be met with
in the Central Provinces in early times. Fruits of this
tree are likewise in Mr. Petrie's collection, and, though
they somewhat vary in size, they are not smaller than
the fruits of the same species which are grown in
Lower Egypt at the present day. The Nile acacia
{Acacia arabica, Willd.), which is, next to the date-
palm, the tree most frequently seen in the villages of
the Egypt of to-day, must also have been very
common in ancient times. Its wood was largely
used, as is shown by the great number of wooden
objects manufactured out of it, which have been
found at Kahun. The pods were also collected,
and were probably used for tanning purposes, as
at the present day. Another tree represented in
Mr. Petrie's Kahun collection by its pods, and which
is still found in Egypt, is the carob (Ceratonia siliqua,
L.). Only one pod and six seeds of this tree were
discovered. They are very much shrivelled with age,
but do not appear to differ in any other respects from
the pods of the same species collected in Egypt at the
present day (see also § 90).
The Kahun plant-remains also throw some light on
the vegetables cultivated in the kitchen-gardens of
Egypt prior to the time of Abraham, for a number of
peas and beans, fragments of leaves and stems of the
cucumber (Cucumis sativiis, L.), and two small radishes
(Rap/iamis sativus, L.) have been identified. The
peas belong to a small variety of the common garden
pea (Pisum sativum, L.), and the beans to the ordi-
nary form of Faba vulgaris, L. The two radishes are
extremely interesting, for, although Herodotus states
(" Euterpe," ii, 125) that in his time a hieroglyphic
inscription was extant recording that radishes
(avpfiaia) were cultivated in the time of Cheops
(IVth dynasty), it has been generally doubted that
they were known in Egypt till a very much later
period. Herodotus, too, mentions that this root,
together with onions and garlic, was supplied by the
State for the sustenance of the workmen who were
engaged in building the Great Pyramid. It is in-
teresting to note that the town of Kahun was built
for the accommodation of the workmen employed in
constructing the Kahun pyramid and temple: per-
haps the Xllth dynasty monarchs, like the IVth
dynasty ones, also allowed their workmen a certain
quantity of radishes for their sustenance, and these
two shrivelled radishes may be the only relics to tell
us of the old custom.
The only cereal grain that has been found at Kahun
is a small variety of barley, and of this Mr. Petrie
brought over to England a large quantity. The grains
are smaller than those at present grown in Egypt,
hardly any of them exceeding 1 cm. in length, whilst
most of them are considerably smaller. Among the
barley grains were found a large number of weed-
seeds, and these show that the barley fields of Xllth
dynasty times were infested with many of the same
weeds which trouble the tillers of the soil at the
present day. Among the weed-seeds I have suc-
ceeded in identifying the following:—
(1.) One hundred and sixty-seven seeds of the
Egyptian clover {Trifolium alexandrhmm, L.).
In a few cases the calyx tubes were still re-
maining around the seeds. These tubes are
oblong in form, and strong 10-ribbed, with
, triangular subulate and spinescent teeth, which
are about one-half the length of the calyx
tube.
(2.) One hundred and thirty-three seeds of a small
species of flax (Linum species ?).
(3.) Twenty seeds of the cultivated flax (L. humile,
Mill).
(4.) Four seeds of an oat (Avena strigosa, Schreb.).*
(5.) One seed of the spiny medick (Medicago
dentiadata, L.).f
(6.) Eight seeds of the small garden pea (Pisum
arvense, L.).
(7.) Five seeds of another species of pea {Pisum
species ?).
(8.) One seed of the Egyptian dock {Rumex den-
tatus, L.).
(9.) Two flower-heads of a species of Compositse.
(10.) Four seeds of a species of Poppy (Papaver
R/ueas, L. ?).
* Seeds of this species were also found among the Barley
grains from Hawara, see "Hawara, Biahmu, and Arsinoe," § 60.
t Compare ibid.