DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1036#0020
12
THE ANTIQUITIES OK KAHUN
Some more hoes were found of the compound form
usual ; and also some of the natural hoes, formed of a
forked branch trimmed into form (28). These I have
not seen in Egypt before, nor on the sculptures ; they
are the evident prototypes of both the hoe and the
adze. The large pointed implement (29) seems to be
a plough coulter.
26. Another flint sickle has been found (27) later
in development than that of last season ("Kahun,"
IX, 22), and dated to the XVIIIth dynasty by a piece
of pottery with it. This retains three of the four flint
saws in position, set in a groove in the wood by black
cement, probably of Nile mud and some sticky
substance. The tip of this sickle is broken off; and
the handle instead of being carved in one piece, as
before, is attached with pegs. We now see how much
these sickles explain of the use of the toothed flints
both of Egypt and Syria ; the majority of such flints
are just suited to these implements, and shew signs of
the wear not extending beyond the edge, i.e. only
where the flint was not embedded in the cement
setting (5). Several flint tools were found ; but as
these will be described by Mr. Spurrell (Chap. XI)
I need only here notice the classes. (VII, 1) is an
adze; (2) a scraper ; (3) a hornstone axe, and (4) a
flint axe ; (5, 5 a) are the corner flints of large sickles ;
(6) a saw flint; (7, 8) knives; (9) is half of a sharp-
edged flint, of a type not seen in others of the Xllth
dynasty, and of a different quality ; it is therefore
probably of the age of some scarabs found with it—
the XVIIIth dynasty. (10, 12, 15, 16) are scrapers;
(11 and 14) probably knives. A remarkable flint knife
is that in a large find of the Xllth dynasty (XIII, 6),
having remains of binding with fibre and cord on the
handle : flint flakes (4, 5) were also found with it.
27. The copper tools have again been found here ;
and the recent analyses by Dr. Gladstone, F.R.S., of
those found last year have established that the tools
of the Xllth dynasty are copper, and those of the
XVIII-XIXth are bronze. His analyses are as
follow (see Soc. Bib. Arch. 1890) :—
XII
Copper
Tin
Arsenic
Antimony
Iron
Total
Hatchet
93-26
•52
3-90
•16
'21
98-05
Chisel
96'35
2-16
•36
98-87
Mirror
95
some
some
little
Knife
.. about '5
XVIII
Hatchet
89'59
6-67
'95
trace
•54
97*75
>j
90-09
7-29
■22
trace
97-60
These shew that although small impurities existed in
the copper of the earlier times, and were probably
valued for hardening the metal, yet these were rather
the accidental results of particular ores, than a deli-
berate mixture, such as the 7 per cent, of tin in the
XVIIIth dynasty. The metal tin had been separated,
and was known at that later time, as I found a pure
tin ring with glass beads of the end of the XVIIIth
dynasty at Gurob. In short, copper and flint ran
their course side by side, equally in use, down to the
close of the middle kingdom ; and when the Empire
arose in the XVIIIth dynasty flint had almost ceased
to be worked, and bronze had replaced copper.
The copper hatchet (VII, 19) and adze (18) were
found together. The hatchet is bound around with
thread, and sealed twice with a private scarab, im-
pressed on Nile mud : what the reason for this sealing
may have been, we do not know; it was not a
maker's mark, as the hatchet is worn ; but it may have
been sealed as a matter of a legacy, or disputed
property, or to prevent any person using it. The
copper knife (20) is of an unusual shape. Other small
knives were found, like those in "Kahun" (XVII,
18-20) ; and some with the shank rolled up (17),
a rude form of handling it. Two round chisels (21)
and many fishhooks, tweezers (VIII, 6), needles, and
a netting needle (VIII, 3), were also found ; beside
more of the puzzling knives (VIII, 4, 5) with a
hinging back piece, which though previously only
known in the XVIIIth dynasty (" Kahun," XVII, 43)
are now found to belong to the Xllth dynasty, having
been found in the rubbish heaps. Among other tools
may be named several plummets of the type found
last year (" Kahun," VIII, 19); another shell scoop
(K. VIII, 10); and two small shells (PL. VIII, 16), set
in reed handles, the purpose of which is quite unknown.
28. The group No. 0 was the most numerous found
in Kahun (see PL. XIII, 1-18). It was in a house on
the south side of the second street from the top, in
the workmen's western quarter. The date of the
group is not well fixed ; but the flint and copper
implements, and the forms of the alabaster vases, shew
that it belongs to the Xllth or Xlllth dynasty. The
mirror (8) is of fine yellow metal, and still bright and
clean enough to reflect from the greater part of it;
the handle is of hard brown wood, carved with a head
of Hathor on either side. The torque (18) is of
copper; I do not remember another instance of a
torque in ancient Egypt. The spoon (7) is of wood,
and has had a little figure at the end of it, of which
only the feet remain. Three alabaster vases are of
one type (1), one thrice the size here drawn, and two
about double of the drawing. Another alabaster vase
is of the form (3). A vase of green paste (2) is of the
THE ANTIQUITIES OK KAHUN
Some more hoes were found of the compound form
usual ; and also some of the natural hoes, formed of a
forked branch trimmed into form (28). These I have
not seen in Egypt before, nor on the sculptures ; they
are the evident prototypes of both the hoe and the
adze. The large pointed implement (29) seems to be
a plough coulter.
26. Another flint sickle has been found (27) later
in development than that of last season ("Kahun,"
IX, 22), and dated to the XVIIIth dynasty by a piece
of pottery with it. This retains three of the four flint
saws in position, set in a groove in the wood by black
cement, probably of Nile mud and some sticky
substance. The tip of this sickle is broken off; and
the handle instead of being carved in one piece, as
before, is attached with pegs. We now see how much
these sickles explain of the use of the toothed flints
both of Egypt and Syria ; the majority of such flints
are just suited to these implements, and shew signs of
the wear not extending beyond the edge, i.e. only
where the flint was not embedded in the cement
setting (5). Several flint tools were found ; but as
these will be described by Mr. Spurrell (Chap. XI)
I need only here notice the classes. (VII, 1) is an
adze; (2) a scraper ; (3) a hornstone axe, and (4) a
flint axe ; (5, 5 a) are the corner flints of large sickles ;
(6) a saw flint; (7, 8) knives; (9) is half of a sharp-
edged flint, of a type not seen in others of the Xllth
dynasty, and of a different quality ; it is therefore
probably of the age of some scarabs found with it—
the XVIIIth dynasty. (10, 12, 15, 16) are scrapers;
(11 and 14) probably knives. A remarkable flint knife
is that in a large find of the Xllth dynasty (XIII, 6),
having remains of binding with fibre and cord on the
handle : flint flakes (4, 5) were also found with it.
27. The copper tools have again been found here ;
and the recent analyses by Dr. Gladstone, F.R.S., of
those found last year have established that the tools
of the Xllth dynasty are copper, and those of the
XVIII-XIXth are bronze. His analyses are as
follow (see Soc. Bib. Arch. 1890) :—
XII
Copper
Tin
Arsenic
Antimony
Iron
Total
Hatchet
93-26
•52
3-90
•16
'21
98-05
Chisel
96'35
2-16
•36
98-87
Mirror
95
some
some
little
Knife
.. about '5
XVIII
Hatchet
89'59
6-67
'95
trace
•54
97*75
>j
90-09
7-29
■22
trace
97-60
These shew that although small impurities existed in
the copper of the earlier times, and were probably
valued for hardening the metal, yet these were rather
the accidental results of particular ores, than a deli-
berate mixture, such as the 7 per cent, of tin in the
XVIIIth dynasty. The metal tin had been separated,
and was known at that later time, as I found a pure
tin ring with glass beads of the end of the XVIIIth
dynasty at Gurob. In short, copper and flint ran
their course side by side, equally in use, down to the
close of the middle kingdom ; and when the Empire
arose in the XVIIIth dynasty flint had almost ceased
to be worked, and bronze had replaced copper.
The copper hatchet (VII, 19) and adze (18) were
found together. The hatchet is bound around with
thread, and sealed twice with a private scarab, im-
pressed on Nile mud : what the reason for this sealing
may have been, we do not know; it was not a
maker's mark, as the hatchet is worn ; but it may have
been sealed as a matter of a legacy, or disputed
property, or to prevent any person using it. The
copper knife (20) is of an unusual shape. Other small
knives were found, like those in "Kahun" (XVII,
18-20) ; and some with the shank rolled up (17),
a rude form of handling it. Two round chisels (21)
and many fishhooks, tweezers (VIII, 6), needles, and
a netting needle (VIII, 3), were also found ; beside
more of the puzzling knives (VIII, 4, 5) with a
hinging back piece, which though previously only
known in the XVIIIth dynasty (" Kahun," XVII, 43)
are now found to belong to the Xllth dynasty, having
been found in the rubbish heaps. Among other tools
may be named several plummets of the type found
last year (" Kahun," VIII, 19); another shell scoop
(K. VIII, 10); and two small shells (PL. VIII, 16), set
in reed handles, the purpose of which is quite unknown.
28. The group No. 0 was the most numerous found
in Kahun (see PL. XIII, 1-18). It was in a house on
the south side of the second street from the top, in
the workmen's western quarter. The date of the
group is not well fixed ; but the flint and copper
implements, and the forms of the alabaster vases, shew
that it belongs to the Xllth or Xlllth dynasty. The
mirror (8) is of fine yellow metal, and still bright and
clean enough to reflect from the greater part of it;
the handle is of hard brown wood, carved with a head
of Hathor on either side. The torque (18) is of
copper; I do not remember another instance of a
torque in ancient Egypt. The spoon (7) is of wood,
and has had a little figure at the end of it, of which
only the feet remain. Three alabaster vases are of
one type (1), one thrice the size here drawn, and two
about double of the drawing. Another alabaster vase
is of the form (3). A vase of green paste (2) is of the