DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1036#0061
THE STONE IMPLEMENTS OF KAHUN.
53
only it occasionally occurs from both sides. It
appears that when these knives got a little blunted
they were not retrimmed, but simply used up care-
lessly. They are smoothed on both edges at the
smaller end or tang so as not to cut through a wisp
of palm leaf or cloth, which was placed there and
bound round with a piece of cord to give a hold
for the fingers. One such is figured in Illahun
PL. XIII. 6. It is equal in workmanship to the'best
of these knives. It is notable that of the unbroken
blades found in Kahun, this last has suffered more
than any from use, it having lost nearly half an inch
of breadth from the widest part of the convex edge.
None of the knives have evidence of any other mode
of hafting. This slight hafting appears to be no
mere carelessness. From the nature of flint and the
thinness of the blades it is evident that (for instru-
ments not used for thrusting) a handle giving too great
a grip might cause the operator to employ too much
force in the act of cutting and hacking, if however the
blade was delicately held by but two fingers and the
thumb, the limited amount of force which the blade
could bear was involuntarily secured. There is an-
other form of knife, Illahun PL. VII. 16, of which
a whole blade was not found at Kahun. The type
of handle is like that found at Arsinoe, Hawara
Pl. XXVII. 5, though the Kahun example must have
had a shorter blade. The very fine Arsinoe example
is apparently of the same style of workmanship as
those of Kahun and is perhaps of the same date, as
it came from disturbed soil excavated from a Xllth
dynasty site. The hollowed part of the handle was
probably for the reception of two fingers, the thumb
being placed above, as before mentioned; and it is
noticeable that the larger the blade the more the
grasp is limited.
There is yet another form of knife which deserves
mention, although no specimen complete enough to
figure has been discovered. The workmanship is of
the best. One edge is straight and thin. The two
flat surfaces do not meet at the outer and slightly
convex edge, but are connected by a regular bevelled
slope making a right angle in section with one of the
sides. The examples found appear to have been
used exclusively on the straight edge, which looks as
if it had been employed to cut soft material on a
board, the thick edge is unworn. The instrument
is sharply pointed and has the appearance of a thick-
backed knife, the tang is little marked, so that perhaps
the knife was held by the middle of the back.
There are four tools figured in Kahun XVI. [to
the left of column shaft] which have been adapted
from other broken tools. They seem to have been
employed as chisels or gouges, though there is no
signs of bruising.
One little instrument above the axe in Kahun
PL. XVI. is flat and bevelled all round the edge; it
must have been mounted as axes were, but may have
been employed with others in combination and not
used for striking blows.
In Illahun PL. VII. 15 and Kahun XVI. are repre-
sented broad flakes with secondary chipping for use
as straight edge and scrapers. A small instrument
is figured in Kahun PL. XVI., it is U shaped with a
straight line at the top (broken at the corners). Its
average thickness is -Jj- of an inch ; it is very fairly
chipped on the convex surface (the other being flat)
of one side only, and very delicate. It will cut with
facility pith, wet or dry papyrus—perhaps this was
its use.
The employment of mere flakes for use apparently
without preparation was of course very common.
The art of flaking, if not shared by every member
of the community, cannot have been a rare one. But
the lack of cores at Kahun is remarkable, none having
been found in the houses, nor any special chipping
ground. However plenty of well-formed flakes, long,
straight and thin were available for cutting, scraping,
or boring holes, in short for all the purposes a pocket
knife is carried. In one instance, Find No. 9 Kahun,
1890 (Illahun Pl. XIII. 1-18) a leather bag was
found containing a copper tool or two with other odds
and ends, also portions of flint knives and some
straight cutting flakes. Many flakes were smoothly
blunted along one or both edges. No implements
were found in the town suitable for stone facing nor
for saws. In the latter case it is impossible to ima-
gine that serrated flakes could be serviceably set
as such. Nor were such clumsy saws wanted, bronze
or copper having long been in use for the purpose.
Some flakes with roughened edges seem to have been
used for wood work after the manner we could use
the edge of a rasp.
There is little doubt that many knives were made
at favourable places and hawked about the country.
88. Besides the numerous flakes which have been
slightly modified by secondary chipping or by use,
are some which have been found in the town and
many more in the miscellaneous gatherings of the
neighbourhood. They have long been known to
collectors and described as saws. The finding how-
ever of a wooden sickle with one of these flints
53
only it occasionally occurs from both sides. It
appears that when these knives got a little blunted
they were not retrimmed, but simply used up care-
lessly. They are smoothed on both edges at the
smaller end or tang so as not to cut through a wisp
of palm leaf or cloth, which was placed there and
bound round with a piece of cord to give a hold
for the fingers. One such is figured in Illahun
PL. XIII. 6. It is equal in workmanship to the'best
of these knives. It is notable that of the unbroken
blades found in Kahun, this last has suffered more
than any from use, it having lost nearly half an inch
of breadth from the widest part of the convex edge.
None of the knives have evidence of any other mode
of hafting. This slight hafting appears to be no
mere carelessness. From the nature of flint and the
thinness of the blades it is evident that (for instru-
ments not used for thrusting) a handle giving too great
a grip might cause the operator to employ too much
force in the act of cutting and hacking, if however the
blade was delicately held by but two fingers and the
thumb, the limited amount of force which the blade
could bear was involuntarily secured. There is an-
other form of knife, Illahun PL. VII. 16, of which
a whole blade was not found at Kahun. The type
of handle is like that found at Arsinoe, Hawara
Pl. XXVII. 5, though the Kahun example must have
had a shorter blade. The very fine Arsinoe example
is apparently of the same style of workmanship as
those of Kahun and is perhaps of the same date, as
it came from disturbed soil excavated from a Xllth
dynasty site. The hollowed part of the handle was
probably for the reception of two fingers, the thumb
being placed above, as before mentioned; and it is
noticeable that the larger the blade the more the
grasp is limited.
There is yet another form of knife which deserves
mention, although no specimen complete enough to
figure has been discovered. The workmanship is of
the best. One edge is straight and thin. The two
flat surfaces do not meet at the outer and slightly
convex edge, but are connected by a regular bevelled
slope making a right angle in section with one of the
sides. The examples found appear to have been
used exclusively on the straight edge, which looks as
if it had been employed to cut soft material on a
board, the thick edge is unworn. The instrument
is sharply pointed and has the appearance of a thick-
backed knife, the tang is little marked, so that perhaps
the knife was held by the middle of the back.
There are four tools figured in Kahun XVI. [to
the left of column shaft] which have been adapted
from other broken tools. They seem to have been
employed as chisels or gouges, though there is no
signs of bruising.
One little instrument above the axe in Kahun
PL. XVI. is flat and bevelled all round the edge; it
must have been mounted as axes were, but may have
been employed with others in combination and not
used for striking blows.
In Illahun PL. VII. 15 and Kahun XVI. are repre-
sented broad flakes with secondary chipping for use
as straight edge and scrapers. A small instrument
is figured in Kahun PL. XVI., it is U shaped with a
straight line at the top (broken at the corners). Its
average thickness is -Jj- of an inch ; it is very fairly
chipped on the convex surface (the other being flat)
of one side only, and very delicate. It will cut with
facility pith, wet or dry papyrus—perhaps this was
its use.
The employment of mere flakes for use apparently
without preparation was of course very common.
The art of flaking, if not shared by every member
of the community, cannot have been a rare one. But
the lack of cores at Kahun is remarkable, none having
been found in the houses, nor any special chipping
ground. However plenty of well-formed flakes, long,
straight and thin were available for cutting, scraping,
or boring holes, in short for all the purposes a pocket
knife is carried. In one instance, Find No. 9 Kahun,
1890 (Illahun Pl. XIII. 1-18) a leather bag was
found containing a copper tool or two with other odds
and ends, also portions of flint knives and some
straight cutting flakes. Many flakes were smoothly
blunted along one or both edges. No implements
were found in the town suitable for stone facing nor
for saws. In the latter case it is impossible to ima-
gine that serrated flakes could be serviceably set
as such. Nor were such clumsy saws wanted, bronze
or copper having long been in use for the purpose.
Some flakes with roughened edges seem to have been
used for wood work after the manner we could use
the edge of a rasp.
There is little doubt that many knives were made
at favourable places and hawked about the country.
88. Besides the numerous flakes which have been
slightly modified by secondary chipping or by use,
are some which have been found in the town and
many more in the miscellaneous gatherings of the
neighbourhood. They have long been known to
collectors and described as saws. The finding how-
ever of a wooden sickle with one of these flints