DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.11365#0047
FLINT TOOLS FROM TELL EL AMARNA.
37
line I, he sees the traces of u (?) after the last charac-
ter num.; in line 6, he reads, instead of the first
character, the Amorite form of us, and du instead of
the fifth ; and in line 9 the third character is us. In
No. IV, line 4, he makes the last two characters
uz-al (?) instead of my pn-nu.
CHAPTER VII.
FLINT TOOLS FROM TELL EL AMARNA.
By F. C. J. Spurrell, F.G.S.
81. These implements and waste flakes were found
in two localities ; the sickle flints in presumably a
workshop near the palace waste heaps, the rude flakes
in a large heap in the south end of the town. The
quality of the flint calls for no particular notice, but
some thin flat pieces were parts of river-worn pebbles,
which, having lain on the surface, had been split by
the action of the weather, aided by blowing sand.
These were doubtless collected with a view to use, as
was found to have been the case in some of Mr.
Petrie's discoveries of the same date at Gurob. The
artificial flakes consist of flat thin ones, and others of
straight prismatic form. In both cases they were
struck on the spot from the block, as is seen by the
close resemblance of the texture, blots, and stains in
them. Of the thin flat varieties some closely resemble
in form and size the leaf-shaped ones met with at
Gurob (see " Illahun " by W. M. F. Petrie, pi. XVI).
Altogether the irregularity of the flaking and chipping
is very apparent, shewing uncertainty in the operator.
No knives or large tools were found. Of those
whose form leaves us in no. doubt as to their use, are
sickle teeth in various states of manufacture ; from
those merely squared out of thin flakes, to those
which had been mounted in a sickle and still have the
cement adhering to them. The completed teeth
comprise all the various forms required by the
different parts of the implement, but the neatness of
form and correct adaptation to the groove for which
they were intended is wanting, as compared with
those of early date from Kahun. The denticulations
on these teeth are of three sorts. Some are fairly
good and regular, but inferior to the best Xllth
dynasty examples ; moreover these are the only ones
having signs of usage, thus suggesting that they are
old ones of an earlier date re-employed. The next
are denticulated, but of an almost wild irregularity of
manufacture, altogether suggestive of trial pieces ; bad
as they are, however, the adherent cement shews them
to have been set. None of these have any wear or
polish ; and one tooth which had been set is smooth
at the edge, and no denticulation has been even
attempted. Another large one, with the cement
adhering completely, consists of a knife-blade of good
work, and perhaps of early date, which had been
broken at the ends until about 3^ inches long. It has
no further adaptation to its newer use in the way of
denticulation, and it is very blunt. The third kind
appears to be mere spalls on which the chipping of
the denticulations was tried and practised by ignorant
or idle people. This trial was rather freely carried
on. Ill made or irregular flakes having been taken,
some were roughly indented on all sides without any-
meaning, while others curiously simulate ragged
arrow-heads. But as these are ill suited for such a
purpose, and as they may be seen to connect them-
selves by gentle gradations with others shaped like
a boot, a kite, or other accidental oddity, they cannot
be considered intentional efforts at arrow, or spear-
head making. The mode in which all this denticula-
tion was managed is clear, and the worn edges of some
of the flakes shew that they were the tools employed.
Thus, the flake to be nicked was held horizontally,
and a large flat thin-edged one was used to strike the
side of that perpendicularly, and so to notch it. We
have then a state of workmanship such as any of us
may repeat off-hand with the spare flakes from the
collection, and so obtain precisely similar results.
82. The teeth have in many cases the cement with
which they were fastened to the sickle still adhering
to them, as seen by the impressions of the grooves in
which they were laid, yet left in the cement. Mostly
these grooves were very slight, having wider angles
than those of Kahun, while in a few cases there were
no grooves at all, only a flat surface to which the
tooth was attached in an upright position by the
cement alone, and that position sometimes awry.
The cement is of various colours ; mere brownish
clayey sand, slate-grey clay, and sand with a green
admixture. The cement is sometimes green through-
out, sometimes the green is only a surface layer. It
is never painted. The colour is sometimes merely of
a faint green-grey shade, in others a fairly bright
green. The medium in all cases is bees-wax. Water
has no effect on the compound ; all the specimens are
hard when cold, but crush up when warmed to about
the temperature of melting wax, and harden again on
cooling. The fumes smell of wax and the compound
bnrns with a clear flame. The wax may be wholly
37
line I, he sees the traces of u (?) after the last charac-
ter num.; in line 6, he reads, instead of the first
character, the Amorite form of us, and du instead of
the fifth ; and in line 9 the third character is us. In
No. IV, line 4, he makes the last two characters
uz-al (?) instead of my pn-nu.
CHAPTER VII.
FLINT TOOLS FROM TELL EL AMARNA.
By F. C. J. Spurrell, F.G.S.
81. These implements and waste flakes were found
in two localities ; the sickle flints in presumably a
workshop near the palace waste heaps, the rude flakes
in a large heap in the south end of the town. The
quality of the flint calls for no particular notice, but
some thin flat pieces were parts of river-worn pebbles,
which, having lain on the surface, had been split by
the action of the weather, aided by blowing sand.
These were doubtless collected with a view to use, as
was found to have been the case in some of Mr.
Petrie's discoveries of the same date at Gurob. The
artificial flakes consist of flat thin ones, and others of
straight prismatic form. In both cases they were
struck on the spot from the block, as is seen by the
close resemblance of the texture, blots, and stains in
them. Of the thin flat varieties some closely resemble
in form and size the leaf-shaped ones met with at
Gurob (see " Illahun " by W. M. F. Petrie, pi. XVI).
Altogether the irregularity of the flaking and chipping
is very apparent, shewing uncertainty in the operator.
No knives or large tools were found. Of those
whose form leaves us in no. doubt as to their use, are
sickle teeth in various states of manufacture ; from
those merely squared out of thin flakes, to those
which had been mounted in a sickle and still have the
cement adhering to them. The completed teeth
comprise all the various forms required by the
different parts of the implement, but the neatness of
form and correct adaptation to the groove for which
they were intended is wanting, as compared with
those of early date from Kahun. The denticulations
on these teeth are of three sorts. Some are fairly
good and regular, but inferior to the best Xllth
dynasty examples ; moreover these are the only ones
having signs of usage, thus suggesting that they are
old ones of an earlier date re-employed. The next
are denticulated, but of an almost wild irregularity of
manufacture, altogether suggestive of trial pieces ; bad
as they are, however, the adherent cement shews them
to have been set. None of these have any wear or
polish ; and one tooth which had been set is smooth
at the edge, and no denticulation has been even
attempted. Another large one, with the cement
adhering completely, consists of a knife-blade of good
work, and perhaps of early date, which had been
broken at the ends until about 3^ inches long. It has
no further adaptation to its newer use in the way of
denticulation, and it is very blunt. The third kind
appears to be mere spalls on which the chipping of
the denticulations was tried and practised by ignorant
or idle people. This trial was rather freely carried
on. Ill made or irregular flakes having been taken,
some were roughly indented on all sides without any-
meaning, while others curiously simulate ragged
arrow-heads. But as these are ill suited for such a
purpose, and as they may be seen to connect them-
selves by gentle gradations with others shaped like
a boot, a kite, or other accidental oddity, they cannot
be considered intentional efforts at arrow, or spear-
head making. The mode in which all this denticula-
tion was managed is clear, and the worn edges of some
of the flakes shew that they were the tools employed.
Thus, the flake to be nicked was held horizontally,
and a large flat thin-edged one was used to strike the
side of that perpendicularly, and so to notch it. We
have then a state of workmanship such as any of us
may repeat off-hand with the spare flakes from the
collection, and so obtain precisely similar results.
82. The teeth have in many cases the cement with
which they were fastened to the sickle still adhering
to them, as seen by the impressions of the grooves in
which they were laid, yet left in the cement. Mostly
these grooves were very slight, having wider angles
than those of Kahun, while in a few cases there were
no grooves at all, only a flat surface to which the
tooth was attached in an upright position by the
cement alone, and that position sometimes awry.
The cement is of various colours ; mere brownish
clayey sand, slate-grey clay, and sand with a green
admixture. The cement is sometimes green through-
out, sometimes the green is only a surface layer. It
is never painted. The colour is sometimes merely of
a faint green-grey shade, in others a fairly bright
green. The medium in all cases is bees-wax. Water
has no effect on the compound ; all the specimens are
hard when cold, but crush up when warmed to about
the temperature of melting wax, and harden again on
cooling. The fumes smell of wax and the compound
bnrns with a clear flame. The wax may be wholly