DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4221#0034
THE OBJECTS DISCOVERED.
25
In 18 it is clumsy, and the figure also appears
out of the water (see also 20, 21). In 46 the
figure is without the canal. In 67, 69 it is
more conventional; and lastly, in 81, the
swimmer is quite apart from the water, without
even the drops of spray.
8, 9, 10. These seals are very different in
character from the others, far coarser and more
irregular. They are probably survivals of an
older style.
11. This piece of accounts, written on the
base of a brown pottery dish, is the oldest that
is known. It seems to refer to quantities of
things rather than to individuals ; as the num-
bers, though mostly 20, are sometimes 100 and
220.
12, 1?), 14, 15, 18. In all these occurs the ha
arms holding a throw-stick or wand, a sign
which comes from earlier times (see No. 10), but
which disappeared afterwards.
21—27. A difficulty occurs in the sealings
from the tomb of Merneit, that not one bears
the name of Merneit, and many have the name
of Den. Yet it will be seen that the seals are
quite different from those of the tomb of Den.
Not one is in common. Moreover, there are
many peculiarities of Merneit's seals, such as
the ad mar Seta, Nos. 24, 25 ; the vineyard,
No. 31 ; the place of the boar, No. 83 ; the
ram, No. 34 ; the corn measures (?), 37, 38, 39;
the nomes of the east and the west, 37, 38 ; and
the sezet liotep fortress, 40, 41 ; and not one of
these occurs on any seal belonging to the tomb
of Den. On the other hand, the peculiarities
of Den, as the sekhent du II or building,
and the frequent name of Hemaka, bearer of
the seal, never occur on the sealings from
Merneit.
We cannot therefore look on these sealings as
having been all made by officials of King Den.
Rather must Ave suppose that Merneit had the
name Den, and that it was adopted by his suc-
cessor, the well-known king Den-Setui. It is
possible that in No. 26 we might read Merneit,
as the second sign might be another form of the
distaff without the arrows.
33. The "place of the boar" occurs again
under Azab, better engraved in No. 60. The
object over the boar, or over the jars in No.
60, looks like a brick-mould with its handle,
but might be the sign sekher.
o O -----.
34. The ram following mer-se-lchnum appears
to be on a different stand in each repetition ;
though not in clear condition, the four forms
cannot be the same.
37, 38, 39. A cylindrical vessel with two
handles in these seals seems to be a measure for
corn or dry goods. The two seals 37, 38 are a
pair, one for the produce of the east, the other
of the west. On 39 the sign of Neit appears,
but no mer.
43. The large object shown on this seems,
from the more detailed seal 86, to represent
a shrine of a sacred bird.
45— 50 show the name of the fortress or tomb
of Den, Hor-se-khent-du: this was not in-
telligible in the drawing by De Morgan, 784.
47, 54. The two forms 'of jars, wide and
narrow, shown here with their sealings upon
them, are the two types of early jars, the
pointed, as in xxxix. 5, and the full, as in xl. 11.
53—56. Hemaka was the royal seal-bearer,
apparently vizier of that time (see xv. 16, 17).
Some small sealings from Den and from W 33
are drawn enlarged on pi. xxxii., Nos. 38-41
(see pi. xii. 7).
57 — 60. The seals of Azab show a distinct
advance in detail and arrangement. The palace
of the Hor-pa-ua is named, confirming the con-
clusion from the stone vase inscriptions, that
this name referred to the royal living palace.
All these with suten Ijiti are on black mud.
71. This piece of ivory carving might have
appeared better on pi. xv. It seems to have
been part of the inlaying of a casket or of
furniture. The two Hathor heads recall those
on the great slate of Narmer (see photograph,
xi. 13).
25
In 18 it is clumsy, and the figure also appears
out of the water (see also 20, 21). In 46 the
figure is without the canal. In 67, 69 it is
more conventional; and lastly, in 81, the
swimmer is quite apart from the water, without
even the drops of spray.
8, 9, 10. These seals are very different in
character from the others, far coarser and more
irregular. They are probably survivals of an
older style.
11. This piece of accounts, written on the
base of a brown pottery dish, is the oldest that
is known. It seems to refer to quantities of
things rather than to individuals ; as the num-
bers, though mostly 20, are sometimes 100 and
220.
12, 1?), 14, 15, 18. In all these occurs the ha
arms holding a throw-stick or wand, a sign
which comes from earlier times (see No. 10), but
which disappeared afterwards.
21—27. A difficulty occurs in the sealings
from the tomb of Merneit, that not one bears
the name of Merneit, and many have the name
of Den. Yet it will be seen that the seals are
quite different from those of the tomb of Den.
Not one is in common. Moreover, there are
many peculiarities of Merneit's seals, such as
the ad mar Seta, Nos. 24, 25 ; the vineyard,
No. 31 ; the place of the boar, No. 83 ; the
ram, No. 34 ; the corn measures (?), 37, 38, 39;
the nomes of the east and the west, 37, 38 ; and
the sezet liotep fortress, 40, 41 ; and not one of
these occurs on any seal belonging to the tomb
of Den. On the other hand, the peculiarities
of Den, as the sekhent du II or building,
and the frequent name of Hemaka, bearer of
the seal, never occur on the sealings from
Merneit.
We cannot therefore look on these sealings as
having been all made by officials of King Den.
Rather must Ave suppose that Merneit had the
name Den, and that it was adopted by his suc-
cessor, the well-known king Den-Setui. It is
possible that in No. 26 we might read Merneit,
as the second sign might be another form of the
distaff without the arrows.
33. The "place of the boar" occurs again
under Azab, better engraved in No. 60. The
object over the boar, or over the jars in No.
60, looks like a brick-mould with its handle,
but might be the sign sekher.
o O -----.
34. The ram following mer-se-lchnum appears
to be on a different stand in each repetition ;
though not in clear condition, the four forms
cannot be the same.
37, 38, 39. A cylindrical vessel with two
handles in these seals seems to be a measure for
corn or dry goods. The two seals 37, 38 are a
pair, one for the produce of the east, the other
of the west. On 39 the sign of Neit appears,
but no mer.
43. The large object shown on this seems,
from the more detailed seal 86, to represent
a shrine of a sacred bird.
45— 50 show the name of the fortress or tomb
of Den, Hor-se-khent-du: this was not in-
telligible in the drawing by De Morgan, 784.
47, 54. The two forms 'of jars, wide and
narrow, shown here with their sealings upon
them, are the two types of early jars, the
pointed, as in xxxix. 5, and the full, as in xl. 11.
53—56. Hemaka was the royal seal-bearer,
apparently vizier of that time (see xv. 16, 17).
Some small sealings from Den and from W 33
are drawn enlarged on pi. xxxii., Nos. 38-41
(see pi. xii. 7).
57 — 60. The seals of Azab show a distinct
advance in detail and arrangement. The palace
of the Hor-pa-ua is named, confirming the con-
clusion from the stone vase inscriptions, that
this name referred to the royal living palace.
All these with suten Ijiti are on black mud.
71. This piece of ivory carving might have
appeared better on pi. xv. It seems to have
been part of the inlaying of a casket or of
furniture. The two Hathor heads recall those
on the great slate of Narmer (see photograph,
xi. 13).