DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4222#0031
THE INSCEIBED TABLETS, &c.
21
emblem on the lower part of a carved slate at
Cairo, showing the capture of towns.
20. An ivory comb, probably of Bener-ab (or
Am-ab), a queen or daughter of Mena.
Pl. IIIa.1 The ivory slips 1, 2, 3, bear
figures of captives, probably of Libyan race, and
with these compare pl. iv. 3 to 6, and 12. The
twist pattern of border is here seen on No. 1 to
be as old as Mena, having the same mysterious
crescents below it which even appear down to
the Xllth Dynasty (L. Denk, ii. 126-132).
4. An ivory hemisphere with the name of
Aha.
5. See the drawing, pl. x. 2. A duplicate of
this, much broken, is in No. 6, and a drawing
in xi. 2. This ebony tablet of Mena is the most
complete of his works. The lower half was
found in tomb B 18, and at the close of all the
work the upper half came from B 19. In the
top line after the name of Aha, with the title,
"born of Amiut," there are two sacred barks,
and a shrine and temenos of Neit. The resem-
blance of this to a shrine on a cylinder, copied
on this plate, should be noted. In the next line
is a man making an offering, with two signs
above, possibly uaau, " alone." Behind him is
a bull running over wavy ground into a net
stretched between two poles, exactly the same
position of the net as seen on the far later
Vapheio gold cups. At the end is a crane or
stork standing on a shrine. Compare with this
the stork on a shrine, above an enclosure of
wild cattle, on the mace head of Narmer (Hiera-
kotvpolis, pl. xxvi. B). The third line shows
three boats on a canal or river passing between
certain places. It is tempting to see in these place
names Biu, a district of Memphis (Br. Geog. 184),
Pa She, the " dwelling of the lake," capital of
the Fayum, and the canal of Mer or Bahr Yusuf
(B. G. 278), divided in two, above and below
1 All plates with lettered numbers are issued only as a
supplement, which can be also had bound together in the
volume. The more important tablets of this plate are also
given in enlarged drawings on pis. x., xi.
the Fayum. In the fourth line is a continuous
line of hieroglyphs, the first of such that is
knoAvn. The second version in No. 6, drawn
in pl. xi. 2, shows that the second sign is not
essential. On the backs of these tablets are
painted signs : a spindle (pl. x. 3), and a men
sign with two kinds of gaming pieces (pl. xi. 3).
7. A curved bar of gold was found in tomb
B 18, the two ends of which are shown in fig. 7.
The sides are even, and the whole is carefully
wrought. Near the top is a hole, and below
that the name of Aha incised. At the lower
end is a close cross hatching, and the same is on
the under side near the upper end. The purpose
of it is entirely unguessed. It weighs 216 grains,
a heavy example of the old standard for gold,
known as early as Khufu.
8. An ivory figure of a girl was found in
tomb B 14, possibly of the deceased Bener-ab,
to whom this tomb apparently belonged. The
dress is long, to the ankles, and the hands placed
on the breast. It differs from any other figure
yet known of this age ; those from Hierakonpolis,
with the mantle folded across the arms, being
most like it. (Hierahon. x. 7, 8, 11.)
9. A polygonal slip of ivory, flat on one side,
and with three faces on the other side, seems to
imitate a flint flake. It bears the name of Aha,
and pieces of other such models were found.
10. A piece of an ivory fish, similar to those
from the Mena tomb at Naqada (De Morgan,
Recherches, ii., figs. 702—707).
11. An ivory handle of a fan (?) having a slit
cut along the widened end, has on it the name
of Aha, and Bener-ab.
12. An ivory rod, bearing also the name of
Aha.
13. A panel of ivory, probably from a box
lid, with the name of Aha, and Bener-ab.
Pl. IV. 1, 2. Pieces of alabaster with un-
known signs.
3, 4, 5. Pieces of ivory with figures of a
subject race doing homage. The pieces 4 and 5
may not belong together, but are clearly of
21
emblem on the lower part of a carved slate at
Cairo, showing the capture of towns.
20. An ivory comb, probably of Bener-ab (or
Am-ab), a queen or daughter of Mena.
Pl. IIIa.1 The ivory slips 1, 2, 3, bear
figures of captives, probably of Libyan race, and
with these compare pl. iv. 3 to 6, and 12. The
twist pattern of border is here seen on No. 1 to
be as old as Mena, having the same mysterious
crescents below it which even appear down to
the Xllth Dynasty (L. Denk, ii. 126-132).
4. An ivory hemisphere with the name of
Aha.
5. See the drawing, pl. x. 2. A duplicate of
this, much broken, is in No. 6, and a drawing
in xi. 2. This ebony tablet of Mena is the most
complete of his works. The lower half was
found in tomb B 18, and at the close of all the
work the upper half came from B 19. In the
top line after the name of Aha, with the title,
"born of Amiut," there are two sacred barks,
and a shrine and temenos of Neit. The resem-
blance of this to a shrine on a cylinder, copied
on this plate, should be noted. In the next line
is a man making an offering, with two signs
above, possibly uaau, " alone." Behind him is
a bull running over wavy ground into a net
stretched between two poles, exactly the same
position of the net as seen on the far later
Vapheio gold cups. At the end is a crane or
stork standing on a shrine. Compare with this
the stork on a shrine, above an enclosure of
wild cattle, on the mace head of Narmer (Hiera-
kotvpolis, pl. xxvi. B). The third line shows
three boats on a canal or river passing between
certain places. It is tempting to see in these place
names Biu, a district of Memphis (Br. Geog. 184),
Pa She, the " dwelling of the lake," capital of
the Fayum, and the canal of Mer or Bahr Yusuf
(B. G. 278), divided in two, above and below
1 All plates with lettered numbers are issued only as a
supplement, which can be also had bound together in the
volume. The more important tablets of this plate are also
given in enlarged drawings on pis. x., xi.
the Fayum. In the fourth line is a continuous
line of hieroglyphs, the first of such that is
knoAvn. The second version in No. 6, drawn
in pl. xi. 2, shows that the second sign is not
essential. On the backs of these tablets are
painted signs : a spindle (pl. x. 3), and a men
sign with two kinds of gaming pieces (pl. xi. 3).
7. A curved bar of gold was found in tomb
B 18, the two ends of which are shown in fig. 7.
The sides are even, and the whole is carefully
wrought. Near the top is a hole, and below
that the name of Aha incised. At the lower
end is a close cross hatching, and the same is on
the under side near the upper end. The purpose
of it is entirely unguessed. It weighs 216 grains,
a heavy example of the old standard for gold,
known as early as Khufu.
8. An ivory figure of a girl was found in
tomb B 14, possibly of the deceased Bener-ab,
to whom this tomb apparently belonged. The
dress is long, to the ankles, and the hands placed
on the breast. It differs from any other figure
yet known of this age ; those from Hierakonpolis,
with the mantle folded across the arms, being
most like it. (Hierahon. x. 7, 8, 11.)
9. A polygonal slip of ivory, flat on one side,
and with three faces on the other side, seems to
imitate a flint flake. It bears the name of Aha,
and pieces of other such models were found.
10. A piece of an ivory fish, similar to those
from the Mena tomb at Naqada (De Morgan,
Recherches, ii., figs. 702—707).
11. An ivory handle of a fan (?) having a slit
cut along the widened end, has on it the name
of Aha, and Bener-ab.
12. An ivory rod, bearing also the name of
Aha.
13. A panel of ivory, probably from a box
lid, with the name of Aha, and Bener-ab.
Pl. IV. 1, 2. Pieces of alabaster with un-
known signs.
3, 4, 5. Pieces of ivory with figures of a
subject race doing homage. The pieces 4 and 5
may not belong together, but are clearly of