DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4222#0043
MM
THE SEALINGS AND STELES.
33
handfuls of sand were thrown over each stone,
and then the raised figures and signs wiped
clear. This was done twice, once for drawing
and once for photographing, and hence the
drawing is quite an independent interpretation
apart from the preparation for photographing.
How much is gained in clearness by this sanding
is seen by comparing figs. 49, sanded, and 50,
the same stone, unsanded. Of course the photo-
graphs were taken looking almost vertically clown-
ward, the stone being only inclined enough to
obtain a shadow to the relief. The drawn outlines
were made to scale by using a frame of threads
over the stone, and a card ruled in squares
beneath the thin drawing-paper. The damages
are ignored, the object being to show the best
material that can be obtained for reading, while
the photograph shows the actual condition.
No comparison has yet been made between the
photographs and the drawings, which are en-
tirely independent.
It will be noticed that out of 70 stones Avith
signs from, around Zer, 16 have names com-
pounded with Neit; one may name Horus
(No. 100), but no other deity is mentioned.
This strongly shows that the domestics and
harem of the king belonged to the Neit
worshipping Libyans, rather than to the
dynastic race which specially adored Hathor.
The relief inscription 59 is duplicated by the
inscription 102, written on less than half the
size of the other, with red paint on a smooth
stone. The differences between the two forms
of the signs are instructive.
Pl. XXVII. Several of the steles last found
were not photographed owing to lack of time
caused by illness, but all were drawn, and the
drawings of these, together with some of the
steles which were too much damaged to be
worth photographing, are given in the upper
half of this plate. Some had entirely crumbled
to flakes since being drawn, owing to the great-
rainstorm, and so could not be preserved or
photographed.
Besides the Zer steles many were found in
finishing the excavations around the tomb of
Den. These are drawn in the lower half of
pl. xxvii.j and photographed in pis. xxx., xxxa.
The most interesting of these are the six
with uniform titles, 120 to 125, which also
occur on No. 21, published last year. It is
notable that the king is always named Setui, and
never Den, in this title. Two steles had been
carefully erased ; but by examination in sun-
shine each sign could be tolerably restored (see
Nos. 131, 132).
It may be noted that Nos. 128, 129 seem to
contain only a title, as the same occurs on
No. 96 with the addition of a name, Ketka.
Pl. XXXI. Two steles of king Perabsen were
found lying in the sand to the south of his
tomb. They seem therefore to have been
placed near the entrance to the tomb, which
was at the south corner, and not on the east
of the tomb, as seems to have been the case in
the 1st Dynasty. They are cut in very com-
pact syenite, and much polished by sand wear,
so that no sharp edges are left. It was there-
fore not satisfactory to photograph them in
front, by the shadows; and the best result was
from the side, by reflections. This makes a
rather askew view, which reduces the largest of
the two steles to an equality writh the lesser. ,
The plate here is an enlargement of a ^-plate
snapshot with a hand camera, as it was difficult
to fix a stand at the exact angle for the reflec-
tions ; and I doubt if any better result could
have been got by using a stand. The steles are
about 5 feet high ; cut from natural long water-
worn masses of grey syenite; with one face
hammer-dressed down to a flat surface, and
the hieroglyphs left in relief. The figure of
Set above the name has been hammered away
in later times.
THE SEALINGS AND STELES.
33
handfuls of sand were thrown over each stone,
and then the raised figures and signs wiped
clear. This was done twice, once for drawing
and once for photographing, and hence the
drawing is quite an independent interpretation
apart from the preparation for photographing.
How much is gained in clearness by this sanding
is seen by comparing figs. 49, sanded, and 50,
the same stone, unsanded. Of course the photo-
graphs were taken looking almost vertically clown-
ward, the stone being only inclined enough to
obtain a shadow to the relief. The drawn outlines
were made to scale by using a frame of threads
over the stone, and a card ruled in squares
beneath the thin drawing-paper. The damages
are ignored, the object being to show the best
material that can be obtained for reading, while
the photograph shows the actual condition.
No comparison has yet been made between the
photographs and the drawings, which are en-
tirely independent.
It will be noticed that out of 70 stones Avith
signs from, around Zer, 16 have names com-
pounded with Neit; one may name Horus
(No. 100), but no other deity is mentioned.
This strongly shows that the domestics and
harem of the king belonged to the Neit
worshipping Libyans, rather than to the
dynastic race which specially adored Hathor.
The relief inscription 59 is duplicated by the
inscription 102, written on less than half the
size of the other, with red paint on a smooth
stone. The differences between the two forms
of the signs are instructive.
Pl. XXVII. Several of the steles last found
were not photographed owing to lack of time
caused by illness, but all were drawn, and the
drawings of these, together with some of the
steles which were too much damaged to be
worth photographing, are given in the upper
half of this plate. Some had entirely crumbled
to flakes since being drawn, owing to the great-
rainstorm, and so could not be preserved or
photographed.
Besides the Zer steles many were found in
finishing the excavations around the tomb of
Den. These are drawn in the lower half of
pl. xxvii.j and photographed in pis. xxx., xxxa.
The most interesting of these are the six
with uniform titles, 120 to 125, which also
occur on No. 21, published last year. It is
notable that the king is always named Setui, and
never Den, in this title. Two steles had been
carefully erased ; but by examination in sun-
shine each sign could be tolerably restored (see
Nos. 131, 132).
It may be noted that Nos. 128, 129 seem to
contain only a title, as the same occurs on
No. 96 with the addition of a name, Ketka.
Pl. XXXI. Two steles of king Perabsen were
found lying in the sand to the south of his
tomb. They seem therefore to have been
placed near the entrance to the tomb, which
was at the south corner, and not on the east
of the tomb, as seems to have been the case in
the 1st Dynasty. They are cut in very com-
pact syenite, and much polished by sand wear,
so that no sharp edges are left. It was there-
fore not satisfactory to photograph them in
front, by the shadows; and the best result was
from the side, by reflections. This makes a
rather askew view, which reduces the largest of
the two steles to an equality writh the lesser. ,
The plate here is an enlargement of a ^-plate
snapshot with a hand camera, as it was difficult
to fix a stand at the exact angle for the reflec-
tions ; and I doubt if any better result could
have been got by using a stand. The steles are
about 5 feet high ; cut from natural long water-
worn masses of grey syenite; with one face
hammer-dressed down to a flat surface, and
the hieroglyphs left in relief. The figure of
Set above the name has been hammered away
in later times.