14
ABYDOS 1.
the remains of actual cordage upon them in the
offerings to Merneit; and the impression of the
ring of cord round the neck is usually found on
the lower edge of the great sealings. The
successive stages of degradation of these jars
have been already noted in section 6. The
elaborate pattern on 105 must be due to an
archaistic imitation, or possibly the piece was
dug out from the lowest level in early times;
certainly it is not in place in the series at 63
level. The plain jars without bands (104) are
of the same age as those Avith bands, see B. T. i,
1—12 ; but they are generally of a fuller form
than the banded jars.
The hand-made pottery, with diagonal finger
marks, 106—116, is well known in the Old
Kingdom (Medum, xxxi, 15 ; El Kab, xii, 23) ;
but it does not occur in prehistoric graves. It
appears from the levels to belong to the Ilnd
Dynasty and onward ; and may be a degrada-
tion of the well-made jars of the 1st Dynasty,
such as in B. T. i, 16—31, or the forms 122,
129—131, 136 here, which are earlier than the
majority of these rough jars.
The jars with a deep collar, 118—121, are
probably the latest stage of the ash-jar of the
prehistoric graves (N. L 33, 34 ; 1). L 34c).
The whole class of rotund jars, 123—140,
are usually of hard fawn-coloured pottery,
which is common in late prehistoric times.
They run on into the Illrd Dynasty, compare
129 and Medum, xxx, 11; and the Vth Dynasty,
see 135 and Deshasheh, xxxiii, 20.
The little round-bottomed jars, 141—150, are
rare in tombs, but common in the town : they
do not occur in the lowest levels, before the
1st Dynasty, but are known in the prehistoric
(N. R 63) from 50 s.d. to the end. The earlier
ones are well shaped with a good brim, and
they become ruder in later instances.
The small globular pots, 151—174, are
common in the earlier levels, but are all more
rounded at the bottom than the late prehistoric
forms, N. R 64—69.
The model vases 182—187 are of hard fawn
ware like their larger prototypes.
The ring stand 192 is one of the rudest forms.
In 193 there is a combined cup and stand in
one piece. 194 is a dish with lip. In 195—
197 we see combined bowls and stands made in
one. Such are found in late prehistoric time,
72—76 s.D., but seem to be quite unknown in
the Illrd Dynasty and onwards. The stand
pierced with triangular holes (198) is almost
exactly like one in Dendereh, xvi, 38. The
large globular jar on a small stand (211) is an
extreme instance of the combined form. The
decoration of red lines on the fawn pottery in
205—211 belongs to the late prehistoric age.
The triangular tube 203 is unknoAvn elsewhere.
Several solid cylinders of pottery (204) were
found, with Aviped lines around the ends, and
diagonal finger marks; they Avere probably
used to support a Avooden floor above the
earth, like the jars at Koptos.
17. Outside of the smaller enclosure, close
around the Osiris temple, the town had sprung
up before the 1st Dynasty ; and Avhen four or
five feet of rubbish and ruins had accumulated,
at about the earlier half of the 1st Dynasty,
several large tombs (some as much as thirteen
feet by six) Avere sunk within the toAvn, just out-
side the temple gateAvay. Probably that part
of the town site Avas unoccupied then, and after
standing a couple of generations the houses
had crumbled doAvn, and the place seemed bare
enough for a cemetery, although it Avas after-
Avards again covered by the town. These
tombs Avere then subjected to such pressure
and Avet in the soil that their contents and
Avails are hardly to be distinguished from the
toAvn rubbish outside of them. It is only Avhen
a group of pottery or stone vases is found that
we can be certain of the presence of a tomb,
and it needs careful examination to settle the
height of the Avails. As will be seen in dis-
cussing the dates in section 20 the walls are
traceable up to, or within a feAv inches, of the
^ or five fe*
'I; dean s
,ofbranM
,oric tombs v
*h fro.jh
follow. Most
have been distm
, the jars comply
.,iBpke;butasno
0 only valuables
se copper tools, it
:-- had, perhaps, bee
:;|s tombs was found
■ ■lib contents are
jmiii, numbered M '.
3 tombs or intermer
.', and the plans are
a tie pottery in pis.
m in pis, xlii—xlvii;
beads in pi. lii,
i,
Ifc In the plans pig
in outline t
outline, the e
Vway, the bh
* « way, and th
^ the other way.
which ay
clearing of th
* on pls>
* order o
Mature of
.lait of a to
■ Ernies it*.
C asD
dHepott
rM^e
»'^0 reach
^efully. l
■;3
ABYDOS 1.
the remains of actual cordage upon them in the
offerings to Merneit; and the impression of the
ring of cord round the neck is usually found on
the lower edge of the great sealings. The
successive stages of degradation of these jars
have been already noted in section 6. The
elaborate pattern on 105 must be due to an
archaistic imitation, or possibly the piece was
dug out from the lowest level in early times;
certainly it is not in place in the series at 63
level. The plain jars without bands (104) are
of the same age as those Avith bands, see B. T. i,
1—12 ; but they are generally of a fuller form
than the banded jars.
The hand-made pottery, with diagonal finger
marks, 106—116, is well known in the Old
Kingdom (Medum, xxxi, 15 ; El Kab, xii, 23) ;
but it does not occur in prehistoric graves. It
appears from the levels to belong to the Ilnd
Dynasty and onward ; and may be a degrada-
tion of the well-made jars of the 1st Dynasty,
such as in B. T. i, 16—31, or the forms 122,
129—131, 136 here, which are earlier than the
majority of these rough jars.
The jars with a deep collar, 118—121, are
probably the latest stage of the ash-jar of the
prehistoric graves (N. L 33, 34 ; 1). L 34c).
The whole class of rotund jars, 123—140,
are usually of hard fawn-coloured pottery,
which is common in late prehistoric times.
They run on into the Illrd Dynasty, compare
129 and Medum, xxx, 11; and the Vth Dynasty,
see 135 and Deshasheh, xxxiii, 20.
The little round-bottomed jars, 141—150, are
rare in tombs, but common in the town : they
do not occur in the lowest levels, before the
1st Dynasty, but are known in the prehistoric
(N. R 63) from 50 s.d. to the end. The earlier
ones are well shaped with a good brim, and
they become ruder in later instances.
The small globular pots, 151—174, are
common in the earlier levels, but are all more
rounded at the bottom than the late prehistoric
forms, N. R 64—69.
The model vases 182—187 are of hard fawn
ware like their larger prototypes.
The ring stand 192 is one of the rudest forms.
In 193 there is a combined cup and stand in
one piece. 194 is a dish with lip. In 195—
197 we see combined bowls and stands made in
one. Such are found in late prehistoric time,
72—76 s.D., but seem to be quite unknown in
the Illrd Dynasty and onwards. The stand
pierced with triangular holes (198) is almost
exactly like one in Dendereh, xvi, 38. The
large globular jar on a small stand (211) is an
extreme instance of the combined form. The
decoration of red lines on the fawn pottery in
205—211 belongs to the late prehistoric age.
The triangular tube 203 is unknoAvn elsewhere.
Several solid cylinders of pottery (204) were
found, with Aviped lines around the ends, and
diagonal finger marks; they Avere probably
used to support a Avooden floor above the
earth, like the jars at Koptos.
17. Outside of the smaller enclosure, close
around the Osiris temple, the town had sprung
up before the 1st Dynasty ; and Avhen four or
five feet of rubbish and ruins had accumulated,
at about the earlier half of the 1st Dynasty,
several large tombs (some as much as thirteen
feet by six) Avere sunk within the toAvn, just out-
side the temple gateAvay. Probably that part
of the town site Avas unoccupied then, and after
standing a couple of generations the houses
had crumbled doAvn, and the place seemed bare
enough for a cemetery, although it Avas after-
Avards again covered by the town. These
tombs Avere then subjected to such pressure
and Avet in the soil that their contents and
Avails are hardly to be distinguished from the
toAvn rubbish outside of them. It is only Avhen
a group of pottery or stone vases is found that
we can be certain of the presence of a tomb,
and it needs careful examination to settle the
height of the Avails. As will be seen in dis-
cussing the dates in section 20 the walls are
traceable up to, or within a feAv inches, of the
^ or five fe*
'I; dean s
,ofbranM
,oric tombs v
*h fro.jh
follow. Most
have been distm
, the jars comply
.,iBpke;butasno
0 only valuables
se copper tools, it
:-- had, perhaps, bee
:;|s tombs was found
■ ■lib contents are
jmiii, numbered M '.
3 tombs or intermer
.', and the plans are
a tie pottery in pis.
m in pis, xlii—xlvii;
beads in pi. lii,
i,
Ifc In the plans pig
in outline t
outline, the e
Vway, the bh
* « way, and th
^ the other way.
which ay
clearing of th
* on pls>
* order o
Mature of
.lait of a to
■ Ernies it*.
C asD
dHepott
rM^e
»'^0 reach
^efully. l
■;3