DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4103#0037
OBJECTS BEFORE THE IYtii DYNASTY.
27
side. We have already noted the difficulty
about these things being found at so high a
level. But whatever date they were placed
here, it is clear that the objects are all
of the 1st Dynasty, and some perhaps
earlier.
184 is a female figure of pottery of the same
style as the rough animal figures of early date.
185, 186, are two rough figures of men, which
differ from any yet found in the forms of the
head and rude indications of limbs. 187 may be
intended for a child kneeling on the ground,
and leaning forward on its hands. 188 is a red
pottery hippopotamus.
The baboons form a strange group. 189 and
197 are of the usual work. 190 to 193 are
larger and ruder than others, hardly more being
attempted than the head; with them was
194, which is an entirely natural flint, with a
projection somewhat like the head of a baboon,
and apparently kept for this resemblance. The
great natural flint 195 seems to have been kept
as being like a quadruped, and 196 for its like-
ness to a baboon. No other large flints were
found in the whole temple area, and these must
have been brought a mile or more from the
desert; as they were placed with the rudest
figures of baboons that we know, it seems that
we have here the primitive fetish stones picked
up because of their likeness to sacred animals,
and perhaps venerated before any artificial
images were attempted.
198 is intended for some bird; and 199 is a
hawk of the regular prehistoric style, see Naqada,
lx, 15, 18, of earlier form than the hawk on any
royal monument. It has a hole below for
setting it on a pole as a standard.
200 is a frog in limestone. 201 is a piece of
a small jar with wavy handle. 202, a baboon.
203, another natural flint, evidently kept for its
very strange form. 204 is a well-carved figure
of a calf in ivory.
205 is the hawk on a building, so well known
in the lea-name. The tail sloping downwards
is most like the form adopted under Zer ; and
the decoration by drilling little holes is like that
on the turquoise pieces of Zer's bracelet (B. T.
ii, pi. i). It is probable therefore that this
piece belongs to that age. It is' the only slate
carving that we found in the whole site (Cairo
Museum).
43. PI. x. The west chamber, M 65, con-
tained similar objects; part of the group was
found further out on the west, and so Avas
differently numbered as 89 ; but they are re-
united here, two fragments of the same figure,
225, being found, one in group 65, the other
in 89.
206 is a ram-head amulet in hard yellow
limestone ; this and 208, a bird in slate, seem
to belong to the prehistoric style. The girl's
head, 207, and pieces of figures, 209-212, are of
the 1st Dynasty class. 213 is perhaps a figure
of the dwarf Ptah, like that in Hierakonpolis
xviii, 19. 214 is a 1st Dynasty frog. 215 a
bit of mat tile. 216 has been a very important
piece, but unhappily the 7ca-name of the king
has been lost; the legs of the king, a heart sign,
and some uncertain objects, show that a royal
group existed here. It was broken before
being thrown away. 217-219 are the usual
baboons. 220 is a figure of the zet serpent
chipped in flint: this is like the portion of a
flint serpent in Hierakonpolis, xxiv, 22, and
another found at Koptos. The baboon 221 is a
different type to the common one, having the
head lower, and the arms hans-ino- down to the
feet. 222 is a limestone frog. 223 part of a
quadruped. 224 a head, which seems certainly
that of a camel, yet so far the camel is quite
unknown before the Greek times in Egypt.
225 is a hippopotamus, and 226 is another, well
worked in alabaster. 227 is another frog.
228 a large coarse flint knife for an offering, see
Hierakonpolis xxv. Broadly, these two cham-
bers contain things more like the deposit of
Hierakonpolis than are those in chamber 69 ;
and therefore we may consider these as belonging
27
side. We have already noted the difficulty
about these things being found at so high a
level. But whatever date they were placed
here, it is clear that the objects are all
of the 1st Dynasty, and some perhaps
earlier.
184 is a female figure of pottery of the same
style as the rough animal figures of early date.
185, 186, are two rough figures of men, which
differ from any yet found in the forms of the
head and rude indications of limbs. 187 may be
intended for a child kneeling on the ground,
and leaning forward on its hands. 188 is a red
pottery hippopotamus.
The baboons form a strange group. 189 and
197 are of the usual work. 190 to 193 are
larger and ruder than others, hardly more being
attempted than the head; with them was
194, which is an entirely natural flint, with a
projection somewhat like the head of a baboon,
and apparently kept for this resemblance. The
great natural flint 195 seems to have been kept
as being like a quadruped, and 196 for its like-
ness to a baboon. No other large flints were
found in the whole temple area, and these must
have been brought a mile or more from the
desert; as they were placed with the rudest
figures of baboons that we know, it seems that
we have here the primitive fetish stones picked
up because of their likeness to sacred animals,
and perhaps venerated before any artificial
images were attempted.
198 is intended for some bird; and 199 is a
hawk of the regular prehistoric style, see Naqada,
lx, 15, 18, of earlier form than the hawk on any
royal monument. It has a hole below for
setting it on a pole as a standard.
200 is a frog in limestone. 201 is a piece of
a small jar with wavy handle. 202, a baboon.
203, another natural flint, evidently kept for its
very strange form. 204 is a well-carved figure
of a calf in ivory.
205 is the hawk on a building, so well known
in the lea-name. The tail sloping downwards
is most like the form adopted under Zer ; and
the decoration by drilling little holes is like that
on the turquoise pieces of Zer's bracelet (B. T.
ii, pi. i). It is probable therefore that this
piece belongs to that age. It is' the only slate
carving that we found in the whole site (Cairo
Museum).
43. PI. x. The west chamber, M 65, con-
tained similar objects; part of the group was
found further out on the west, and so Avas
differently numbered as 89 ; but they are re-
united here, two fragments of the same figure,
225, being found, one in group 65, the other
in 89.
206 is a ram-head amulet in hard yellow
limestone ; this and 208, a bird in slate, seem
to belong to the prehistoric style. The girl's
head, 207, and pieces of figures, 209-212, are of
the 1st Dynasty class. 213 is perhaps a figure
of the dwarf Ptah, like that in Hierakonpolis
xviii, 19. 214 is a 1st Dynasty frog. 215 a
bit of mat tile. 216 has been a very important
piece, but unhappily the 7ca-name of the king
has been lost; the legs of the king, a heart sign,
and some uncertain objects, show that a royal
group existed here. It was broken before
being thrown away. 217-219 are the usual
baboons. 220 is a figure of the zet serpent
chipped in flint: this is like the portion of a
flint serpent in Hierakonpolis, xxiv, 22, and
another found at Koptos. The baboon 221 is a
different type to the common one, having the
head lower, and the arms hans-ino- down to the
feet. 222 is a limestone frog. 223 part of a
quadruped. 224 a head, which seems certainly
that of a camel, yet so far the camel is quite
unknown before the Greek times in Egypt.
225 is a hippopotamus, and 226 is another, well
worked in alabaster. 227 is another frog.
228 a large coarse flint knife for an offering, see
Hierakonpolis xxv. Broadly, these two cham-
bers contain things more like the deposit of
Hierakonpolis than are those in chamber 69 ;
and therefore we may consider these as belonging