DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3388#0030
20
THE MASTABA OF NEFERMAAT
dolmens of Algeria, possibly in France, in the
kurgatts of the province of Kiev in Russia, in
Switzerland, in the Nile valley, and at Palaikastro
in East Crete" (Peet, Stone and Bronze Ages i?i Italy,
172 ; Annual of Brit, School at Athens, viii, 292).
It is also found in modern times among the
Latookas of the Albert Nyanza country, where the
decomposition of the flesh is effected by means of
a primary burial for a short time, after which the
bones are dug up, and cleaned, and then disposed
of finally (Baker, Albert Nyanza, i, 209).
The custom appears to be a very general accom-
paniment of burial in a contracted position (cf.
Peet, Stone and Bronze Ages in Italy, pp. 170 et
seqq.).
36. Of the wooden coffin we found ample remains.
Six pieces of curved bars of oval section up
to 26 inches long, such as were found in
Rahotep's chamber.
A board shaped at the edge to fit the curve
of the bars, apparently the end of the lid.
Several pieces of board about 1 inch thick
and 16 inches long, similar to the piece
of board on which the skeleton lay ; some
rebated on the edge, and some with colour
and dowel holes on the edge.
Five pieces of large heavy planks 2 to i\
inches thick.
The curved bars had been cut out of a much
larger plank. They had not been bent, nor were they
small branches of the approximate curve cut to shape ;
for the grain was perfectly straight and did not follow
the curve. Each bore several pairs of dowel holes,
and running between the members of each pair was
a slot. This slot suggests that the component parts
were first tied together with strips of leather or
zopper, the strips passing through the dowel
holes and lying in the slots. After the tying
a dowel was driven through each of the holes, in
which the ties already were, thus pinning the parts
together and firmly securing the ties. This method
of joinery was usual in the 1st dynasty {Royal Tombs,
ii, xli, 57), and is seen in many of the later coffins,
such as the vth dynasty coffin from Deshasheh,
No. 1402 in the Cairo Museum Guide, and the xiith
dynasty coffin of Amenemhat, No. 23 in the Guide
(Nos. 28091 and 2 in the Cairo Museum Catalogue).
These bars were very uniformly made, there being
no appreciable difference in the diameter of five of them;
the other was "2 inch bigger. They were flattened
on the convex side, so they were evidently used inside
the cover, which must have presented the appearance
of the granite cover of No. 17 (pi. x).
Three of the large pieces of plank were worked.
One had a diagonal groove cut in it, for a cross-piece
4 inches wide and \ inch thick, with a dowel hole
\ inch diameter for fastening the two together.
Another had a large dowel driven in obliquely, and
the third had a mortice cut in it I inch wide and
more than 4 inches deep.
Other objects found were:—
A piece of board with two dowel holes,
curved on top, but the curve does not fit
that of the coffin bars.
A piece of wood some 4 inches wide and
2 inches thick, hollowed out, bearing a little
red colour on the perfect side. It was
ornamented on the end with narrow parallel
ridges crossed by a smooth surface of wood.
Another piece similarly hollowed out, and
similarly ornamented, but on the top; as
there was onlyi inch difference in the butt
end on each of these, it looks as if they had
formed part of a box, one being the cover
of the other.
A fragment of the pendent end of the kilt, also
in wood as No. 17.
A wooden " kherp " complete, exactly like the
representations, the head being very thin. It
measured 30^5 inches in length, the handle
being 21 inches long and the blade 9/5 inches.
The width of the blade was 2 inches, while
its thickness was only -15 inch. The dia-
meter of the stick was -5 inch.
A thin bent piece of wood, carefully shaped,
about 10 inches long, but broken, and
shewing a double curve. Originally the
object must have been bent in the middle,
the one end which remains being also bent
inwards. It now looks like the remains of
a model bow.
Between the skeleton and the skull lay the
remains of the wooden pillow, broken in
several pieces. The pillar was of oval section,
quite straight-sided, and with no flutings on
it. It had no well-defined capital, but the
crescent was thickened to receive its tang.
The pillar was also tenoned into the base.
There were also many chips of pottery, repre-
senting at least fifteen different vases.
The mud round the skeleton was full of scraps
of charcoal.
—
_______-
THE MASTABA OF NEFERMAAT
dolmens of Algeria, possibly in France, in the
kurgatts of the province of Kiev in Russia, in
Switzerland, in the Nile valley, and at Palaikastro
in East Crete" (Peet, Stone and Bronze Ages i?i Italy,
172 ; Annual of Brit, School at Athens, viii, 292).
It is also found in modern times among the
Latookas of the Albert Nyanza country, where the
decomposition of the flesh is effected by means of
a primary burial for a short time, after which the
bones are dug up, and cleaned, and then disposed
of finally (Baker, Albert Nyanza, i, 209).
The custom appears to be a very general accom-
paniment of burial in a contracted position (cf.
Peet, Stone and Bronze Ages in Italy, pp. 170 et
seqq.).
36. Of the wooden coffin we found ample remains.
Six pieces of curved bars of oval section up
to 26 inches long, such as were found in
Rahotep's chamber.
A board shaped at the edge to fit the curve
of the bars, apparently the end of the lid.
Several pieces of board about 1 inch thick
and 16 inches long, similar to the piece
of board on which the skeleton lay ; some
rebated on the edge, and some with colour
and dowel holes on the edge.
Five pieces of large heavy planks 2 to i\
inches thick.
The curved bars had been cut out of a much
larger plank. They had not been bent, nor were they
small branches of the approximate curve cut to shape ;
for the grain was perfectly straight and did not follow
the curve. Each bore several pairs of dowel holes,
and running between the members of each pair was
a slot. This slot suggests that the component parts
were first tied together with strips of leather or
zopper, the strips passing through the dowel
holes and lying in the slots. After the tying
a dowel was driven through each of the holes, in
which the ties already were, thus pinning the parts
together and firmly securing the ties. This method
of joinery was usual in the 1st dynasty {Royal Tombs,
ii, xli, 57), and is seen in many of the later coffins,
such as the vth dynasty coffin from Deshasheh,
No. 1402 in the Cairo Museum Guide, and the xiith
dynasty coffin of Amenemhat, No. 23 in the Guide
(Nos. 28091 and 2 in the Cairo Museum Catalogue).
These bars were very uniformly made, there being
no appreciable difference in the diameter of five of them;
the other was "2 inch bigger. They were flattened
on the convex side, so they were evidently used inside
the cover, which must have presented the appearance
of the granite cover of No. 17 (pi. x).
Three of the large pieces of plank were worked.
One had a diagonal groove cut in it, for a cross-piece
4 inches wide and \ inch thick, with a dowel hole
\ inch diameter for fastening the two together.
Another had a large dowel driven in obliquely, and
the third had a mortice cut in it I inch wide and
more than 4 inches deep.
Other objects found were:—
A piece of board with two dowel holes,
curved on top, but the curve does not fit
that of the coffin bars.
A piece of wood some 4 inches wide and
2 inches thick, hollowed out, bearing a little
red colour on the perfect side. It was
ornamented on the end with narrow parallel
ridges crossed by a smooth surface of wood.
Another piece similarly hollowed out, and
similarly ornamented, but on the top; as
there was onlyi inch difference in the butt
end on each of these, it looks as if they had
formed part of a box, one being the cover
of the other.
A fragment of the pendent end of the kilt, also
in wood as No. 17.
A wooden " kherp " complete, exactly like the
representations, the head being very thin. It
measured 30^5 inches in length, the handle
being 21 inches long and the blade 9/5 inches.
The width of the blade was 2 inches, while
its thickness was only -15 inch. The dia-
meter of the stick was -5 inch.
A thin bent piece of wood, carefully shaped,
about 10 inches long, but broken, and
shewing a double curve. Originally the
object must have been bent in the middle,
the one end which remains being also bent
inwards. It now looks like the remains of
a model bow.
Between the skeleton and the skull lay the
remains of the wooden pillow, broken in
several pieces. The pillar was of oval section,
quite straight-sided, and with no flutings on
it. It had no well-defined capital, but the
crescent was thickened to receive its tang.
The pillar was also tenoned into the base.
There were also many chips of pottery, repre-
senting at least fifteen different vases.
The mud round the skeleton was full of scraps
of charcoal.
—
_______-