DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3390#0014
direction of burial
S
and Naqadeh, which show the southern culture. Our
study now must be to trace what we can from this
series of remains.
CHAPTER II
CHANGES TRACEABLE IN THE EARLIEST
DYNASTIES
8. ONE of the most obvious details of a burial
is the direction of the head and face in the grave.
As these changed several times, it is a distinctive
question in Egyptian burials. In the present period
all the burials are contracted with the knees and
thighs bent. Reducing the numbers of instances to
percentages in each date,, the whole of the burials
of each date yield, for the head direction—
S.D.
N.
E.
s.
w.
77
67
33
78
56
4
36
4
79
35
0
55
10
80
30
3
57
10
81
43
2
5i
4
82
67
33
In 82 the numbers of directions known (3) are too
few for the numbers to have much value. In the
other periods (where there are 9, 25, 29, 64, and 51
examples) the results are distinctive; the majority
are south, about a third north, and about a twelfth
west. The north direction is, however, dominant in
78. Now this is curious, because in other sites the
prehistoric are south and the dynastic north. It
seems that there was a dominance of dynastic style
at first, relapsing into a dominance of earlier style.
In the tomb of king Qa (s.D. 82) we have 5 north to
I south, but that was under strongly dynastic in-
fluence. At least we see clearly that the dynastic
influence did not increase, but somewhat diminished.
The directions of the face, in percentages, are—
S.D.
N.
E.
s.
w.
77
25
13
62
78
4
40
4
52
79
10
31
59
80
13
25
62
81
6
44
2
48
82
33
67
We see that the westerly direction is always domi-
nant, the easterly about a third, and a few to the
north. There is no sign here of any general tendency
to alteration with time, the custom was stationary in
the population.
If now we separate these into male and female
bodies, we find for the head direction, the number of
burials is—
N. E. S. W.
Male . . .13 2 34 1
Female . .14 .. 15 6
Hence the preponderance of southerly direction is
entirely in the male burials, the females being buried
equally to north and south.
If we take the face direction—
N.
E.
S.
w.
Male .
• 4
15
I
31
Female
• 7
12
16
the same is seen, that the preponderance of west
facing is male.
There are too few examples to draw conclusions
as to the differences between Tarkhan and Turah in
each period; but at least in S.D. 78 we find the N.
to S. proportion is 6 to 7 at Tarkhan, but 8 to 2 at
Turah, so that the early preponderance of north
burials that we noticed is due to Turah only.
The preponderance of head and of face directions
are clearly connected, and if we reduce them to
burials on the right and on the left side we find the
number of burials is—
Males
Females.
Unknown.
Tarkhan. Turah
R.
L.
R.
L.
R.
L.
R.
L.
77
2
3
I
2
78
2
7
2
4
I
IO
79
7
6
I
10
4
80
I
9
16
2
13
2
18
81
82
4
18
1
8
2
I
15
I
I
7 44
33
7 45
32
Here in each period there are a few burials on the
right side, but the regular rule is burial on the left.
There is no tendency to change from one side to the
other ; but on the whole the males have more excep-
tions from the left position than the females.
The whole conclusion must be that only about 1 in
9 was buried on the right side ; that there was no pro-
gressive change in direction at Tarkhan, though there
is a slight change from north to south at Turah ; and
that the south being nearly twice as usual as the
north was due to a preponderance in the male burials
only.
9. The next question is the size of the graves,
S
and Naqadeh, which show the southern culture. Our
study now must be to trace what we can from this
series of remains.
CHAPTER II
CHANGES TRACEABLE IN THE EARLIEST
DYNASTIES
8. ONE of the most obvious details of a burial
is the direction of the head and face in the grave.
As these changed several times, it is a distinctive
question in Egyptian burials. In the present period
all the burials are contracted with the knees and
thighs bent. Reducing the numbers of instances to
percentages in each date,, the whole of the burials
of each date yield, for the head direction—
S.D.
N.
E.
s.
w.
77
67
33
78
56
4
36
4
79
35
0
55
10
80
30
3
57
10
81
43
2
5i
4
82
67
33
In 82 the numbers of directions known (3) are too
few for the numbers to have much value. In the
other periods (where there are 9, 25, 29, 64, and 51
examples) the results are distinctive; the majority
are south, about a third north, and about a twelfth
west. The north direction is, however, dominant in
78. Now this is curious, because in other sites the
prehistoric are south and the dynastic north. It
seems that there was a dominance of dynastic style
at first, relapsing into a dominance of earlier style.
In the tomb of king Qa (s.D. 82) we have 5 north to
I south, but that was under strongly dynastic in-
fluence. At least we see clearly that the dynastic
influence did not increase, but somewhat diminished.
The directions of the face, in percentages, are—
S.D.
N.
E.
s.
w.
77
25
13
62
78
4
40
4
52
79
10
31
59
80
13
25
62
81
6
44
2
48
82
33
67
We see that the westerly direction is always domi-
nant, the easterly about a third, and a few to the
north. There is no sign here of any general tendency
to alteration with time, the custom was stationary in
the population.
If now we separate these into male and female
bodies, we find for the head direction, the number of
burials is—
N. E. S. W.
Male . . .13 2 34 1
Female . .14 .. 15 6
Hence the preponderance of southerly direction is
entirely in the male burials, the females being buried
equally to north and south.
If we take the face direction—
N.
E.
S.
w.
Male .
• 4
15
I
31
Female
• 7
12
16
the same is seen, that the preponderance of west
facing is male.
There are too few examples to draw conclusions
as to the differences between Tarkhan and Turah in
each period; but at least in S.D. 78 we find the N.
to S. proportion is 6 to 7 at Tarkhan, but 8 to 2 at
Turah, so that the early preponderance of north
burials that we noticed is due to Turah only.
The preponderance of head and of face directions
are clearly connected, and if we reduce them to
burials on the right and on the left side we find the
number of burials is—
Males
Females.
Unknown.
Tarkhan. Turah
R.
L.
R.
L.
R.
L.
R.
L.
77
2
3
I
2
78
2
7
2
4
I
IO
79
7
6
I
10
4
80
I
9
16
2
13
2
18
81
82
4
18
1
8
2
I
15
I
I
7 44
33
7 45
32
Here in each period there are a few burials on the
right side, but the regular rule is burial on the left.
There is no tendency to change from one side to the
other ; but on the whole the males have more excep-
tions from the left position than the females.
The whole conclusion must be that only about 1 in
9 was buried on the right side ; that there was no pro-
gressive change in direction at Tarkhan, though there
is a slight change from north to south at Turah ; and
that the south being nearly twice as usual as the
north was due to a preponderance in the male burials
only.
9. The next question is the size of the graves,