DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3390#0019
IO
tHE CONTENTS OF THE GRAVES
has since become decayed, and the bundle was laid
carelessly across the bed. A round slate (xxix, 17)
was broken in two, half under the head, half behind
the head ; this was probably done, therefore, before
burial. The form of the bed-frame is shown by the
corner (viii, 3). A basket stood on the bed-pole behind
the pelvis. The jars contained ashes. On them
were two pot-marks (xxxi, 84, 110).
Grave 175 was cleared by Mr. Engelbach, and he
describes it as follows: The grave contained two
coffins side by side. The coffin on the left was of
the common early ist dynasty form, its dimensions
being 53 x 18 inches and 15 inches deep. The sides
of the coffin were of one plank each, but the ends
were of two planks one above the other (which is the
more usual type). Two pieces of wood, notched at
each end and shaped somewhat like yokes, were
placed upright,one against eachside of the coffin. Their
ends were buried a few inches below the level of the
bottom of the coffin. It is not certain what their use
was, but it may have been that the coffin was rather
weak, so that these were placed outside to keep the
sides tightly together so that the ends could not fall
out. The body was wrapped in a large quantity of
cloth which was very much stained, and there appears
to have been matting above and below it. The body
was laid on its back and at full length except that
the tibiae were bent up under the femora so that the
feet were nearly under the hips. This position is
unusual, but has been observed before at Tarkhan.
The other coffin was hollowed out of a single piece
of wood, and was 43J x n| inches and io| inches
deep, externally (see pi. xxiv). The thickness of the
wood was about f inch at the sides and 1J inches at the
ends, and the wood was considerably warped. Under-
neath the coffin there were two cross-pieces 11J x if
x 11 inches pegged on to make a stand for it. The
cover of the coffin had a small boss at one end pro-
jecting about 2 inches with a width of I \ inches
which was meant for a handle, and there were a pair
of holes at each end of the coffin so that the lid could
be tied down by passing a string through the holes
and over the handles.
The board for the cover was originally not wide
enough to go on the coffin, so two strips of wood
were pegged on by tenons at either side so as to give
the necessary width, the whole being reinforced by two
cross-pieces which were fixed on by the usual cross
strips. This coffin was probably a clothes-box. The
body within it was that of a young adult of about
23 years and was placed in the coffin in a dis-
membered condition, as no bones at all were in their
correct places. This is proved from the fact that it
is physically impossible to get an adult body into
a box of the dimensions given. A likely explanation
is that the man was found dead with most of the flesh
decomposed and that the bones were buried by his
relations. The bones could not have been sunbleached
before burial, as the cloth, which appears to have
been placed at the bottom of the coffin, was con-
siderably stained. Both the bodies were of the
male sex.
Five pots were found with these coffins; four of
the type 59 b at the south of them and one of the
type 65 w, in the large coffin, placed near the knees.
Around the large coffin, with one side resting on
the small coffin, were the remains of a large bed
75 inches long. The breadth is not known, as the
end-poles are badly broken. The bed is of the type
described in pi. ix.
In the S.W. corner of the grave were three large
wooden bulls'-legs, 9 inches high, the muscles being
raised and the work being very good. The whole
tomb-group is now in the Manchester Museum.
Grave 203. Box-coffin cut out of a single block
for its sides and bottom (xxiv): the ends were each
made of two boards and inserted with halving joint,
and at each end a ridge was left on the bottom, to
serve for feet.
Grave 278. Woman with four armlets on left
forearm; proximal, ivory, slate, slate, horn in two
pieces (ii, 13, 16), distal. Beads round neck.
Grave 279. On forearm, horn armlet with copper
threading (as ii, 12) and ivory armlet (ii, 6).
Grave 474. The copper spear-head (i, 12 ; iv, 6)
was lying close to the S. end of the grave, and near it
the ivory spoon (xiii, 10). Pottery lay by it and at
the N. end. Calves' jaw-bones on W. side. There
is no trace of later objects mixed in this grave ; and
the position of the spear-head, close along the end
wall, is just where copper implements were found in
other graves, and where it is least likely to be left by
any plunderer. Hence we must accept the early
date of this, although no other such copper spears are
known then ; it is like the perfectly certain evidence
for the prehistoric copper dagger at Naqadeh, and
these show how scanty our knowledge is of the
weapons which were nearly always robbed from
these graves. The pottery dating is not very exact,
but more likely to be earlier than later.
19. Sequence Date 80. Grave 60. The body
was destroyed, but had lain on a wooden tray, jointed
tHE CONTENTS OF THE GRAVES
has since become decayed, and the bundle was laid
carelessly across the bed. A round slate (xxix, 17)
was broken in two, half under the head, half behind
the head ; this was probably done, therefore, before
burial. The form of the bed-frame is shown by the
corner (viii, 3). A basket stood on the bed-pole behind
the pelvis. The jars contained ashes. On them
were two pot-marks (xxxi, 84, 110).
Grave 175 was cleared by Mr. Engelbach, and he
describes it as follows: The grave contained two
coffins side by side. The coffin on the left was of
the common early ist dynasty form, its dimensions
being 53 x 18 inches and 15 inches deep. The sides
of the coffin were of one plank each, but the ends
were of two planks one above the other (which is the
more usual type). Two pieces of wood, notched at
each end and shaped somewhat like yokes, were
placed upright,one against eachside of the coffin. Their
ends were buried a few inches below the level of the
bottom of the coffin. It is not certain what their use
was, but it may have been that the coffin was rather
weak, so that these were placed outside to keep the
sides tightly together so that the ends could not fall
out. The body was wrapped in a large quantity of
cloth which was very much stained, and there appears
to have been matting above and below it. The body
was laid on its back and at full length except that
the tibiae were bent up under the femora so that the
feet were nearly under the hips. This position is
unusual, but has been observed before at Tarkhan.
The other coffin was hollowed out of a single piece
of wood, and was 43J x n| inches and io| inches
deep, externally (see pi. xxiv). The thickness of the
wood was about f inch at the sides and 1J inches at the
ends, and the wood was considerably warped. Under-
neath the coffin there were two cross-pieces 11J x if
x 11 inches pegged on to make a stand for it. The
cover of the coffin had a small boss at one end pro-
jecting about 2 inches with a width of I \ inches
which was meant for a handle, and there were a pair
of holes at each end of the coffin so that the lid could
be tied down by passing a string through the holes
and over the handles.
The board for the cover was originally not wide
enough to go on the coffin, so two strips of wood
were pegged on by tenons at either side so as to give
the necessary width, the whole being reinforced by two
cross-pieces which were fixed on by the usual cross
strips. This coffin was probably a clothes-box. The
body within it was that of a young adult of about
23 years and was placed in the coffin in a dis-
membered condition, as no bones at all were in their
correct places. This is proved from the fact that it
is physically impossible to get an adult body into
a box of the dimensions given. A likely explanation
is that the man was found dead with most of the flesh
decomposed and that the bones were buried by his
relations. The bones could not have been sunbleached
before burial, as the cloth, which appears to have
been placed at the bottom of the coffin, was con-
siderably stained. Both the bodies were of the
male sex.
Five pots were found with these coffins; four of
the type 59 b at the south of them and one of the
type 65 w, in the large coffin, placed near the knees.
Around the large coffin, with one side resting on
the small coffin, were the remains of a large bed
75 inches long. The breadth is not known, as the
end-poles are badly broken. The bed is of the type
described in pi. ix.
In the S.W. corner of the grave were three large
wooden bulls'-legs, 9 inches high, the muscles being
raised and the work being very good. The whole
tomb-group is now in the Manchester Museum.
Grave 203. Box-coffin cut out of a single block
for its sides and bottom (xxiv): the ends were each
made of two boards and inserted with halving joint,
and at each end a ridge was left on the bottom, to
serve for feet.
Grave 278. Woman with four armlets on left
forearm; proximal, ivory, slate, slate, horn in two
pieces (ii, 13, 16), distal. Beads round neck.
Grave 279. On forearm, horn armlet with copper
threading (as ii, 12) and ivory armlet (ii, 6).
Grave 474. The copper spear-head (i, 12 ; iv, 6)
was lying close to the S. end of the grave, and near it
the ivory spoon (xiii, 10). Pottery lay by it and at
the N. end. Calves' jaw-bones on W. side. There
is no trace of later objects mixed in this grave ; and
the position of the spear-head, close along the end
wall, is just where copper implements were found in
other graves, and where it is least likely to be left by
any plunderer. Hence we must accept the early
date of this, although no other such copper spears are
known then ; it is like the perfectly certain evidence
for the prehistoric copper dagger at Naqadeh, and
these show how scanty our knowledge is of the
weapons which were nearly always robbed from
these graves. The pottery dating is not very exact,
but more likely to be earlier than later.
19. Sequence Date 80. Grave 60. The body
was destroyed, but had lain on a wooden tray, jointed