DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3390#0036
OBJECTS ON PLATES XXV TO XXVIII
27
dynasty, showing the mode of bricking up the
opening, and the position of the coffin when the
bricks are removed.
207. Reed coffin, unopened, with rope tied round
it.
The same opened, showing a contracted burial,
with head-rest formed of a single piece of wood,
iiird-ivth dynasty.
PI. xxvi, 529. Basket-work coffin, date not
fixed by pottery; probably of late ist or iind
dynasty.
1004. Basket coffin with lid on, and with lid
removed showing body tied up in a lump of cloth.
The head-rest was found in fragments in the open pit
outside of the bricked-up recess. See undated graves.
Now in Cairo Museum.
PL xxvii, 902. Contracted burial in wooden
coffin, S.D. 80. This burial was remarkable for the
perfect condition of the linen upon it, which was not
in any way discoloured. Yet there was no trace of
flesh or skin between the linen and the bones. To
suppose that the whole of the flesh would disappear
by oxidation, while the linen over it remained
entirely clean of stain, and firm without any
oxidation, seems quite impossible. Unless some
parallel case can prove such selective change possible,
we must accept the fact that the bones were entirely
unfleshed, and then wrapped up as seen in the photo-
graph.
217. An instance of a coffin in a recess, with
ropes still around it.
208. Contracted burial in a long coffin, with
natural branch head-rest. Compare contracted
burial with similar head-rest in 207, pi. xxv.
234. Full-length burial in long coffin, the head
on a composite head-rest, built up with stick supports.
Classed by Mr. Mackay among the vith-dynasty
burials.
286. Long coffin of thick wood, with original
ropes still around it. Beyond that two other long
coffins of thick wood, probably of the vith dynasty
or later.
PL xxviii. Coffin of the early iiird dynasty
probably, grave 532. The front of it shows the
copying of the wooden house type. The three
doorways with rounded beams over them are imi-
tated, the two wider spaces between being copied
from wide openings barred across to exclude men and
animals from the house when the shutters behind
the bars were opened. The slightly curved roof is
still known in Nubian houses.
Below are seen the inside of the curved lid,
showing its construction, also the coffin as it stood
in its rock pit; and the same, opened, showing the
body with three cross-bars of the lid fallen upon it.
A similar coffin was found by Mr. Quibell by the
tomb of Hesy at Saqqareh, which belongs to about
the beginning of the iiird dynasty. (Cairo.)
Stairway Tombs. There remain to be noticed
three tombs which are not photographed. One, 1004,
is that which contained, in a recess, the best basket
coffin, now at Cairo. The stairway is 16 inches
wide, with four steps down to a pit 30 long by
50 wide ; in the end of it was the recess 25 wide
spreading to 40, and 56 deep inwards. This was
recorded by Mr. Wainwright. Two others are re-
corded by Mr. Mackay.
Grave 240 had a shaft N. 85, E.43J, 125 deep,
with six steep steps on E. On the W. a recess
N. 39, E. 48, 32 high ; in it, a contracted burial in a
box coffin, entrance closed by stone slab. The three
alabaster vases in this grave agree well to others of
S.D. 81, and there seems no reason to doubt this
dating, as other stairway graves have been found at
Naga ed Deir of this age.
Grave 545 had a shaft N. 115, E. 38, 180 deep,
descent by steps on E. On W. a recess N. 60, E.
41 J, 35 high ; in it a contracted burial in a panelled
box coffin, much decayed ; entrance closed by small
blocks of stone with mud mortar. A later shaft had
been cut into the chamber and disturbed it. At the
bottom of the shaft of 545, which was undisturbed,
were pieces of a pottery jar, type 68 /, which belongs
to S.D. 81, 82.
CHAPTER VII
THE SLATE PALETTES, MARKS, CORPUS, AND
REGISTERS
40. PL xxix. The slate palettes are mostly of
forms that are already well known in Upper Egypt.
Several of them had still upon them the patch of
malachite which was ground ; and one of the quartz
grinding pebbles, 12, has much of the surface in the
middle covered with malachite, lightly shaded in
the drawing. The new type is that of the slate
copied from a fish form, and slightly hollowed as a
dish, 29, 30. The smaller is dated to 81, but the
larger one had nothing else with it by which to date
it. The figure of the couchant gazelle, 27 (see i, 5),
is better worked than any slates found at Naqadeh
or Diospolis.
27
dynasty, showing the mode of bricking up the
opening, and the position of the coffin when the
bricks are removed.
207. Reed coffin, unopened, with rope tied round
it.
The same opened, showing a contracted burial,
with head-rest formed of a single piece of wood,
iiird-ivth dynasty.
PI. xxvi, 529. Basket-work coffin, date not
fixed by pottery; probably of late ist or iind
dynasty.
1004. Basket coffin with lid on, and with lid
removed showing body tied up in a lump of cloth.
The head-rest was found in fragments in the open pit
outside of the bricked-up recess. See undated graves.
Now in Cairo Museum.
PL xxvii, 902. Contracted burial in wooden
coffin, S.D. 80. This burial was remarkable for the
perfect condition of the linen upon it, which was not
in any way discoloured. Yet there was no trace of
flesh or skin between the linen and the bones. To
suppose that the whole of the flesh would disappear
by oxidation, while the linen over it remained
entirely clean of stain, and firm without any
oxidation, seems quite impossible. Unless some
parallel case can prove such selective change possible,
we must accept the fact that the bones were entirely
unfleshed, and then wrapped up as seen in the photo-
graph.
217. An instance of a coffin in a recess, with
ropes still around it.
208. Contracted burial in a long coffin, with
natural branch head-rest. Compare contracted
burial with similar head-rest in 207, pi. xxv.
234. Full-length burial in long coffin, the head
on a composite head-rest, built up with stick supports.
Classed by Mr. Mackay among the vith-dynasty
burials.
286. Long coffin of thick wood, with original
ropes still around it. Beyond that two other long
coffins of thick wood, probably of the vith dynasty
or later.
PL xxviii. Coffin of the early iiird dynasty
probably, grave 532. The front of it shows the
copying of the wooden house type. The three
doorways with rounded beams over them are imi-
tated, the two wider spaces between being copied
from wide openings barred across to exclude men and
animals from the house when the shutters behind
the bars were opened. The slightly curved roof is
still known in Nubian houses.
Below are seen the inside of the curved lid,
showing its construction, also the coffin as it stood
in its rock pit; and the same, opened, showing the
body with three cross-bars of the lid fallen upon it.
A similar coffin was found by Mr. Quibell by the
tomb of Hesy at Saqqareh, which belongs to about
the beginning of the iiird dynasty. (Cairo.)
Stairway Tombs. There remain to be noticed
three tombs which are not photographed. One, 1004,
is that which contained, in a recess, the best basket
coffin, now at Cairo. The stairway is 16 inches
wide, with four steps down to a pit 30 long by
50 wide ; in the end of it was the recess 25 wide
spreading to 40, and 56 deep inwards. This was
recorded by Mr. Wainwright. Two others are re-
corded by Mr. Mackay.
Grave 240 had a shaft N. 85, E.43J, 125 deep,
with six steep steps on E. On the W. a recess
N. 39, E. 48, 32 high ; in it, a contracted burial in a
box coffin, entrance closed by stone slab. The three
alabaster vases in this grave agree well to others of
S.D. 81, and there seems no reason to doubt this
dating, as other stairway graves have been found at
Naga ed Deir of this age.
Grave 545 had a shaft N. 115, E. 38, 180 deep,
descent by steps on E. On W. a recess N. 60, E.
41 J, 35 high ; in it a contracted burial in a panelled
box coffin, much decayed ; entrance closed by small
blocks of stone with mud mortar. A later shaft had
been cut into the chamber and disturbed it. At the
bottom of the shaft of 545, which was undisturbed,
were pieces of a pottery jar, type 68 /, which belongs
to S.D. 81, 82.
CHAPTER VII
THE SLATE PALETTES, MARKS, CORPUS, AND
REGISTERS
40. PL xxix. The slate palettes are mostly of
forms that are already well known in Upper Egypt.
Several of them had still upon them the patch of
malachite which was ground ; and one of the quartz
grinding pebbles, 12, has much of the surface in the
middle covered with malachite, lightly shaded in
the drawing. The new type is that of the slate
copied from a fish form, and slightly hollowed as a
dish, 29, 30. The smaller is dated to 81, but the
larger one had nothing else with it by which to date
it. The figure of the couchant gazelle, 27 (see i, 5),
is better worked than any slates found at Naqadeh
or Diospolis.