DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.519#0052
44
leaves in his hair. The work is in low relief, and
is very coarse.
Fig. 3. Design from the side of a casket repre-
senting two cupids holding up a wreath, in the centre
of which is a branching cross with two lobes in each
angle. Flowers are growing behind the cupids of
the kind usually met with in similar work from
Saqqara, and the design of three small circles in a
triangle which is seen under the hands of the cupids
is quite typical of this kind of carving. The date is
most probably of the fourth to sixth century A.D.
The design of this is not in relief, but the outline is
incised, and any parts to be coloured were cut out
and filled in with coloured paste. The wings were
originally red and the mantle green. For similar
types see STRZYGOWSKV, Cairo Catalogue, pp. 176,
177, and Hellenistic Work, p. iS.
Fig. 4. Lower part of figure of a dancing girl.
The work is of the same style as the preceding
number. See Cairo Catalogue, p. 178, no. 7069.
Fig. 5. Three bone rings. Such were found in
all the graves in great numbers. Some of them were
obviously intended for rings, but the great majority
found with adult bodies were too large for rings and
too small for bracelets.
Figs. 6, 7 and S. Fragments of bordering from
caskets. They appear to have been filled up with
coloured paste similarly to nos. 3 and 4. No. 6 still
retains traces of green colouring.
This tomb group also contained two rectangular
sheets of horn, 103 x 38 and y6 x 3-8 inches
respectively.
Plate lii, fig. 8. Bone carving from a grave in the
north cemetery representing a bird and some lilies.
It is of the same type as pi. H, 3, 4 ; the design
having been incised and painted green and red. This
style of carving is of the fourth to sixth century a.d.,
and the piece was originally one of the outside
panels on the side of the casket.
Fig. 9. Fragment of bordering from casket
belonging to no. 3.
Figs. 10-13. Rough carving from a grave in the
north cemetery. It is probable that these are local
attempts at copying the Alexandrine carvings, as
they were never on a casket but laid together
near the head of the body. The positions of
nos. 10 and 11 are frequently observed in figures
of Apollo.
81. PI. xlvii. Limestone stele from the cemetery
south of the town. The inscription reads
MHAOinOVCEP I ENOCOV I AICATAN
Mr. Milne is of opinion that in spite of the
illiteracy of the Greek, it is not later than 300 a.d.
It appears to be an attempt to spell a corrupt dialect
of Greek phonetically. The probable division of the
words is Mi) \y7rj7 Sfpfjvos oiBeii a6dv(aro<;), " Do
not grieve Serenus, no one is immortal."
PI. xlvii. Fragment of an Arab letter of the end
of the tenth century A.D., found on the ash-heap on
the east of the town. It has been submitted to
Prof. Margoliouth of New College, Oxford, who
reports that 'it is a fragment of a letter from a
brickmaker to one Muhammed Abu Yahya. The
first line is the ascription (in the name of God, etc.)
and the second and last lines are compliments. He
hopes that the delay in answering a former letter
may mean no harm. He has sent in a small load the
specimen. ... A letter has reached him from Al-
Aswan to the effect that he has been sending you a
red brick and hopes you would approve the red brick
which you would use for building round the well . . .
but if you use any of it for the old gateway of the
house you had better mix them with some of my
bricks. . . .'
On the back there is an erased business letter.
82. PI. xxxviii, 1, 2. Ptolemaic canthari from the
cemetery north of Scenas Mandras. These are of a
similar kind to those of Kafr Ammar, but are of
much finer workmanship, and are decorated with a
floral design of brown and white. Both have been very
much spoilt by the salt in the soil, which has burst off
the black face, thus showing the red pottery below.
PI. xxxix, 25. Plaster head of Pallas from the
north cemetery. The body was too much crumbled
to be preserved.
Fig. 26. Plaster figure from the south cemetery.
A large quantity of pottery figures were also found
in the graves, the usual type being a nude female
form, with very short arms raised upwards, and a
kind of halo behind the head, which is either smooth
or indented. Full-length figures were more common
than busts, but the latter shewed better workmanship.
Other figures of men on horseback, horses and dogs
were common, but there was no example of pottery
Harpocrates. The pottery found at Scenas Mandras
all has a strong resemblance of type, and is almost
certainly of local make, as the most common full-
length female figures do not occur in the near vicinity,
so far as I can gather from the publications of
Saqqara, etc. The figures cannot be defined as any
particular goddess, but they probably represent a
composite local divinity.
leaves in his hair. The work is in low relief, and
is very coarse.
Fig. 3. Design from the side of a casket repre-
senting two cupids holding up a wreath, in the centre
of which is a branching cross with two lobes in each
angle. Flowers are growing behind the cupids of
the kind usually met with in similar work from
Saqqara, and the design of three small circles in a
triangle which is seen under the hands of the cupids
is quite typical of this kind of carving. The date is
most probably of the fourth to sixth century A.D.
The design of this is not in relief, but the outline is
incised, and any parts to be coloured were cut out
and filled in with coloured paste. The wings were
originally red and the mantle green. For similar
types see STRZYGOWSKV, Cairo Catalogue, pp. 176,
177, and Hellenistic Work, p. iS.
Fig. 4. Lower part of figure of a dancing girl.
The work is of the same style as the preceding
number. See Cairo Catalogue, p. 178, no. 7069.
Fig. 5. Three bone rings. Such were found in
all the graves in great numbers. Some of them were
obviously intended for rings, but the great majority
found with adult bodies were too large for rings and
too small for bracelets.
Figs. 6, 7 and S. Fragments of bordering from
caskets. They appear to have been filled up with
coloured paste similarly to nos. 3 and 4. No. 6 still
retains traces of green colouring.
This tomb group also contained two rectangular
sheets of horn, 103 x 38 and y6 x 3-8 inches
respectively.
Plate lii, fig. 8. Bone carving from a grave in the
north cemetery representing a bird and some lilies.
It is of the same type as pi. H, 3, 4 ; the design
having been incised and painted green and red. This
style of carving is of the fourth to sixth century a.d.,
and the piece was originally one of the outside
panels on the side of the casket.
Fig. 9. Fragment of bordering from casket
belonging to no. 3.
Figs. 10-13. Rough carving from a grave in the
north cemetery. It is probable that these are local
attempts at copying the Alexandrine carvings, as
they were never on a casket but laid together
near the head of the body. The positions of
nos. 10 and 11 are frequently observed in figures
of Apollo.
81. PI. xlvii. Limestone stele from the cemetery
south of the town. The inscription reads
MHAOinOVCEP I ENOCOV I AICATAN
Mr. Milne is of opinion that in spite of the
illiteracy of the Greek, it is not later than 300 a.d.
It appears to be an attempt to spell a corrupt dialect
of Greek phonetically. The probable division of the
words is Mi) \y7rj7 Sfpfjvos oiBeii a6dv(aro<;), " Do
not grieve Serenus, no one is immortal."
PI. xlvii. Fragment of an Arab letter of the end
of the tenth century A.D., found on the ash-heap on
the east of the town. It has been submitted to
Prof. Margoliouth of New College, Oxford, who
reports that 'it is a fragment of a letter from a
brickmaker to one Muhammed Abu Yahya. The
first line is the ascription (in the name of God, etc.)
and the second and last lines are compliments. He
hopes that the delay in answering a former letter
may mean no harm. He has sent in a small load the
specimen. ... A letter has reached him from Al-
Aswan to the effect that he has been sending you a
red brick and hopes you would approve the red brick
which you would use for building round the well . . .
but if you use any of it for the old gateway of the
house you had better mix them with some of my
bricks. . . .'
On the back there is an erased business letter.
82. PI. xxxviii, 1, 2. Ptolemaic canthari from the
cemetery north of Scenas Mandras. These are of a
similar kind to those of Kafr Ammar, but are of
much finer workmanship, and are decorated with a
floral design of brown and white. Both have been very
much spoilt by the salt in the soil, which has burst off
the black face, thus showing the red pottery below.
PI. xxxix, 25. Plaster head of Pallas from the
north cemetery. The body was too much crumbled
to be preserved.
Fig. 26. Plaster figure from the south cemetery.
A large quantity of pottery figures were also found
in the graves, the usual type being a nude female
form, with very short arms raised upwards, and a
kind of halo behind the head, which is either smooth
or indented. Full-length figures were more common
than busts, but the latter shewed better workmanship.
Other figures of men on horseback, horses and dogs
were common, but there was no example of pottery
Harpocrates. The pottery found at Scenas Mandras
all has a strong resemblance of type, and is almost
certainly of local make, as the most common full-
length female figures do not occur in the near vicinity,
so far as I can gather from the publications of
Saqqara, etc. The figures cannot be defined as any
particular goddess, but they probably represent a
composite local divinity.