DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.28687#0026
14
THE MAYAN A CEMETERIES
panel patterns in colours, and eyes on the east side,
reminiscent of the Middle Kingdom. 2253 had a
plain wooden coffin; several pots, including bil-
bils, one wrapped up in papyrus; a leather pillow,
stuffed with linen; and the fine wooden toilet box,
in the form of a lotus, with a swimming girl for
handle (pi. liv, 12).
CHAPTER VI
THE MAYANA CEMETERIES.
By Guy Brunton.
27. The desert near Mayana consists of undulating
gravel, with occasional low ridges. A belt of halfa-
grass runs in most places between the cultivation
and the desert proper. There is no good rock near
the surface, and the best stratum for tombs is of
grey-black marl, which is only available here and
there. There was apparently no large cemetery in
the neighbourhood, only groups of graves, probably
for the members of one family, or the inhabitants
of a small village. Two clusters of stairway tombs
were found, mostly re-used in the XVIIIth dynasty.
The hill tops occasionally had isolated pits, probably
of the IXth dynasty, which were unproductive. One
rise, however, contained the tomb of Nenna of the
Vlth dynasty, with wooden statues. Around were
poor graves and tombs of rather later date.
Some isolated shafts on high ground were pro-
bably of IXth dynasty, but produced nothing of
interest.
A small cemetery of the same period in the plain
is described later, as are also the cemeteries of
XVIth—XVIIIth dynasties. There were a few poor
burials of the XXVIth to Ptolemaic times, and a
considerable amount of the poorest Roman. The
shallow round “ pan ’’-graves, described below, are
probably of XVIIth dynasty date.
Mr. Montgomerie Neilson prospected the whole of
the Mayana region and as far south as the quarries
just north of Deshasheh during January 1921. He
located the cemeteries, which he worked, alone,
until my arrival from Lahun on 16th February,
with my wife to whom we are indebted for the
drawings of objects. We closed down our Mayana
camp on nth March, Mr. Neilson having devoted
the last fortnight to the packing.
28. Of the Ilnd—Illrd dynasties, a few tombs
were scattered in little groups near Mayana. They
were of the stairway type, deep and descending to
the west. Many had been re-used in the XVIIIth
dynasty. Around were shallow graves or tombs with
small square shafts presumably for dependents. The
coffins were small boxes, sometimes with barrel lids.
There was no pottery nor stone vases.
Noteworthy tombs are:
63o. Shaft 60 inches deep, loculus on west, and
small chamber on east. Loculus contained small
panelled coffin similar to that in 957. Body con-
tracted, head north, face east, left hand under chin,
loosely wrapped. Carved wooden head-rest under
head, with pattern of corn stems and leaves. At
feet, four carved wooden ankhs and two wooden
flax-bats. East chamber contained fragments of
coffin wood only.
683. Shaft and stairway with eleven steps: one
chamber to south and another to west. Former
contained an alabaster, and a heavy coarse red
cooking-pot. The western chamber was walled up
with bricks plastered over, so that it exactly re-
sembled the marl in which the tomb was cut. It
only contained bones, rotted by the damp.
684. Shaft 17 feet deep and stairway descending
to north: chamber on north, with extensions to
east and west. Only fragments of alabaster, diorite
and pottery at foot of shaft. At the surface was a
cutting in the rock indicating a mastaba. See plan.
955. Shaft 19 feet deep: 14 courses of bricks
round the upper part. Bricks 10X5X3 inches: lime-
stone slab to close chamber. Stone vases pi. vi,
10—15.
957. Isolated tomb. Panelled wooden coffin
49 X 3o X 29 inches, wood 2I/2—3 inches thick;
walled up with bricks 10x5x3. Body contracted,
head north, face east, wrapped in cloth. Traces
of a wooden head-rest at foot of coffin.
Of rather later date, probably Vth—Vllth
dynasty, were a few burials. The most important
are:—
604. Shaft 42 X 38 inches. Loculus on west,
running south. Coffin of sycomore wood, bound
across and lengthways with rope. Between the
coffin and south wall of chamber were 5 wooden
figures, two, two and one. The two at the back
were inscribed on the base with white hiero-
glyphs on a grey ground. The other three were
of servants, bread-making and cooking. All were
stuccoed and painted. Coffin, plain, 77 X 19 X 19
inches. Body, a male, head north, face east, left
side, extended, and loosely wrapped. The body
had slipped towards the foot of the coffin, when
THE MAYAN A CEMETERIES
panel patterns in colours, and eyes on the east side,
reminiscent of the Middle Kingdom. 2253 had a
plain wooden coffin; several pots, including bil-
bils, one wrapped up in papyrus; a leather pillow,
stuffed with linen; and the fine wooden toilet box,
in the form of a lotus, with a swimming girl for
handle (pi. liv, 12).
CHAPTER VI
THE MAYANA CEMETERIES.
By Guy Brunton.
27. The desert near Mayana consists of undulating
gravel, with occasional low ridges. A belt of halfa-
grass runs in most places between the cultivation
and the desert proper. There is no good rock near
the surface, and the best stratum for tombs is of
grey-black marl, which is only available here and
there. There was apparently no large cemetery in
the neighbourhood, only groups of graves, probably
for the members of one family, or the inhabitants
of a small village. Two clusters of stairway tombs
were found, mostly re-used in the XVIIIth dynasty.
The hill tops occasionally had isolated pits, probably
of the IXth dynasty, which were unproductive. One
rise, however, contained the tomb of Nenna of the
Vlth dynasty, with wooden statues. Around were
poor graves and tombs of rather later date.
Some isolated shafts on high ground were pro-
bably of IXth dynasty, but produced nothing of
interest.
A small cemetery of the same period in the plain
is described later, as are also the cemeteries of
XVIth—XVIIIth dynasties. There were a few poor
burials of the XXVIth to Ptolemaic times, and a
considerable amount of the poorest Roman. The
shallow round “ pan ’’-graves, described below, are
probably of XVIIth dynasty date.
Mr. Montgomerie Neilson prospected the whole of
the Mayana region and as far south as the quarries
just north of Deshasheh during January 1921. He
located the cemeteries, which he worked, alone,
until my arrival from Lahun on 16th February,
with my wife to whom we are indebted for the
drawings of objects. We closed down our Mayana
camp on nth March, Mr. Neilson having devoted
the last fortnight to the packing.
28. Of the Ilnd—Illrd dynasties, a few tombs
were scattered in little groups near Mayana. They
were of the stairway type, deep and descending to
the west. Many had been re-used in the XVIIIth
dynasty. Around were shallow graves or tombs with
small square shafts presumably for dependents. The
coffins were small boxes, sometimes with barrel lids.
There was no pottery nor stone vases.
Noteworthy tombs are:
63o. Shaft 60 inches deep, loculus on west, and
small chamber on east. Loculus contained small
panelled coffin similar to that in 957. Body con-
tracted, head north, face east, left hand under chin,
loosely wrapped. Carved wooden head-rest under
head, with pattern of corn stems and leaves. At
feet, four carved wooden ankhs and two wooden
flax-bats. East chamber contained fragments of
coffin wood only.
683. Shaft and stairway with eleven steps: one
chamber to south and another to west. Former
contained an alabaster, and a heavy coarse red
cooking-pot. The western chamber was walled up
with bricks plastered over, so that it exactly re-
sembled the marl in which the tomb was cut. It
only contained bones, rotted by the damp.
684. Shaft 17 feet deep and stairway descending
to north: chamber on north, with extensions to
east and west. Only fragments of alabaster, diorite
and pottery at foot of shaft. At the surface was a
cutting in the rock indicating a mastaba. See plan.
955. Shaft 19 feet deep: 14 courses of bricks
round the upper part. Bricks 10X5X3 inches: lime-
stone slab to close chamber. Stone vases pi. vi,
10—15.
957. Isolated tomb. Panelled wooden coffin
49 X 3o X 29 inches, wood 2I/2—3 inches thick;
walled up with bricks 10x5x3. Body contracted,
head north, face east, wrapped in cloth. Traces
of a wooden head-rest at foot of coffin.
Of rather later date, probably Vth—Vllth
dynasty, were a few burials. The most important
are:—
604. Shaft 42 X 38 inches. Loculus on west,
running south. Coffin of sycomore wood, bound
across and lengthways with rope. Between the
coffin and south wall of chamber were 5 wooden
figures, two, two and one. The two at the back
were inscribed on the base with white hiero-
glyphs on a grey ground. The other three were
of servants, bread-making and cooking. All were
stuccoed and painted. Coffin, plain, 77 X 19 X 19
inches. Body, a male, head north, face east, left
side, extended, and loosely wrapped. The body
had slipped towards the foot of the coffin, when