DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4635#0014
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IO
EL KAB.
given in PL. XX, 29, is perhaps a name com-
pounded with that of a king, the latter being in a
cartouche. If this reads ka-ra, it may be conceivably
En-ka-ra of the VHIth dynasty (though I do not
think this likely), or, as Professor Sayce suggests,
Manetho's Xatprj? of the Ilnd. The first column
seems to give the Hor. nub name of the king as
Nefer, or Nefer-Ka.
The beads are nearly all of known Neolithic types ;
one form is noticeable, a blue frit cylinder with gold
caps at the ends. It is convenient to mention here the
other cases of burial under the large hemispherical
pots or majurs.
Two (No. 186) were found, each in a small hole
west of Ka-mena's mastaba; the first lay mouth
upwards and contained the much-decayed bones of
a child ; the second was inverted and contained no
bones, but a bowl of a rather coarse red ware, two of
the very coarse IV dynasty saucers and a common
pot of the same period. Another majur lay at the
bottom of a well in one of the great groups of
mastabas which have been already described.
Another (No. 249) lay at the bottom of a long
open grave (3'/0 m.) with two burials in pottery
cists. The arrangement of the bones in it could not
be made out.
Another (in a well 1 • 5 m. deep) contained a sharp-
edged bowl (XII, 53), wheel-made, covered with a
wash of haematite. This was above the skeleton,
which lay on its right side, doubled up, the knees
before the face, the head north ; below the body were
traces of wood ; in the bowl was a short cow's (?)
horn.
Near to this was another small well (1 "30 m. deep),
and at the bottom of it a small majur, in which the
position of the bones could be but partly made out.
The head was to the north, the body lay on its back,
with the thighs spread out wide, and one hand by the
hips.
Another of these burials was in a small hole covered
by a fiat stone. Two shells were under the left arm.
No head was found. The shoulders were on the
east, humeri pointed downwards, forearms prone ; the
legs were bent, the knees up and south of the back-
bone. The last three burials were close to the laree
group of mastabas.
A much disturbed group of majur burial (178) is
important as giving a dated object together with one
of these majurs, the copper (?) cylinder of User-kaf
(PL. XX, 30). These majurs were probably within
the area of a mastaba, but so little of the brickwork
remained that it was not possible to say whether the
mastaba was made over the graves containing the
majurs, or the graves cut through the brickwork
of the mastaba. On the floor of the square well lay
a fragment of a flint bracelet, and some pieces of
green felspar, alabaster, and malachite. In the filling
were fragments of Old Kingdom pottery, of a broken
pottery cist, and of the rude pottery bars. In the
small chamber to the south were three alabaster
vessels of the usual shapes (X, 16 and 44), and a
skeleton, contracted and lying on the left side. This
well was presumably that of the mastaba of which the
few patches of brickwork near were the remains. Just
to the south of it lay the irregular grave in which the
cylinder was found. Close to the surface lay two
skeletons and a majur, the pot was to the north ; the
two skeletons, both in the contracted position, and
with heads to the north, faced one another. Below
these was another skeleton, lying upon its right side,
with head to the east ; below it, and to the west
another, the skull of which lay crown downwards, the
line of the body north and south. This was the only
skull that could be got out unbroken ; it was very
weak, and in spite of very careful packing, was broken
before it reached England. Below this were parts of
two more skeletons, and there was another in the
large majur; further, leaning in the south-west corner
at the bottom of the grave, was a sandstone slab,
behind which was yet another contracted burial ; the
skeleton was on its left side, with the head to the
north. The cylinder was below the first pair of
skeletons. The other objects in the tomb were a
IVth dynasty pot (35), an ivory comb and spatula, a
shell and some green paint. This grave had evidently
been to some extent disturbed, and it is just possible
that the cylinder and the burials are not contempo-
raneous, but the simplest explanation is that they are,
and that the grave was cut through the early mastaba.
When I was clearing this tomb, Mr. (now Sir William)
Richmond was sitting on the edge watching me, and
we were both struck with the singular shape of the
unbroken skull, the strong projection of the cheek-
bones reminding us of the Mongol type. No great
weight can be attached to this observation, as measure-
ments of the skull could not be taken, but I mention
it as showing how important it may be that any
unbroken skeleton found in a majur should be pre-
served. The early date of these burials can hardly
be doubted, but it has not yet been determined
whether they belonged to the same race as do the
ordinary Neolithic graves, the majur being a cheap
IO
EL KAB.
given in PL. XX, 29, is perhaps a name com-
pounded with that of a king, the latter being in a
cartouche. If this reads ka-ra, it may be conceivably
En-ka-ra of the VHIth dynasty (though I do not
think this likely), or, as Professor Sayce suggests,
Manetho's Xatprj? of the Ilnd. The first column
seems to give the Hor. nub name of the king as
Nefer, or Nefer-Ka.
The beads are nearly all of known Neolithic types ;
one form is noticeable, a blue frit cylinder with gold
caps at the ends. It is convenient to mention here the
other cases of burial under the large hemispherical
pots or majurs.
Two (No. 186) were found, each in a small hole
west of Ka-mena's mastaba; the first lay mouth
upwards and contained the much-decayed bones of
a child ; the second was inverted and contained no
bones, but a bowl of a rather coarse red ware, two of
the very coarse IV dynasty saucers and a common
pot of the same period. Another majur lay at the
bottom of a well in one of the great groups of
mastabas which have been already described.
Another (No. 249) lay at the bottom of a long
open grave (3'/0 m.) with two burials in pottery
cists. The arrangement of the bones in it could not
be made out.
Another (in a well 1 • 5 m. deep) contained a sharp-
edged bowl (XII, 53), wheel-made, covered with a
wash of haematite. This was above the skeleton,
which lay on its right side, doubled up, the knees
before the face, the head north ; below the body were
traces of wood ; in the bowl was a short cow's (?)
horn.
Near to this was another small well (1 "30 m. deep),
and at the bottom of it a small majur, in which the
position of the bones could be but partly made out.
The head was to the north, the body lay on its back,
with the thighs spread out wide, and one hand by the
hips.
Another of these burials was in a small hole covered
by a fiat stone. Two shells were under the left arm.
No head was found. The shoulders were on the
east, humeri pointed downwards, forearms prone ; the
legs were bent, the knees up and south of the back-
bone. The last three burials were close to the laree
group of mastabas.
A much disturbed group of majur burial (178) is
important as giving a dated object together with one
of these majurs, the copper (?) cylinder of User-kaf
(PL. XX, 30). These majurs were probably within
the area of a mastaba, but so little of the brickwork
remained that it was not possible to say whether the
mastaba was made over the graves containing the
majurs, or the graves cut through the brickwork
of the mastaba. On the floor of the square well lay
a fragment of a flint bracelet, and some pieces of
green felspar, alabaster, and malachite. In the filling
were fragments of Old Kingdom pottery, of a broken
pottery cist, and of the rude pottery bars. In the
small chamber to the south were three alabaster
vessels of the usual shapes (X, 16 and 44), and a
skeleton, contracted and lying on the left side. This
well was presumably that of the mastaba of which the
few patches of brickwork near were the remains. Just
to the south of it lay the irregular grave in which the
cylinder was found. Close to the surface lay two
skeletons and a majur, the pot was to the north ; the
two skeletons, both in the contracted position, and
with heads to the north, faced one another. Below
these was another skeleton, lying upon its right side,
with head to the east ; below it, and to the west
another, the skull of which lay crown downwards, the
line of the body north and south. This was the only
skull that could be got out unbroken ; it was very
weak, and in spite of very careful packing, was broken
before it reached England. Below this were parts of
two more skeletons, and there was another in the
large majur; further, leaning in the south-west corner
at the bottom of the grave, was a sandstone slab,
behind which was yet another contracted burial ; the
skeleton was on its left side, with the head to the
north. The cylinder was below the first pair of
skeletons. The other objects in the tomb were a
IVth dynasty pot (35), an ivory comb and spatula, a
shell and some green paint. This grave had evidently
been to some extent disturbed, and it is just possible
that the cylinder and the burials are not contempo-
raneous, but the simplest explanation is that they are,
and that the grave was cut through the early mastaba.
When I was clearing this tomb, Mr. (now Sir William)
Richmond was sitting on the edge watching me, and
we were both struck with the singular shape of the
unbroken skull, the strong projection of the cheek-
bones reminding us of the Mongol type. No great
weight can be attached to this observation, as measure-
ments of the skull could not be taken, but I mention
it as showing how important it may be that any
unbroken skeleton found in a majur should be pre-
served. The early date of these burials can hardly
be doubted, but it has not yet been determined
whether they belonged to the same race as do the
ordinary Neolithic graves, the majur being a cheap