DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4664#0008
5Ure- where ^
nS0utandi3er.
:vetment. ^
thickne, ^
e.
^-defined
2 amount of CD;
r,more H ht'1
war patches
hout this accouati
lred stratum," ft
lie% charcoal, i|
prehistoric and It.
is stratum wasp,
of the early periods
the flint impleme
of which bore sip
sealings; these e
■ where the state
kness, near the XI
THE EARLIEST STONEWORK.
:nts the
rather earlier tk
d in the townam
o have been U
at the end of ii
side of the
ills, which form f
itly the remains
inhabitants of d
s stratum is i»l
•houses were fd
ST.E. enclosurerf
ide the temple"
prehistoric go*'
votive boAW
ain deposit,^
:,andPe#J;
luibeU,*80'
i of the fo*tf'
«,■ andlffasl
season^'
rtothefou^
"""^
##■
happened to be found during the digging of the new
foundations, when they were either buried in the new
sanctuary or thrown aside.
4TH Stratum ; Dark Earth.
6. Above the charcoal-discoloured stratum the
earth is comparatively free from charcoal and pottery,
though it is of a dark colour, till a stratum, also
discoloured by charcoal, but not so strongly marked
as the last, is met with at 0-6 m. (2 feet) above
the charcoal-discoloured stratum, or on the average
2*75 metres below datum level.
It is most conspicuous in the southern quarter of
the temple enclosure where near, and under the walls
it exhibits a tendency to divide and enclose lenticular
patches of comparatively clean loam, as if this part
of the site had been used in early times as a rubbish
heap.
There is very little difference in character between
this and the charcoal-discoloured stratum below it;
judging by the objects contained in them, both belong
to the early dynastic period, the upper one being
probably contemporary with the majority of the
dwelling-houses which occupy the town area, in which
sealings of Kha-ba, Neter-khet, and Seneferu were
found.
7. Above the fourth stratum the earth is com-
paratively free from charcoal, etc., for a height of o#6
metre (2 feet). But as the ground has here been
prepared for the crude brick buildings by cutting
down the revetments, breaking off the pillars, and is
generally disturbed to the same end, little importance
can be attached to it as a stratum. In places thin
layers of white sand occur, marking the foundation
level of the new temple. The general depth of the
foot of the crude brick walls is 2 • 3 metres below
datum level, but in some cases it is greater, as may
be seen in the section. The thick crude brick wall,
which has been skewed to avoid covering the parallel
rows of stones on the S.W. side of the temple, has its
foot only o-2 m. above them. And some of the
walls of the group of rooms under which the main
deposit was found descend to a depth of 3 metres
below datum level.
But these are exceptions ; the general depth of
the crude brick walls is 2-3 metres below datum
level, and this fact, together with the size of the
bricks (which is practically the same throughout the
building), is strong evidence of their having been
built from one design.
Above the level of the bases of the walls the
earth has been disturbed so much by sebakhin and
others as to render it useless for the purpose of
dating, except in so far as it gives an idea of the
amount of disturbance that has taken place since the
destruction of the temple.
CHAPTER II.
the earliest stonework.
The Circular Revetment.
8. In the centre of the temple enclosure is a
mound cased with rough stones, the circular plan of
which may have suggested the hieroglyphic sign for
the town of Nekhen.
The casing or Revetment which is but one block
thick, is built of natural fragments of Nubian sand-
stone, such as may be seen lying on the desert surface
in the neighbourhood ; they are set together without
mortar of any kind, the dark earth which is now seen
between the stones having probably drifted in from
the outside.
The blocks are nearly equal in size, their average
dimensions being 30 x 20 X 8 cm. (or a foot X
8 ins. X 3 ins.), selected with a certain amount of care
and laid in horizontal courses, but no attempt has
been made to make them truly horizontal. Each
course is set back about 8 cm. (3 ins.) from the face
of the course below, thus making a step 8 cm. (3 ins.)
wide and as much high, the general slope of the whole
being 450.
The appearance of this revetment is that of a flight
of steps, but this is certainly not the purpose of the
stonework, as the tread of each step is too narrow,
and the angle of slope too steep ; nor is the construc-
tion of sufficient strength to stand the strain to which
it would be subjected if used as stairs.
9. The purpose of the stonework was evident as
soon as the ground enclosed within it came to be
examined : it was then seen that the stones formed
the Revetment of a mound of desert sand.
Originally the Revetment must have been higher
than at present; but it has been cut down at the time
when the ground was levelled previously to building
B 2
nS0utandi3er.
:vetment. ^
thickne, ^
e.
^-defined
2 amount of CD;
r,more H ht'1
war patches
hout this accouati
lred stratum," ft
lie% charcoal, i|
prehistoric and It.
is stratum wasp,
of the early periods
the flint impleme
of which bore sip
sealings; these e
■ where the state
kness, near the XI
THE EARLIEST STONEWORK.
:nts the
rather earlier tk
d in the townam
o have been U
at the end of ii
side of the
ills, which form f
itly the remains
inhabitants of d
s stratum is i»l
•houses were fd
ST.E. enclosurerf
ide the temple"
prehistoric go*'
votive boAW
ain deposit,^
:,andPe#J;
luibeU,*80'
i of the fo*tf'
«,■ andlffasl
season^'
rtothefou^
"""^
##■
happened to be found during the digging of the new
foundations, when they were either buried in the new
sanctuary or thrown aside.
4TH Stratum ; Dark Earth.
6. Above the charcoal-discoloured stratum the
earth is comparatively free from charcoal and pottery,
though it is of a dark colour, till a stratum, also
discoloured by charcoal, but not so strongly marked
as the last, is met with at 0-6 m. (2 feet) above
the charcoal-discoloured stratum, or on the average
2*75 metres below datum level.
It is most conspicuous in the southern quarter of
the temple enclosure where near, and under the walls
it exhibits a tendency to divide and enclose lenticular
patches of comparatively clean loam, as if this part
of the site had been used in early times as a rubbish
heap.
There is very little difference in character between
this and the charcoal-discoloured stratum below it;
judging by the objects contained in them, both belong
to the early dynastic period, the upper one being
probably contemporary with the majority of the
dwelling-houses which occupy the town area, in which
sealings of Kha-ba, Neter-khet, and Seneferu were
found.
7. Above the fourth stratum the earth is com-
paratively free from charcoal, etc., for a height of o#6
metre (2 feet). But as the ground has here been
prepared for the crude brick buildings by cutting
down the revetments, breaking off the pillars, and is
generally disturbed to the same end, little importance
can be attached to it as a stratum. In places thin
layers of white sand occur, marking the foundation
level of the new temple. The general depth of the
foot of the crude brick walls is 2 • 3 metres below
datum level, but in some cases it is greater, as may
be seen in the section. The thick crude brick wall,
which has been skewed to avoid covering the parallel
rows of stones on the S.W. side of the temple, has its
foot only o-2 m. above them. And some of the
walls of the group of rooms under which the main
deposit was found descend to a depth of 3 metres
below datum level.
But these are exceptions ; the general depth of
the crude brick walls is 2-3 metres below datum
level, and this fact, together with the size of the
bricks (which is practically the same throughout the
building), is strong evidence of their having been
built from one design.
Above the level of the bases of the walls the
earth has been disturbed so much by sebakhin and
others as to render it useless for the purpose of
dating, except in so far as it gives an idea of the
amount of disturbance that has taken place since the
destruction of the temple.
CHAPTER II.
the earliest stonework.
The Circular Revetment.
8. In the centre of the temple enclosure is a
mound cased with rough stones, the circular plan of
which may have suggested the hieroglyphic sign for
the town of Nekhen.
The casing or Revetment which is but one block
thick, is built of natural fragments of Nubian sand-
stone, such as may be seen lying on the desert surface
in the neighbourhood ; they are set together without
mortar of any kind, the dark earth which is now seen
between the stones having probably drifted in from
the outside.
The blocks are nearly equal in size, their average
dimensions being 30 x 20 X 8 cm. (or a foot X
8 ins. X 3 ins.), selected with a certain amount of care
and laid in horizontal courses, but no attempt has
been made to make them truly horizontal. Each
course is set back about 8 cm. (3 ins.) from the face
of the course below, thus making a step 8 cm. (3 ins.)
wide and as much high, the general slope of the whole
being 450.
The appearance of this revetment is that of a flight
of steps, but this is certainly not the purpose of the
stonework, as the tread of each step is too narrow,
and the angle of slope too steep ; nor is the construc-
tion of sufficient strength to stand the strain to which
it would be subjected if used as stairs.
9. The purpose of the stonework was evident as
soon as the ground enclosed within it came to be
examined : it was then seen that the stones formed
the Revetment of a mound of desert sand.
Originally the Revetment must have been higher
than at present; but it has been cut down at the time
when the ground was levelled previously to building
B 2