DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4664#0017
p.'
12
THE TEMENOS AREA.
the mouth of this cavity, and its floor was laid with
hard beaten earth. At the bottom of this cavity an
enormous number of exceedingly small pointed flint
implements were found; and with them were many
broken carnelian pebbles, some chipped into the form
of rough beads, one or two of which showed signs of
the commencement of the boring operation; also
chips of amethyst and rock-crystal, and one or two
flakes of greenish black obsidian. Other collections
of these small flint points, and materials from which
beads are made, were found between this place and
the granite block at the entrance to the temple ; they
occurred invariably level with the lower floor of the
passage between the two walls. These flint points
seem to be drills for boring carnelian, amethyst, and
other beads, but how this was accomplished is not
evident.
What is difficult to account for is that such objects,
which seem to belong to the Old Kingdom, should
be found in a cavity in what seems (judging by its
parallelism with the main structure, and the size of
the bricks) to be an XVIIIth Dynasty wall; but
unfortunately the size of the bricks was not deter-
mined with sufficient accuracy to put the last state-
ment beyond doubt.
Set in the lower of these two floors, near the
granite block, were two pots of the Old Kingdom ;
this seems to show that the lower floor at any rate,
should be assigned to the same period," unless we
assume that these pots were in use at a later date.
Perhaps the original temple was surrounded by
walls which were not completely removed, as all the
work in the interior of the enclosure seems to have
been, but were merely altered to suit the new require-
ments.
The charcoal-discoloured stratum occurs below
the lower floor or pavement.
Near the granite door sill of the N.E. entrance
are a series of depressions in the upper crude brick
floor; these may be all that is left of holes into which
the lower ends of flag-staffs were stepped.
Wall Levels and Section.
32. From the section it will be seen that the first
or inner enclosure wall, and the thick second wall,
have their footing at a greater depth than that of
most of the interior walls of the temple.
The thick wall whose foot is 2'8 metres below
datum level, rests on a charcoal-discoloured stratum,
already referred to as the fourth stratum, the thick-
ness of which is here from 30 cm. to 40 cm. In this
stratum, on this side of the temple, many inscribed
clay sealings were found, as well as flint flakes and
pottery of the early period. Inscribed seals were also
found at much higher levels, often higher than the
foot of the wall; but these seals evidently come from
the archaic stratum, and owe their present position to
the general disturbance of the site that took place
during the building of the crude brick walls.
The third, or charcoal-discoloured stratum, is met
with at a depth of from 3-3 to 3-4 metres below
datum level ; and in this stratum also, as in that
immediately above it, numerous flint knives, flakes,
and inscribed clay sealings were found.
Below this stratum all objects met with belong to
the prehistoric period proper, such as polished red
and black-topped ware. The old desert surface was
reached 3-o metres below the foot of the enclosure
wall.
The accompanying section shows the succession
and depths of the various strata :—
Foot of thick enclosure wall at .....
Stratum 30 cm. thick, composed chiefly of fragments of
coarse pottery and charcoal. The fragments being chiefly
those of prehistoric earthenware trays, and of pols with
pointed base, such as were found in the houses in the
town area (see lower half of Pl. LX1X.) belong to the
3rd Dynasty.
This stratum is confined chiefly to the ground immediately
under the wall, so that its thickness may be due in a
measure to a bedding for the foot of the wall to rest upon.
Below this stratum the earth is nearly free from pottery.
Traces of wall of small crude bricks, x X II X 8 cm., three
courses high, resting on the charcoal-discoloured stratum
(third stratum) ; the walls are probably those of dwelling-
houses of the period.
Charcoal-discoloured stratum at .... .
Earth, dark owing to the presence of charcoal; occasional
fragments of prehistoric coarse red and black-topped ware
evenly distributed through it.
Stratum of yellow clay 2 cm. thick at . . . .
This stratum is harder than those above, and exhibits a
slightly foliated structure. This is the old desert surface.
Water, March 29th, 1899, at
Below
Datum
Level.
Metres.
2-7
3"o
From
3'i
to
3-5
4'9
5*7
North Angle.
33. The Northern angle of the enclosure has been
refaced, at some period, with small bricks 23 x 15
t.x ins
e bymU
the. in '
>p similar to ^
.dofth
.tofthedoo.
,ent to
;vt enclosure
:er wall:
[he part n
has been
';Jitof the site, ow
„
DATION D
-j 115k formed bj
T.enclosure wall, w
:a found. It res
[ which
Ik walls; andwa
f i'O m.
■2 consisted of a
types of wl
L The '
;i* cup-shaped ai
the skul
i down.
md cup :
form. T
?art, of 1
unused
a observe
*aofb01
aassexc
■ The,
Pit in p
les, or ir
I such
5 at the
as 01
entra
m^m
■■^MM
■■■■■■■bmwbwwwbwwhwwwwwibiwwbhbwbwi^hi
12
THE TEMENOS AREA.
the mouth of this cavity, and its floor was laid with
hard beaten earth. At the bottom of this cavity an
enormous number of exceedingly small pointed flint
implements were found; and with them were many
broken carnelian pebbles, some chipped into the form
of rough beads, one or two of which showed signs of
the commencement of the boring operation; also
chips of amethyst and rock-crystal, and one or two
flakes of greenish black obsidian. Other collections
of these small flint points, and materials from which
beads are made, were found between this place and
the granite block at the entrance to the temple ; they
occurred invariably level with the lower floor of the
passage between the two walls. These flint points
seem to be drills for boring carnelian, amethyst, and
other beads, but how this was accomplished is not
evident.
What is difficult to account for is that such objects,
which seem to belong to the Old Kingdom, should
be found in a cavity in what seems (judging by its
parallelism with the main structure, and the size of
the bricks) to be an XVIIIth Dynasty wall; but
unfortunately the size of the bricks was not deter-
mined with sufficient accuracy to put the last state-
ment beyond doubt.
Set in the lower of these two floors, near the
granite block, were two pots of the Old Kingdom ;
this seems to show that the lower floor at any rate,
should be assigned to the same period," unless we
assume that these pots were in use at a later date.
Perhaps the original temple was surrounded by
walls which were not completely removed, as all the
work in the interior of the enclosure seems to have
been, but were merely altered to suit the new require-
ments.
The charcoal-discoloured stratum occurs below
the lower floor or pavement.
Near the granite door sill of the N.E. entrance
are a series of depressions in the upper crude brick
floor; these may be all that is left of holes into which
the lower ends of flag-staffs were stepped.
Wall Levels and Section.
32. From the section it will be seen that the first
or inner enclosure wall, and the thick second wall,
have their footing at a greater depth than that of
most of the interior walls of the temple.
The thick wall whose foot is 2'8 metres below
datum level, rests on a charcoal-discoloured stratum,
already referred to as the fourth stratum, the thick-
ness of which is here from 30 cm. to 40 cm. In this
stratum, on this side of the temple, many inscribed
clay sealings were found, as well as flint flakes and
pottery of the early period. Inscribed seals were also
found at much higher levels, often higher than the
foot of the wall; but these seals evidently come from
the archaic stratum, and owe their present position to
the general disturbance of the site that took place
during the building of the crude brick walls.
The third, or charcoal-discoloured stratum, is met
with at a depth of from 3-3 to 3-4 metres below
datum level ; and in this stratum also, as in that
immediately above it, numerous flint knives, flakes,
and inscribed clay sealings were found.
Below this stratum all objects met with belong to
the prehistoric period proper, such as polished red
and black-topped ware. The old desert surface was
reached 3-o metres below the foot of the enclosure
wall.
The accompanying section shows the succession
and depths of the various strata :—
Foot of thick enclosure wall at .....
Stratum 30 cm. thick, composed chiefly of fragments of
coarse pottery and charcoal. The fragments being chiefly
those of prehistoric earthenware trays, and of pols with
pointed base, such as were found in the houses in the
town area (see lower half of Pl. LX1X.) belong to the
3rd Dynasty.
This stratum is confined chiefly to the ground immediately
under the wall, so that its thickness may be due in a
measure to a bedding for the foot of the wall to rest upon.
Below this stratum the earth is nearly free from pottery.
Traces of wall of small crude bricks, x X II X 8 cm., three
courses high, resting on the charcoal-discoloured stratum
(third stratum) ; the walls are probably those of dwelling-
houses of the period.
Charcoal-discoloured stratum at .... .
Earth, dark owing to the presence of charcoal; occasional
fragments of prehistoric coarse red and black-topped ware
evenly distributed through it.
Stratum of yellow clay 2 cm. thick at . . . .
This stratum is harder than those above, and exhibits a
slightly foliated structure. This is the old desert surface.
Water, March 29th, 1899, at
Below
Datum
Level.
Metres.
2-7
3"o
From
3'i
to
3-5
4'9
5*7
North Angle.
33. The Northern angle of the enclosure has been
refaced, at some period, with small bricks 23 x 15
t.x ins
e bymU
the. in '
>p similar to ^
.dofth
.tofthedoo.
,ent to
;vt enclosure
:er wall:
[he part n
has been
';Jitof the site, ow
„
DATION D
-j 115k formed bj
T.enclosure wall, w
:a found. It res
[ which
Ik walls; andwa
f i'O m.
■2 consisted of a
types of wl
L The '
;i* cup-shaped ai
the skul
i down.
md cup :
form. T
?art, of 1
unused
a observe
*aofb01
aassexc
■ The,
Pit in p
les, or ir
I such
5 at the
as 01
entra
m^m
■■^MM
■■■■■■■bmwbwwwbwwhwwwwwibiwwbhbwbwi^hi