DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4664#0018
DATE OF THE MAIN DEPOSIT AND TEMPLE.
13
X 16 cm. (9-0 X 5'9 X 6'S ins.), held in position
against the damaged face by mud mortar alone. No
attempt at forming a bond between the new and old
work has been made.
At this angle, or rather in the N.W. wall, is a
gateway, with a paving of rough sandstone blocks
which formed the bed for the actual pavement of the
temple. Under one of these rough blocks lay a small
piece of red granite, similar to that of the inscribed
block of Khasekhemui, and of the granite door sill on
the N.E. side ; this favours the supposition that the
sandstone pavement of the door way was laid at the
same time as, or subsequent to, the breaking up of
the earlier work.
Within the enclosure, a wall of crude brick ran
parallel to the N.E. enclosure wall, and probably
joined one of the inner walls which are situated
farther to the S.E. The part now standing is shown
on the plan ; the rest has been destroyed like all the
work in this part of the site, owing to the denudation
that has taken place.
Foundation Deposit.
34. In the angle formed by the S.W. face of this
and the N.W. enclosure wall, what must be a founda-
tion deposit was found. It rested on the crude brick
pavement, the base of which is level, or nearly so,
with foot of the walls ; and was kept in the angle by
a thin curved wall of i*o m. radius, built of crude
bricks.
The deposit consisted of a mass of small earthen-
ware vessels, the types of which are shown at the
bottom of Pl. LXVI. The bottom layer consisted
entirely of the cup-shaped and dish-shaped vessels.
On the top of these the skull of an ox or cow had
been thrown, forehead down. Above this were more
vessels of both dish and cup shapes, as well as a few
of those of conical form. The topmost layer con-
sisted, for the most part, of the bottle-shaped vases.
All the vessels were unused. No order, except in a
general way, had been observed in their arrangement;
one or two large pieces of bowls had been put round
the edge, where the mass exceeded the height of the
curved retaining wall. The whole had been plastered
over with mud to keep it in position.
No glazed plaques, or inscribed objects of any
kind were found.
A pavement, such as once covered the rough
sandstone blocks at the entrance, would have covered
the deposit. No such pavement was, however,
observed.
Fragments of prehistoric pottery (one decorated
with comma shaped marks in the usual dull red) were
found on the mud floor, or pavement, on which the
deposit rested. This again shows the amount of dis-
turbance of the lower strata that had taken place.
The N.W. side of the -temple is bounded by a
single thick wall. As already stated, the space
between it and the circular Revetment has been
denuded to a depth lower than the foot of the crude
brick walls. No traces of any buildings were found
here.
CHAPTER IV.
date of the main deposit and temple.
The Main Deposit.
35. The walls of the group of rooms which are
situated in the N.E. part of the temple, and under
which the main deposit was mostly found, descend to
a depth of 3'0 metres below the datum level, they
are thus only from 30 cm. to 50 cm. above the char-
coal-discoloured stratum.
The rectangular limestone block near which the
inscribed palette of Narmer was found, and the stones,
seemingly part of an enclosure wall round it, rest
on the charcoal-discoloured stratum.
From this it seems clear that the main deposit
must have been in this stratum. A piece of carved
ivory, and a small ivory female figure, evidently part
of this group of objects, were found under one of these
deep founded walls, at a point 3*8 metres below
datum level, during the second year's excavations.
The palette of Narmer undoubtedly came from this
stratum.
This leaves it uncertain whether these objects
were actually in this stratum before the crude brick
walls were built, or whether they were merely thrown
into the foundations and built over. The presence of
the two limestone squatting statues (Pl. I.) as well as
the human-headed door socket, all of which were
certainly in situ below the later temple walls, as well
as the great number of archaic objects, such as flint
implements, spindle whorls, and inscribed clay sealings,
which are found scattered throughout the charcoal-
discoloured stratum, points to their having been in
the ground at the time of the building of the later
temple. On the other hand we have to account for
13
X 16 cm. (9-0 X 5'9 X 6'S ins.), held in position
against the damaged face by mud mortar alone. No
attempt at forming a bond between the new and old
work has been made.
At this angle, or rather in the N.W. wall, is a
gateway, with a paving of rough sandstone blocks
which formed the bed for the actual pavement of the
temple. Under one of these rough blocks lay a small
piece of red granite, similar to that of the inscribed
block of Khasekhemui, and of the granite door sill on
the N.E. side ; this favours the supposition that the
sandstone pavement of the door way was laid at the
same time as, or subsequent to, the breaking up of
the earlier work.
Within the enclosure, a wall of crude brick ran
parallel to the N.E. enclosure wall, and probably
joined one of the inner walls which are situated
farther to the S.E. The part now standing is shown
on the plan ; the rest has been destroyed like all the
work in this part of the site, owing to the denudation
that has taken place.
Foundation Deposit.
34. In the angle formed by the S.W. face of this
and the N.W. enclosure wall, what must be a founda-
tion deposit was found. It rested on the crude brick
pavement, the base of which is level, or nearly so,
with foot of the walls ; and was kept in the angle by
a thin curved wall of i*o m. radius, built of crude
bricks.
The deposit consisted of a mass of small earthen-
ware vessels, the types of which are shown at the
bottom of Pl. LXVI. The bottom layer consisted
entirely of the cup-shaped and dish-shaped vessels.
On the top of these the skull of an ox or cow had
been thrown, forehead down. Above this were more
vessels of both dish and cup shapes, as well as a few
of those of conical form. The topmost layer con-
sisted, for the most part, of the bottle-shaped vases.
All the vessels were unused. No order, except in a
general way, had been observed in their arrangement;
one or two large pieces of bowls had been put round
the edge, where the mass exceeded the height of the
curved retaining wall. The whole had been plastered
over with mud to keep it in position.
No glazed plaques, or inscribed objects of any
kind were found.
A pavement, such as once covered the rough
sandstone blocks at the entrance, would have covered
the deposit. No such pavement was, however,
observed.
Fragments of prehistoric pottery (one decorated
with comma shaped marks in the usual dull red) were
found on the mud floor, or pavement, on which the
deposit rested. This again shows the amount of dis-
turbance of the lower strata that had taken place.
The N.W. side of the -temple is bounded by a
single thick wall. As already stated, the space
between it and the circular Revetment has been
denuded to a depth lower than the foot of the crude
brick walls. No traces of any buildings were found
here.
CHAPTER IV.
date of the main deposit and temple.
The Main Deposit.
35. The walls of the group of rooms which are
situated in the N.E. part of the temple, and under
which the main deposit was mostly found, descend to
a depth of 3'0 metres below the datum level, they
are thus only from 30 cm. to 50 cm. above the char-
coal-discoloured stratum.
The rectangular limestone block near which the
inscribed palette of Narmer was found, and the stones,
seemingly part of an enclosure wall round it, rest
on the charcoal-discoloured stratum.
From this it seems clear that the main deposit
must have been in this stratum. A piece of carved
ivory, and a small ivory female figure, evidently part
of this group of objects, were found under one of these
deep founded walls, at a point 3*8 metres below
datum level, during the second year's excavations.
The palette of Narmer undoubtedly came from this
stratum.
This leaves it uncertain whether these objects
were actually in this stratum before the crude brick
walls were built, or whether they were merely thrown
into the foundations and built over. The presence of
the two limestone squatting statues (Pl. I.) as well as
the human-headed door socket, all of which were
certainly in situ below the later temple walls, as well
as the great number of archaic objects, such as flint
implements, spindle whorls, and inscribed clay sealings,
which are found scattered throughout the charcoal-
discoloured stratum, points to their having been in
the ground at the time of the building of the later
temple. On the other hand we have to account for