DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4664#0023
i8
THE TOWN.
Similar fragments, as well as the vase borers scattered
all over the site, afford evidence of the extent of this
vase-making industry.
Several clay seals, some inscribed, were found in
this group of houses ; they occurred generally on, or
slightly higher than, the floors. In some cases where
they were found at higher levels, they owe their
change of position to sebakhin digging, or to disturb-
ance of the soil at a more ancient date. Among the
objects of special interest that came from this group
of rooms is a rough-baked clay cylinder seal, bearing
unintelligible marks upon it, which was found level
with the foot of one of the walls. The group also
yielded several rectangular flint blades ; these occurred
generally on the floors or in the talus heaped against
the outside of the walls. A few fragments of flint
knives of the hafted type were also found.
In the stratum just below the walls of room 5 a
wide-mouthed jar of well known late prehistoric type
was found ; this jar appears to have been used for a
burial, but no bones were found in it; from the way
in which the wall of the room is built over it, it does
not seem to have been a house burial, but to have
been unwittingly covered over by the builders.
1-2 metres below the foot of the walls, or 3*9
below datum level, part of a forked lance of dark
flint, and some fragments of prehistoric pottery, were
discovered.
In the same room nearly i*o metre below the
foot of the walls was a small copper rod of square
section.
Near the top of the walls of this group part of a
clay doll belonging to the period between the Middle
and New Kingdoms was found.
The following section, made in room I, group 89,
shows the stratification met with in the town area.
Below
Datum
Level.
Top of walls .........
Fragments of Old Kingdom pottery and stone vessels down to
Talus of rubbish in contact with the walls, consisting of
earth blackened by charcoal, and containing a few frag-
ments of Old Kingdom pottery.
Foot of walls at .......
resting on stratum of dark loam containing coarse pottery
and charcoal, becoming cleaner towards the lower part.
Whitish sand with occasional fragments of coarse red pre-
historic pottery.
Water level, February 1st, 1899, at .
Metres.
0-7
2-3
2-7
4-8
Houses 145 and 172.
45. A group of houses, 145, 172, has been built
against the town wall. These houses, like all the
rest uncovered, belong to the Old Kingdom, and the
presence of houses built of similar bricks to the town
wall, and in contact with it, seem to prove that it is
at least as early as they are themselves.
In this group of houses were found numerous
fragments of inscribed sealings, Old Kingdom pottery,
limestone spindle whorls, and fragments of stone
vessels, among which was part of a cylindrical
alabaster vase with a rope pattern below the rim.
Also here was a piece of black incised ware of the
prehistoric period, an archaic cylinder seal of dark
baked clay inscribed with unintelligible marks PL.
LXIII. S, and the flint hoe shown on PL. LX. 13,
which lay on its flat side 0'6m, below the foot of one
of the walls.
Houses 205, 180, 211.
46. The houses of group 205 and 180 contained
the usual pottery of the Old Kingdom, as well as
several fragments of clay sealings, some of which bore
the ka name of Seneferu, neb-maat.
Near this are some walls, to which reference has
already been made, as forming part of an approach
to the temple, and in all probability of the same date,
as the bricks of which they are built have the same
dimensions, 37 X 18 x n c.m.
Under these walls and in the archaic strata were
several flint knives of the hafted type, Old Kingdom
pottery, and a limestone spindle whorl with hotep-ref
rudely incised, see Pl. LXXI.
In group 211 a number of Old Kingdom pots had
been placed together in the angle of the passage on
the south side. The principal types are shown on
PL. LXIX.
Fragments of seals, some inscribed, rectangular
flint implements, and a limestone spindle whorl in-
scribed wr (Pl. LXIII. 1) were found.
Houses Group 144.
47. This group of houses is situated at the northern
part of the town. In this were found the usual Old
Kingdom pottery, flint sickle teeth, and flint knives ;
also a small vase with pointed base, made of green
glaze, and a plaque bearing a hawk in low relief.
The body of the plaque is composed of a white
'Vfl the 1
, where tn^
'. level; the
ere t*° va
tof*c=rC
, like th
':t?' -,ctal rot
^ crystal,
;e was not s
e'
.plat
of the pro
,ii the group
narked i6i
r:es of roon
wring at rig!
must have
height of tl
rways were
:;i is the larg-
wall In a re
srnina," or ci
.i as occurrii
at to the Erst is ne;
is another square
irts by a low
n wall, separ
'DLlong by o-6
^m.by2'0m
Mained the sam
'a Pater numt
Ottered about
\°f the others
^ Here, a
Kingdom,
one made 0
*veral inscr
ivory bar
!«te nf
-;4C5n?reSen'
'^ forme
Its c
r'Nlivn
'
wmmmmmmau
_______________________________________________________________________._______________________________________1__________________________________________________x?k-„*. '.- ■•"■:"'•'»;- :-,#? '.-, ;.***,
THE TOWN.
Similar fragments, as well as the vase borers scattered
all over the site, afford evidence of the extent of this
vase-making industry.
Several clay seals, some inscribed, were found in
this group of houses ; they occurred generally on, or
slightly higher than, the floors. In some cases where
they were found at higher levels, they owe their
change of position to sebakhin digging, or to disturb-
ance of the soil at a more ancient date. Among the
objects of special interest that came from this group
of rooms is a rough-baked clay cylinder seal, bearing
unintelligible marks upon it, which was found level
with the foot of one of the walls. The group also
yielded several rectangular flint blades ; these occurred
generally on the floors or in the talus heaped against
the outside of the walls. A few fragments of flint
knives of the hafted type were also found.
In the stratum just below the walls of room 5 a
wide-mouthed jar of well known late prehistoric type
was found ; this jar appears to have been used for a
burial, but no bones were found in it; from the way
in which the wall of the room is built over it, it does
not seem to have been a house burial, but to have
been unwittingly covered over by the builders.
1-2 metres below the foot of the walls, or 3*9
below datum level, part of a forked lance of dark
flint, and some fragments of prehistoric pottery, were
discovered.
In the same room nearly i*o metre below the
foot of the walls was a small copper rod of square
section.
Near the top of the walls of this group part of a
clay doll belonging to the period between the Middle
and New Kingdoms was found.
The following section, made in room I, group 89,
shows the stratification met with in the town area.
Below
Datum
Level.
Top of walls .........
Fragments of Old Kingdom pottery and stone vessels down to
Talus of rubbish in contact with the walls, consisting of
earth blackened by charcoal, and containing a few frag-
ments of Old Kingdom pottery.
Foot of walls at .......
resting on stratum of dark loam containing coarse pottery
and charcoal, becoming cleaner towards the lower part.
Whitish sand with occasional fragments of coarse red pre-
historic pottery.
Water level, February 1st, 1899, at .
Metres.
0-7
2-3
2-7
4-8
Houses 145 and 172.
45. A group of houses, 145, 172, has been built
against the town wall. These houses, like all the
rest uncovered, belong to the Old Kingdom, and the
presence of houses built of similar bricks to the town
wall, and in contact with it, seem to prove that it is
at least as early as they are themselves.
In this group of houses were found numerous
fragments of inscribed sealings, Old Kingdom pottery,
limestone spindle whorls, and fragments of stone
vessels, among which was part of a cylindrical
alabaster vase with a rope pattern below the rim.
Also here was a piece of black incised ware of the
prehistoric period, an archaic cylinder seal of dark
baked clay inscribed with unintelligible marks PL.
LXIII. S, and the flint hoe shown on PL. LX. 13,
which lay on its flat side 0'6m, below the foot of one
of the walls.
Houses 205, 180, 211.
46. The houses of group 205 and 180 contained
the usual pottery of the Old Kingdom, as well as
several fragments of clay sealings, some of which bore
the ka name of Seneferu, neb-maat.
Near this are some walls, to which reference has
already been made, as forming part of an approach
to the temple, and in all probability of the same date,
as the bricks of which they are built have the same
dimensions, 37 X 18 x n c.m.
Under these walls and in the archaic strata were
several flint knives of the hafted type, Old Kingdom
pottery, and a limestone spindle whorl with hotep-ref
rudely incised, see Pl. LXXI.
In group 211 a number of Old Kingdom pots had
been placed together in the angle of the passage on
the south side. The principal types are shown on
PL. LXIX.
Fragments of seals, some inscribed, rectangular
flint implements, and a limestone spindle whorl in-
scribed wr (Pl. LXIII. 1) were found.
Houses Group 144.
47. This group of houses is situated at the northern
part of the town. In this were found the usual Old
Kingdom pottery, flint sickle teeth, and flint knives ;
also a small vase with pointed base, made of green
glaze, and a plaque bearing a hawk in low relief.
The body of the plaque is composed of a white
'Vfl the 1
, where tn^
'. level; the
ere t*° va
tof*c=rC
, like th
':t?' -,ctal rot
^ crystal,
;e was not s
e'
.plat
of the pro
,ii the group
narked i6i
r:es of roon
wring at rig!
must have
height of tl
rways were
:;i is the larg-
wall In a re
srnina," or ci
.i as occurrii
at to the Erst is ne;
is another square
irts by a low
n wall, separ
'DLlong by o-6
^m.by2'0m
Mained the sam
'a Pater numt
Ottered about
\°f the others
^ Here, a
Kingdom,
one made 0
*veral inscr
ivory bar
!«te nf
-;4C5n?reSen'
'^ forme
Its c
r'Nlivn
'
wmmmmmmau
_______________________________________________________________________._______________________________________1__________________________________________________x?k-„*. '.- ■•"■:"'•'»;- :-,#? '.-, ;.***,