DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4664#0026
THE CEMETERY.
21
had been plastered over with a layer of mud mortar
about 5 mm. (^ inch) thick ; this, in turn, when on the
walls, had been covered with a coat of yellow ochre
or whitewash.
53. On wall B (Pl. LXVII.) there was no sign of
paint ; it may have been left simply plastered, but of
this I am not certain as the surface is much damaged.
C and D were also plain.
E had a white ground and a dado 27 cm. (10J ins.)
high of blue-black, bounded on the upper part by a
line of red ochre 2 cm. wide. On the white ground
were traces of figures in red ochre.
F, ground white, blue-black dado 27 cm. high;
bounded on the top by red ochre line 2 cm. wide, like
wall E.
G, ground white. No signs of painting. Prob-
ably never decorated. Blue-black dado 35 cm.
(14 ins.) high bounded by red line 2 cm. wide.
The wall A, A, has been decorated all over. At
the lower part is a dado of blue-black, which varies
somewhat from 27 cm. (10^ ins.) in height, owing to
the rough way in which it has been executed. The
upper part of the dado is bounded like the rest by
a red ochre line 2 cm. wide, painted over the blue-
black.
The surface of the wall above the dado has been
coloured a light buff with yellow ochre, perhaps with
the intention of representing the desert. On this
buff ground hunting scenes, combats, and large boats
are portrayed with rude skill, the animals especially
being very spirited in execution. No definite order
seems to have been attempted. It cannot be said
that the lower part represents the river bank, and the
upper part the desert; but the scenes seem to have
been put where there was room for them, after the
larger designs, such as the boats, had been drawn.
The generality of incidents depicted are the
hunting and trapping of wild animals, encounters
with lions and men, while boats of various sizes and
designs represent the more peaceful side of life.
It should be noticed that none of these boats
show the propelling oars such as are shown on the
pottery. There is an example of a prehistoric boat
on one of the rocks near El Kab, where the hull is
carefully shown by hammering all over the surface,
but the oars are mere hurried scratches, as if put in
by another hand ; so that the propelling oars were
not invariably shown.
The long and generally round-ended steering oars
are always shown ; and several examples of what may
be meant for the anchor hanging from the prow„
The dress of the figures should be noted ; the
leopard skin which later became part of the ceremonial
dress of the priests is interesting on this account, as
well as the uas sceptres held by some of the men.
The curious rectangular figures seen on some of
the decorated pots, seem to be intended for these
leopards' skins spread out and drying in the sun.
On wall F there had been a representation of a
procession of men, which probably extended to wall E ;
unfortunately the surface of both walls, especially E,
had been so much damaged that except part of the
procession on F, nothing could be made out.
The execution of the drawing on wall F is a
great advance on that on wall A, and shows a dis-
tinct trace of what later developed into the Egyptian
style.
54. The colours used are, for the ground, either
yellow ochre, or white. The blacks are a blue-black,
and do not seem to be pounded charcoal. All the
boats, except one, have been painted white, over
which a wash of bright green, granular in structure,
probably pounded malachite, had been put. The
exception is a boat with a high prow and compara-
tively low stern, which is painted blue-black.
The outline of the figures was drawn first in red
ochre ; the white of the dresses has in many instances
overlapped this outline. The eyes were put in with
a thick pasty lump of white; the pupil being repre-
sented by a blue-black spot on this.
All the decorated surfaces had suffered much
from exposure, and direct damage. It was only by
repeated tracing and copying, in different lights, that
many parts of the scheme of decoration could be
recovered.
In many places also the artist had rubbed out his
red outline, thus reddening the yellow surface before
re-drawing his design ; when the surface was dam-
aged this added to the difficulty of copying.
As already stated the tomb had been plundered
of all objects of value. Many of the ash-jars, and
other pottery, had been left; these are shown on the
plan, the letters and numbers appended refer to
the plates of pottery published in Naqada and
Ballas.
Besides the pottery were found part of a forked
lance flint shown on PL. LXIV.. and a small vase of
hard limestone or chert. Of the body there remained
21
had been plastered over with a layer of mud mortar
about 5 mm. (^ inch) thick ; this, in turn, when on the
walls, had been covered with a coat of yellow ochre
or whitewash.
53. On wall B (Pl. LXVII.) there was no sign of
paint ; it may have been left simply plastered, but of
this I am not certain as the surface is much damaged.
C and D were also plain.
E had a white ground and a dado 27 cm. (10J ins.)
high of blue-black, bounded on the upper part by a
line of red ochre 2 cm. wide. On the white ground
were traces of figures in red ochre.
F, ground white, blue-black dado 27 cm. high;
bounded on the top by red ochre line 2 cm. wide, like
wall E.
G, ground white. No signs of painting. Prob-
ably never decorated. Blue-black dado 35 cm.
(14 ins.) high bounded by red line 2 cm. wide.
The wall A, A, has been decorated all over. At
the lower part is a dado of blue-black, which varies
somewhat from 27 cm. (10^ ins.) in height, owing to
the rough way in which it has been executed. The
upper part of the dado is bounded like the rest by
a red ochre line 2 cm. wide, painted over the blue-
black.
The surface of the wall above the dado has been
coloured a light buff with yellow ochre, perhaps with
the intention of representing the desert. On this
buff ground hunting scenes, combats, and large boats
are portrayed with rude skill, the animals especially
being very spirited in execution. No definite order
seems to have been attempted. It cannot be said
that the lower part represents the river bank, and the
upper part the desert; but the scenes seem to have
been put where there was room for them, after the
larger designs, such as the boats, had been drawn.
The generality of incidents depicted are the
hunting and trapping of wild animals, encounters
with lions and men, while boats of various sizes and
designs represent the more peaceful side of life.
It should be noticed that none of these boats
show the propelling oars such as are shown on the
pottery. There is an example of a prehistoric boat
on one of the rocks near El Kab, where the hull is
carefully shown by hammering all over the surface,
but the oars are mere hurried scratches, as if put in
by another hand ; so that the propelling oars were
not invariably shown.
The long and generally round-ended steering oars
are always shown ; and several examples of what may
be meant for the anchor hanging from the prow„
The dress of the figures should be noted ; the
leopard skin which later became part of the ceremonial
dress of the priests is interesting on this account, as
well as the uas sceptres held by some of the men.
The curious rectangular figures seen on some of
the decorated pots, seem to be intended for these
leopards' skins spread out and drying in the sun.
On wall F there had been a representation of a
procession of men, which probably extended to wall E ;
unfortunately the surface of both walls, especially E,
had been so much damaged that except part of the
procession on F, nothing could be made out.
The execution of the drawing on wall F is a
great advance on that on wall A, and shows a dis-
tinct trace of what later developed into the Egyptian
style.
54. The colours used are, for the ground, either
yellow ochre, or white. The blacks are a blue-black,
and do not seem to be pounded charcoal. All the
boats, except one, have been painted white, over
which a wash of bright green, granular in structure,
probably pounded malachite, had been put. The
exception is a boat with a high prow and compara-
tively low stern, which is painted blue-black.
The outline of the figures was drawn first in red
ochre ; the white of the dresses has in many instances
overlapped this outline. The eyes were put in with
a thick pasty lump of white; the pupil being repre-
sented by a blue-black spot on this.
All the decorated surfaces had suffered much
from exposure, and direct damage. It was only by
repeated tracing and copying, in different lights, that
many parts of the scheme of decoration could be
recovered.
In many places also the artist had rubbed out his
red outline, thus reddening the yellow surface before
re-drawing his design ; when the surface was dam-
aged this added to the difficulty of copying.
As already stated the tomb had been plundered
of all objects of value. Many of the ash-jars, and
other pottery, had been left; these are shown on the
plan, the letters and numbers appended refer to
the plates of pottery published in Naqada and
Ballas.
Besides the pottery were found part of a forked
lance flint shown on PL. LXIV.. and a small vase of
hard limestone or chert. Of the body there remained