24
INTRODUCTION.
I
■
DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCOVERIES.
By J. E. QUIBELL.
CHAPTER VIII.
INTRODUCTORY.
57. DURING the winter of 1897-8 excavations were
conducted for the Egyptian Research Account at
Kom el Ahmar, a large part of the cost being borne
by Mr. Jesse Haworth, Mr. Somers Clarke, and the
late Mr. J. J. Tylor.
The share of the objects found that was brought
to England was exhibited at University College in
July, 1898. Mr. Green continued the digging in the
winter of 1898-9, and a second exhibition was held
in the following summer.
A volume of plates was issued in 1900, with notes
by Prof. Petrie. The present volume contains the
plates depicting the objects found in the second
season, with some plates omitted from the first
publication ; and the description of the site in detail
by Mr. Green, with the account of the discoveries by
the present writer. The delay in publication that has
taken place is regretted by none so much as the
authors. The first cause was the necessity of my
going to Berlin for the summer of 1898, and thence
in the autumn to Gizeh. The work connected with
the exhibition, and with the making into plates of
the photographs and drawings, fell upon Mr. Green's
shoulders alone.
58. From this delay it has come about that a
considerable amount of comment on the monuments
of Hierakonpolis has already been published by
various savants : Maspero, Naville, Foucart, Capart,
Max Miiller, Spiegelberg and others, besides the
notes of Prof. Petrie, issued with the first volume.
A good bibliography may be found in Capart's paper
" La fete de frapper les Anou " (Revue de I'histoire
des Religions, Tom. XLII.).
To the questions raised and the identifications
suggested by these scholars I have seldom alluded,
for the reason that the detail of excavation furnished
no material by which such questions might be
resolved.
Besh may be a king's name, or may mean " rebel " :
Khasekhemui may be the same king as Khasekhem,
or may be his successor ; Narmer may be identical
with the 9th king of the Abydos list, or, as Petrie has
shown reasons for believing, may belong to the first
part of the 1st Dynasty or be even earlier.
In each case the latter of the two alternatives
seems to me the more probable, but there was not
evidence on the site to decide these points one way
or another. So I have confined myself in this
account to the endeavour to give the observations
made during the digging as shortly and clearly as
possible.
59. For the drawings reproduced in the first
volume we were indebted to Mr. Peers, to Mr.
Somers Clarke, who often came over from El Kab
to help us, and especially to Miss A. A. Pirie. Miss
Murray has kindly helped us, by drawings and other-
wise, in England ; and Mr. Mace has spent much
trouble especially over the ivory. Lastly to Prof.
Petrie, the director of the Research Account, are due
my thanks for help given ungrudgingly on all
occasions. Such help he has always given in
furtherance of those excavations with which I have
been connected ; and it is only in obedience to his
wish that this help has not been earlier and more
fully acknowledged.
CHAPTER IX.
KOM EL AHMAR.
60. KOM el AhmaR is the name given to the
large cemetery on the W. side of the river from
El Kab : it applies more properly to the mound of
red pottery of no great size or prominence which lies
E. of the fort. The name does not distinguish the
site from the numerous other ancient mounds of
potsherds in Egypt, also called Kom el Ahmar, " the
red mound " ; so the undoubted Greek name Hiera-
konpolis has been taken as the title of this book.
The fort is still a considerable structure with
,the«
en Qu&
is ofarcfc
t on the W
ide<
..jjtoicstotl
j
id for two
t search was ma<
leroid of interesl
iilleban dealers
B expected, and
it to first exa
it could readily
III have actuall
:c foot of the wal
a there is a ma;
(It same date as tl
[pare lie under
;"»iie of the sa
?! angles, such a
t.io cm, in v
^d for the footir
'which the
archaic pot
"*h date that
aE- of the fort
1 speci;
entirely oi
kingdom
and black
>Pofb,
V doors 1
St. have
:*'«.,ec
\*
.
_____
INTRODUCTION.
I
■
DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCOVERIES.
By J. E. QUIBELL.
CHAPTER VIII.
INTRODUCTORY.
57. DURING the winter of 1897-8 excavations were
conducted for the Egyptian Research Account at
Kom el Ahmar, a large part of the cost being borne
by Mr. Jesse Haworth, Mr. Somers Clarke, and the
late Mr. J. J. Tylor.
The share of the objects found that was brought
to England was exhibited at University College in
July, 1898. Mr. Green continued the digging in the
winter of 1898-9, and a second exhibition was held
in the following summer.
A volume of plates was issued in 1900, with notes
by Prof. Petrie. The present volume contains the
plates depicting the objects found in the second
season, with some plates omitted from the first
publication ; and the description of the site in detail
by Mr. Green, with the account of the discoveries by
the present writer. The delay in publication that has
taken place is regretted by none so much as the
authors. The first cause was the necessity of my
going to Berlin for the summer of 1898, and thence
in the autumn to Gizeh. The work connected with
the exhibition, and with the making into plates of
the photographs and drawings, fell upon Mr. Green's
shoulders alone.
58. From this delay it has come about that a
considerable amount of comment on the monuments
of Hierakonpolis has already been published by
various savants : Maspero, Naville, Foucart, Capart,
Max Miiller, Spiegelberg and others, besides the
notes of Prof. Petrie, issued with the first volume.
A good bibliography may be found in Capart's paper
" La fete de frapper les Anou " (Revue de I'histoire
des Religions, Tom. XLII.).
To the questions raised and the identifications
suggested by these scholars I have seldom alluded,
for the reason that the detail of excavation furnished
no material by which such questions might be
resolved.
Besh may be a king's name, or may mean " rebel " :
Khasekhemui may be the same king as Khasekhem,
or may be his successor ; Narmer may be identical
with the 9th king of the Abydos list, or, as Petrie has
shown reasons for believing, may belong to the first
part of the 1st Dynasty or be even earlier.
In each case the latter of the two alternatives
seems to me the more probable, but there was not
evidence on the site to decide these points one way
or another. So I have confined myself in this
account to the endeavour to give the observations
made during the digging as shortly and clearly as
possible.
59. For the drawings reproduced in the first
volume we were indebted to Mr. Peers, to Mr.
Somers Clarke, who often came over from El Kab
to help us, and especially to Miss A. A. Pirie. Miss
Murray has kindly helped us, by drawings and other-
wise, in England ; and Mr. Mace has spent much
trouble especially over the ivory. Lastly to Prof.
Petrie, the director of the Research Account, are due
my thanks for help given ungrudgingly on all
occasions. Such help he has always given in
furtherance of those excavations with which I have
been connected ; and it is only in obedience to his
wish that this help has not been earlier and more
fully acknowledged.
CHAPTER IX.
KOM EL AHMAR.
60. KOM el AhmaR is the name given to the
large cemetery on the W. side of the river from
El Kab : it applies more properly to the mound of
red pottery of no great size or prominence which lies
E. of the fort. The name does not distinguish the
site from the numerous other ancient mounds of
potsherds in Egypt, also called Kom el Ahmar, " the
red mound " ; so the undoubted Greek name Hiera-
konpolis has been taken as the title of this book.
The fort is still a considerable structure with
,the«
en Qu&
is ofarcfc
t on the W
ide<
..jjtoicstotl
j
id for two
t search was ma<
leroid of interesl
iilleban dealers
B expected, and
it to first exa
it could readily
III have actuall
:c foot of the wal
a there is a ma;
(It same date as tl
[pare lie under
;"»iie of the sa
?! angles, such a
t.io cm, in v
^d for the footir
'which the
archaic pot
"*h date that
aE- of the fort
1 speci;
entirely oi
kingdom
and black
>Pofb,
V doors 1
St. have
:*'«.,ec
\*
.
_____