DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4664#0048
DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES.
43
In the second register is the circular depression
which was the essential part of the palette; it is
bounded by the necks of two monstrous animals,
with leopards' heads and bodies. The spaces above
them are filled by two men, with a very peculiar
dress, which does not occur again on this series of
monuments. Note that they wear a short skirt in
addition to, and apparently under, the peculiar sheath
or apron in front (cf. NAVILLE, Figurines; Recueil,
vol. xxii.). An extraordinary parallel to this scene
from Chaldea has been pointed out by Heuzey
{Compt. Rendu. Acad. Inscr. et B. L., 1899, p. 66).
In the fourth register we have a scene of regular
Egyptian type. The king, represented as a bull,
breaks down the wall of a city, and tramples the
inhabitants under foot. The sign within the fortress
is presumably its name.
On the other side of the palette the king smites with
his club the head of a kneeling foe ; behind him is his
servant with the sandals ; before him is the hawk-god
of Hierakonpolis with one bird's foot, and one human
arm holding a cord, which passes through the lip of the
human-headed block below it. From this block rise
seven papyrus stems. Erman has pointed out that
these are " thousand" signs united at the base ; a
similar sign is to be seen on the smaller of the two
decorated maces, and occurs even in the pyramid texts
(Mirinri, 1. 403, p. 255). But the undoubted " thou-
sands " flowers on the mace are not quite the same as
those in question here, and it is more probable that
the plant of the north is intended, and that the scene
represents a victory over the Semitic tribes of the
north. The type of face of the enemy is very
different from that of the king, and agrees with the
later Egyptian portrayals of Semites.
The Hathor-head ornaments on the king's kilt
should be noted ; there is, perhaps, some meaning in
the fact that these are worn with the white crown,
but the bird ornament with the red.
In the lowest register are seen two of the enemy
dead and stripped ; above their heads are the names
of their towns or nations. The length of the palette
is 63 cm. (25 inches), its thickness varying from
15 m.m. at some parts of the edge to 4 cm. in the
middle ; the front face is slightly convex, but wavy
and irregular; the back is much flatter. The surface
is smooth, but not polished, everywhere showing
scratches and tool-marks. This monument is quite
perfect, not having suffered from the salt and
moisture which had destroyed so many of the other
objects.
Pl. XXX. 1-5. Stone vases of coarse work from
the main deposit.
6, 7. Alabaster bowls with hieroglyphs, drawn
on PL. XXXIV.
Pl. XXXI. 1. Boat-shaped dish of serpentine
with two serpents below.
2. This shape occurs in obsidian in the Menes
tomb.
3. Compound vase : it must have had a lid in two
pieces.
6. Similar shapes both in pottery and stone are
known from archaic burials.
Pl. XXXII. 1. The baboon is roughly formed,
owing to the hardness of the chert.
2. The pieces of green glazed tile show the cast of
the palm-leaf mat on which it was made upon the
inner side, and the ribbed face on the outer side.
5, 6. The pieces of ivory wand are drawn on
PL. XVI.
PL. XXXIII. 1. Limestone, solid; drawn on
Pl. XVII.
The tall vase (alabaster) is interesting as showing
the wavy pattern, still discontinuous, but not used as
a handle.
Pl. XXXIV. The series of shapes of roughly-
made alabaster dishes, of which a large number were
found; many had rudely scratched inscriptions of
two signs each. There are traces of blue frit in the
signs. Of these inscriptions there are three; in all
occurs the Ka sign with arms hanging, and the other
three signs are : (1) the hawk on a crescent or boat,
(2) the scorpion, and (3) the hawk perched on one
hand of a Ka sign.
PL. XXXV. Shapes of pottery from the main
deposit. Most of the pots were of very coarse ware,
the " black and red " being only found in degraded
forms (12, 13).
Pl. XXXVI. Drawings of the three great stone
vases. Those of diorite and alabaster are shown
again on the next plate. The granite vase was found
on the E. edge of the main deposit ; it is very heavy,
as may be seen by the section ; the surface is smooth,
but not finely polished, and the handles are mere
cylindrical lugs.
Pl. XXXVII. 1. A large alabaster vase, 80 cm.
high ; found on the revetment, at a point to the N. of
the main deposit, where the archaic walls butt on
the revetment. The vase stood upright; its mouth
was closed by a flat earthenware dish ; its base was
about 1 m. above the foot of the revetment; it had
then been intentionally buried at a time when the
G 2
43
In the second register is the circular depression
which was the essential part of the palette; it is
bounded by the necks of two monstrous animals,
with leopards' heads and bodies. The spaces above
them are filled by two men, with a very peculiar
dress, which does not occur again on this series of
monuments. Note that they wear a short skirt in
addition to, and apparently under, the peculiar sheath
or apron in front (cf. NAVILLE, Figurines; Recueil,
vol. xxii.). An extraordinary parallel to this scene
from Chaldea has been pointed out by Heuzey
{Compt. Rendu. Acad. Inscr. et B. L., 1899, p. 66).
In the fourth register we have a scene of regular
Egyptian type. The king, represented as a bull,
breaks down the wall of a city, and tramples the
inhabitants under foot. The sign within the fortress
is presumably its name.
On the other side of the palette the king smites with
his club the head of a kneeling foe ; behind him is his
servant with the sandals ; before him is the hawk-god
of Hierakonpolis with one bird's foot, and one human
arm holding a cord, which passes through the lip of the
human-headed block below it. From this block rise
seven papyrus stems. Erman has pointed out that
these are " thousand" signs united at the base ; a
similar sign is to be seen on the smaller of the two
decorated maces, and occurs even in the pyramid texts
(Mirinri, 1. 403, p. 255). But the undoubted " thou-
sands " flowers on the mace are not quite the same as
those in question here, and it is more probable that
the plant of the north is intended, and that the scene
represents a victory over the Semitic tribes of the
north. The type of face of the enemy is very
different from that of the king, and agrees with the
later Egyptian portrayals of Semites.
The Hathor-head ornaments on the king's kilt
should be noted ; there is, perhaps, some meaning in
the fact that these are worn with the white crown,
but the bird ornament with the red.
In the lowest register are seen two of the enemy
dead and stripped ; above their heads are the names
of their towns or nations. The length of the palette
is 63 cm. (25 inches), its thickness varying from
15 m.m. at some parts of the edge to 4 cm. in the
middle ; the front face is slightly convex, but wavy
and irregular; the back is much flatter. The surface
is smooth, but not polished, everywhere showing
scratches and tool-marks. This monument is quite
perfect, not having suffered from the salt and
moisture which had destroyed so many of the other
objects.
Pl. XXX. 1-5. Stone vases of coarse work from
the main deposit.
6, 7. Alabaster bowls with hieroglyphs, drawn
on PL. XXXIV.
Pl. XXXI. 1. Boat-shaped dish of serpentine
with two serpents below.
2. This shape occurs in obsidian in the Menes
tomb.
3. Compound vase : it must have had a lid in two
pieces.
6. Similar shapes both in pottery and stone are
known from archaic burials.
Pl. XXXII. 1. The baboon is roughly formed,
owing to the hardness of the chert.
2. The pieces of green glazed tile show the cast of
the palm-leaf mat on which it was made upon the
inner side, and the ribbed face on the outer side.
5, 6. The pieces of ivory wand are drawn on
PL. XVI.
PL. XXXIII. 1. Limestone, solid; drawn on
Pl. XVII.
The tall vase (alabaster) is interesting as showing
the wavy pattern, still discontinuous, but not used as
a handle.
Pl. XXXIV. The series of shapes of roughly-
made alabaster dishes, of which a large number were
found; many had rudely scratched inscriptions of
two signs each. There are traces of blue frit in the
signs. Of these inscriptions there are three; in all
occurs the Ka sign with arms hanging, and the other
three signs are : (1) the hawk on a crescent or boat,
(2) the scorpion, and (3) the hawk perched on one
hand of a Ka sign.
PL. XXXV. Shapes of pottery from the main
deposit. Most of the pots were of very coarse ware,
the " black and red " being only found in degraded
forms (12, 13).
Pl. XXXVI. Drawings of the three great stone
vases. Those of diorite and alabaster are shown
again on the next plate. The granite vase was found
on the E. edge of the main deposit ; it is very heavy,
as may be seen by the section ; the surface is smooth,
but not finely polished, and the handles are mere
cylindrical lugs.
Pl. XXXVII. 1. A large alabaster vase, 80 cm.
high ; found on the revetment, at a point to the N. of
the main deposit, where the archaic walls butt on
the revetment. The vase stood upright; its mouth
was closed by a flat earthenware dish ; its base was
about 1 m. above the foot of the revetment; it had
then been intentionally buried at a time when the
G 2