Green, F. W.; Quibell, James Edward: Hierakonpolis (Band 2) (London, 1902)

THE CLAY SEALINGS.

55

it is always possible that, as was certainly the case
in later times, the engraver of seals used hieroglyphs
merely to form designs or patterns that were verbally
quite meaningless, but none the less were distinctive
to their possessor. A certain number of important
groups or signs already known can be recognised
with ease ; and no doubt when taken in connection
with the whole find at Hierakonpolis, and with
similar discoveries elsewhere, more can be said of the
collection than can be given in the following brief
notes, written on these two plates alone, and far from
books of reference. Prof. Petrie informs me that
none of the seals are identical with any from Abydos,
and that most seem to him to date from the Ilnd or
Illrd Dynasty.

Fig. I. The Horus name, Kha-ba, of an early king,
already known from a sealing in Prof. Petrie's collec-
tion, published in his ' History of Egypt.'

Fig. 2. Neb-maat, the Horus name of King
Senefru, IVth Dynasty.

Fig. 3. Neter-Khet or Khet-Neter, of King Zeser
of the Illrd Dynasty. The accompanying signs
Khet-Khen are of very uncertain meaning.

Fig. 8. Here we see the hawk of the god of
Hierakonpolis, in the Xllth nome of Upper Egypt,
nearly opposite Asyut. This bird deity appears also
as an element in the name-cartouche of Merenra of
the Vlth dynasty.

Fig. 10. A proper name, Chnem (?)-hotep, which
recurs in fig. 11, is preceded by a title mater found
as late as the IVth Dynasty, but probably most
common in the Illrd Dynasty.

Figs. 14-16. In these the word hbn "ebony"
occurs, probably as a proper name. In 14 there is
also the title mater.

Fig. 18, 19. The sign for scribe is followed by its
usual reading sesh (for sekh ?) in alphabetic characters.

Fig. 22. Probably to be read the mater Sesa.

Fig. 24. This may contain a group hotep neterui ;
compare the titles of Khasekhemui in Royal Tombs,
Pt. II.

Figs. 26-32. These legends contain the symbol of
the goddess Neith, already found at Abydos in
inscriptions of the 1st Dynasty.

Fig- 39 This fragment may perhaps include the
title semer-uati, " confidential friend of the king."