DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49517#0404
312
HARVARD AFRICAN STUDIES
3. HORN AND TORTOISE-SHELL
Horn is one of the materials most easily obtained by primitive peoples and is found
among them adapted to a number of simple uses — bows, spear-heads, piercers, bracelets,
etc. It is found in the form of these simple objects in the poorer graves in Egypt, especially
in the Predynastic Period, but occasionally a fine bow of horn is found in the better graves
of Dynasties VI-XII. At Kerma a great many gazelle-horns occurred which had served
as whetters, probably for bronze knives. Fairly frequent also wTas a curious curving strip
with the upper (?) end turned at right angles, with two or more peg-holes. But other objects
were rare — a horn point, five horn bracelets, and a horn knife-handle.
(a) Horn whetters.
1. See Chapter XXX, p. 228.
(b) Horn point.
2. See Chapter XXVII, p. 247, No. 3.
(c) Horn bracelets.
3. K 1045:1.
4. K 1065: v.
Three fiat band bracelets, on left wrist of body E.
One flat band bracelet in the debris.
5. KXX:61.
Flat band bracelet, ornamented with pattern of five rows of interlocking in-
cised triangles; about 3.3 cm. high, tapering to rounded ends about 1.6 cm.
high, fastened by string (?) tied through holes in end; oval, about 6.5 X
5.5 cm.; Photo. B 2151, No. 7.; on right wrist of C.
But I must leave the exact purpose of these strips undetermined. (Pl.
Fragment, 18 cm. long.
Complete but broken, 20.5 cm. long.
Curving end, fragment, 10.5 cm. long.
Curving end, fragment, 14.7 cm. long.
(d) Horn knife-handle.
6. See Knives, Chapter XXVI, p. 198, No. 7.
(e) Horn casing (fl).
As mentioned above, a number of curving strips of horn were difficult of explanation.
The strip was about 2 to 3 cm. wide with a concave section, and about 18 to 28 cm. long with a
curve towards the hollow side. At the upper end the strip was bent at right angles away
from the hollow side, for about 6 cm., and this end being flat was pierced by two small holes
as if for pegs. My first impression was that these pieces had served as casing for some part
of the wooden bed; but after many attempts I am unable to find any part which the horn
strip would fit. The flat end was pegged fast and the curving part might have been glued
fast or even tied.
61, 9 and 10.)
7. K 336:6.
8. K 1045 :v.
9. K 1625:iv.
10. K 1622:i.
11. K XVIII B: 60, 84, xii. Three complete; lengths — 29.5 cm., 20.4 cm., and 18.6 cm.; width,
2.2-3 cm.
4. OBJECTS MADE OF HAIR
Two or three classes of objects were found which were made of a coarse black hair.
This hair is from the tail of the giraffe in the opinion of several Sudan officials familiar with
giraffe-hair. The material is therefore Ethiopian in origin and not to be expected in Egypt.
HARVARD AFRICAN STUDIES
3. HORN AND TORTOISE-SHELL
Horn is one of the materials most easily obtained by primitive peoples and is found
among them adapted to a number of simple uses — bows, spear-heads, piercers, bracelets,
etc. It is found in the form of these simple objects in the poorer graves in Egypt, especially
in the Predynastic Period, but occasionally a fine bow of horn is found in the better graves
of Dynasties VI-XII. At Kerma a great many gazelle-horns occurred which had served
as whetters, probably for bronze knives. Fairly frequent also wTas a curious curving strip
with the upper (?) end turned at right angles, with two or more peg-holes. But other objects
were rare — a horn point, five horn bracelets, and a horn knife-handle.
(a) Horn whetters.
1. See Chapter XXX, p. 228.
(b) Horn point.
2. See Chapter XXVII, p. 247, No. 3.
(c) Horn bracelets.
3. K 1045:1.
4. K 1065: v.
Three fiat band bracelets, on left wrist of body E.
One flat band bracelet in the debris.
5. KXX:61.
Flat band bracelet, ornamented with pattern of five rows of interlocking in-
cised triangles; about 3.3 cm. high, tapering to rounded ends about 1.6 cm.
high, fastened by string (?) tied through holes in end; oval, about 6.5 X
5.5 cm.; Photo. B 2151, No. 7.; on right wrist of C.
But I must leave the exact purpose of these strips undetermined. (Pl.
Fragment, 18 cm. long.
Complete but broken, 20.5 cm. long.
Curving end, fragment, 10.5 cm. long.
Curving end, fragment, 14.7 cm. long.
(d) Horn knife-handle.
6. See Knives, Chapter XXVI, p. 198, No. 7.
(e) Horn casing (fl).
As mentioned above, a number of curving strips of horn were difficult of explanation.
The strip was about 2 to 3 cm. wide with a concave section, and about 18 to 28 cm. long with a
curve towards the hollow side. At the upper end the strip was bent at right angles away
from the hollow side, for about 6 cm., and this end being flat was pierced by two small holes
as if for pegs. My first impression was that these pieces had served as casing for some part
of the wooden bed; but after many attempts I am unable to find any part which the horn
strip would fit. The flat end was pegged fast and the curving part might have been glued
fast or even tied.
61, 9 and 10.)
7. K 336:6.
8. K 1045 :v.
9. K 1625:iv.
10. K 1622:i.
11. K XVIII B: 60, 84, xii. Three complete; lengths — 29.5 cm., 20.4 cm., and 18.6 cm.; width,
2.2-3 cm.
4. OBJECTS MADE OF HAIR
Two or three classes of objects were found which were made of a coarse black hair.
This hair is from the tail of the giraffe in the opinion of several Sudan officials familiar with
giraffe-hair. The material is therefore Ethiopian in origin and not to be expected in Egypt.