DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49512#0382
346 REVIEW OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE EGYPTIAN TOMB AND ITS
protection of the burial by means of a chamber hollowed in the gravel on one side of the pit. The
opening to this chamber was closed by a wattle wall or by rough flakes of limestone, heavily covered
with mud plaster.
b. Subdivisions in Three Periods: their Archaeological Groups
The different periods of Predynastic Egypt are distinguished not by distinctive types of tombs, but
by the objects which they contained, particularly the pottery. The chronology, which was first worked
out by Prof. Petrie (see Diospolis Parva), is based principally on the pottery:
(a) The Early Predynastic period: pottery of mud ware, burnt brown or reddish brown.
(1) RP, ‘Red polished’ (Petrie’s class P): bowls and jars, covered with red haematite wash and pebble
polished.
(2) Bkt, ‘Black topped red polished’ (Petrie’s class B): bowls, jars, and beakers, red polished with
irregular black band around the mouth and bowls often black polished inside.
(3) WD, ‘White line decoration’ (Petrie’s class C): bowls and jars of the same forms and the same
ware as the RP but decorated with line drawings, originally white.
(b) The Middle Predynastic period: pottery of mud ware as before, sometimes without red wash;
introduction of two new harder wares, (i) a hard red ware with drab or pinkish drab surface, and
(ii) a light drab ware.
(1) RP, as in the early period.
(2) Bkt, as in the early period, but with an increase in the number of forms.
(3) RD, ‘Red line drawings’ (Petrie’s class D): of the new red ware with light-coloured surface,
decorated with line drawings in red, differing in character from the pictures on the WD pottery;
shoulder jars of various sizes, of which many have pierced handles on the sides.
(4) BP, ‘Black polished’ (see Petrie’s class F): bottles and small jars; grey (?) ware related to both
RP and Bkt.
(5) WI, ‘White incised’ (Petrie’s class N): a polished ware similar to BP with incised geometrical
decorations filled with white paint; bowl forms.
(6) SC, ‘Smooth coarse ware’ (Petrie’s class R): a ware of the same materials and forms as the RP
and Bkt of the same period, but without red wash or polish; a cheaper substitute of the RP and
Bkt vessels.
(7) DbW, ‘Light drab ware’ (Petrie’s class W): flat-bottomed, round-shouldered jars with wavy
ledge handle on each side; various sizes and proportions, but with large wide forms predominating
in this period.
(c) The Late Predynastic period: pottery marked by the predominance of hard drab wares and degenerate
traditional forms of the older wares.
(1) RP, the red polished vessels of mud ware are infrequent and generally replaced by vessels of
hard or drab ware (LRP).
(2) Bkt, continuation of older forms but generally smaller and of less frequent occurrence; examples
often carelessly made (degenerate traditional forms).
(3) LRD, ‘Late red line decorated’: shoulder jars with and without handles, large squat two-handled
jars, and cylindrical jars with wavy line round shoulder; isolated examples of older RD drawings,
but most of the later RD decorations consist mainly of spots and imitations of stone or cord
patterns.
(4) Isolated examples of BP and WI.
protection of the burial by means of a chamber hollowed in the gravel on one side of the pit. The
opening to this chamber was closed by a wattle wall or by rough flakes of limestone, heavily covered
with mud plaster.
b. Subdivisions in Three Periods: their Archaeological Groups
The different periods of Predynastic Egypt are distinguished not by distinctive types of tombs, but
by the objects which they contained, particularly the pottery. The chronology, which was first worked
out by Prof. Petrie (see Diospolis Parva), is based principally on the pottery:
(a) The Early Predynastic period: pottery of mud ware, burnt brown or reddish brown.
(1) RP, ‘Red polished’ (Petrie’s class P): bowls and jars, covered with red haematite wash and pebble
polished.
(2) Bkt, ‘Black topped red polished’ (Petrie’s class B): bowls, jars, and beakers, red polished with
irregular black band around the mouth and bowls often black polished inside.
(3) WD, ‘White line decoration’ (Petrie’s class C): bowls and jars of the same forms and the same
ware as the RP but decorated with line drawings, originally white.
(b) The Middle Predynastic period: pottery of mud ware as before, sometimes without red wash;
introduction of two new harder wares, (i) a hard red ware with drab or pinkish drab surface, and
(ii) a light drab ware.
(1) RP, as in the early period.
(2) Bkt, as in the early period, but with an increase in the number of forms.
(3) RD, ‘Red line drawings’ (Petrie’s class D): of the new red ware with light-coloured surface,
decorated with line drawings in red, differing in character from the pictures on the WD pottery;
shoulder jars of various sizes, of which many have pierced handles on the sides.
(4) BP, ‘Black polished’ (see Petrie’s class F): bottles and small jars; grey (?) ware related to both
RP and Bkt.
(5) WI, ‘White incised’ (Petrie’s class N): a polished ware similar to BP with incised geometrical
decorations filled with white paint; bowl forms.
(6) SC, ‘Smooth coarse ware’ (Petrie’s class R): a ware of the same materials and forms as the RP
and Bkt of the same period, but without red wash or polish; a cheaper substitute of the RP and
Bkt vessels.
(7) DbW, ‘Light drab ware’ (Petrie’s class W): flat-bottomed, round-shouldered jars with wavy
ledge handle on each side; various sizes and proportions, but with large wide forms predominating
in this period.
(c) The Late Predynastic period: pottery marked by the predominance of hard drab wares and degenerate
traditional forms of the older wares.
(1) RP, the red polished vessels of mud ware are infrequent and generally replaced by vessels of
hard or drab ware (LRP).
(2) Bkt, continuation of older forms but generally smaller and of less frequent occurrence; examples
often carelessly made (degenerate traditional forms).
(3) LRD, ‘Late red line decorated’: shoulder jars with and without handles, large squat two-handled
jars, and cylindrical jars with wavy line round shoulder; isolated examples of older RD drawings,
but most of the later RD decorations consist mainly of spots and imitations of stone or cord
patterns.
(4) Isolated examples of BP and WI.