D E T A I L S O F T O M B S A N D B I B L I O G R A P H I C A L R E F E R E N C E S
I n th e b r ie f s k e t c h o f th e h is to r y a n d a r c h a e o lo g y co n ta in e d in C h a p t e r I o f th e t e x t , a g e n e r a l
a c c o u n t h a s b e e n g iv e n o f t h e c em e te r ie s fr om w h ic h th e s p e c im e n s w e r e o b ta in ed . T h o s e , h ow e v e r ,
w h o w ish t o fo rm a c om p le t e id e a o f th e c h a r a c te r o f th e v a r io u s s ite s a n d o f th e g r a v e s b e lo n g in g t o
th em sh o u ld c o n su lt th e s p e c ia l m em o ir s in w h ic h th e e x c a v a t io n s a r e d e s c r ib ed . T h e fo llow in g
r e fe ren c e s w ill a id th e s tu d e n t w h o in te n d s to p u r su e th is su b je c t.
T h e P r ed y n a s tic P e r io d s a n d the F i r s t D y n a sty .
T h e sp e c im en s w h ic h com p o se th e s e s e r ie s w e re o b t a in e d f r om th r e e n e a r ly co n t ig u o u s s ite s
in U p p e r E g y p t , v iz . th e d is t r ic t e x t e n d in g from H o u t o S em a in e h (d e s c r ib ed fo r b r e v i t y m e r e ly
a s H o u ) , A b y d o s , an d E l A m r a h .
T h e e x c a v a t io n s a t H o u a r e r e c o rd ed in D io sp o lis P a r v a , b y W . M . F lin d e r s P e t r ie , s p e c ia l
e x t r a p u b lic a t io n o f th e E g y p t E x p lo r a t io n F u n d , L o n d o n , 19 0 1 ( e sp e c ia lly p p . 3 1 -3 6 ) , an d th o s e a t
A b y d o s an d E l A m r a h in E l A m r a h a n d A b y d o s, b y D . R a n d a l l -M a c lv e r an d A . C . M a c e , s p e c ia l
e x t r a p u b lic a t io n o f th e E g y p t E x p lo r a t io n F u n d , L o n d o n , 19 0 a ( e s p e c ia lly p p . 1 5 - 3 0 an d p p . 5 3 - 5 5 ) -
T o th e H o u s e r ie s b e lo n g th e c em e te r ie s le t t e r e d r e s p e c t iv e ly B , H , R , w h i le c em e te r ie s <f> a n d x
w e r e a t A b y d o s an d a a n d b a t E l A m r a h . I n th e fo llo w in g l is t th e fir s t c o lum n g iv e s th e n um b e r
b y w h ic h th e sp e c im e n is d e n o ted in o u r d ia g r am s an d t a b le s o f m e a su rem en ts , th e s e c o n d g iv e s th e
le t t e r o f th e c em e t e r y a n d th e n um b e r b y w h ich th e g r a v e w a s en te r e d in th e e x c a v a to r ’s p u b lish e d o r
u n p u b lish e d n o te s , th e th i rd co lum n g iv e s th e ‘ s e q u e n c e -d a t in g .’ In th e fo u r th co lum n th e le t te r s
u s ed r e fe r to th e com p a r a t iv e r ich n e s s o r p o o rn e s s o f th e g r a v e , p p. m e an in g ‘ v e r y p o o r ,’ p . ‘ p o o r ,’
a v . ‘ a v e r a g e ,’ r. ‘ rich,’ rr. ‘ v e r y r ic h .’
I t h a s s e em e d d e s i r a b le t o q u o te t h e d e ta ils o f s e q u e n c e -d a t in g a n d tom b - c h a r a c te r in th e in te r e s t
o f t h o s e w h o m a y p o s s ib ly w ish in th e fu tu re to r e - a r r a n g e th e m a te r ia l u p o n a d iffe r e n t b a s is , a n d w e
m u s t h e r e a c k n o w le d g e th e c o u r t e s y o f P ro fe s s o r W . M . F lin d e r s P e t r ie in a llo w in g u s to u s e u n p u b lish
e d re c o rd s o f th e H o u c em e te r ie s . S e q u e n c e -d a t in g is , o f courses o n ly p o s s ib le w h e n th e tom b s
co n ta in a r ep r e s e n ta t iv e e q u ipm e n t o f p o t t e r y o r o th e r o b je c t s . C o n s e q u e n t ly m a n y o f th e s p e c im en s
w h ich o c c u r in th e t a b le s o f m e a su r em e n ts w ill n o t b e fo u n d in th e fo llow in g lis t , b u t th e tom b -n um b e r s
an d th e e x c a v a to r ’s n o te s a r e e x t a n t an d c a n b e p ro d u c e d i f o c c a s io n sh o u ld e v e r a r is e . T h o s e s p e c im
en s w h ic h d id n o t a dm it o f p re c is e s e q u e n c e -d a t in g h a v e b e e n a s s ig n e d t o th e ‘ L a t e P r e d y n a s t i c ’
s e r ie s , w h ic h , a s h a s b e e n s a id in th e t e x t , is s o fa r ill-d e fin e d t h a t i t in c lu d e s a co n s id e r a b le n um b e r
o f th e se in d e te rm in a te e x am p le s L
T h e E a r l y P r e d y n a s t ic , h ow e v e r , on th e o n e h a n d an d th e F i r s t D y n a s t y on th e o th e r a r e co n fin ed
r ig id ly to th e lim its s ta te d , v iz . th e fo rm e r t o b e fo r e s e q u e n c e -d a te 5 ° , an d th e la t te r t o a f t e r s e q u e n c e -
d a t e 70. T h e a llo c a t io n o f t h e sp e c im en s t o th e ir s e v e r a l p e r io d s w a s m a d e b e fo r e th e m e a su r em e n ts
w e re d r a fted a t a ll, an d h a s n e v e r b e e n in te r fe r e d w ith in th e c o u r s e o f .w r i t in g . W h e n a g r a v e h a s
a w id e p o s s ib le r a n g e o f w h ic h th e u p p e r o r lo w e r lim it s m ig h t s e em t o c a r r y i t o u t s id e th e c la s s
in to w h ic h i t h a s b e e n p u t, i t m u s t b e c o n s id e r e d t h a t a c lo s e r s c ru t in y o f t h e c o n te n t s an d c h a r a c te r
o f th e tom b h a s d e te rm in e d i t s p la c e a s h e r e g iv e n b y a t t a c h in g m o r e w e ig h t to c e r ta in s p e c ia l fa c to r s
th a n t o o th e r s .
T h e d iv is io n o f th e tom b s in to r ic h a n d p o o r is n e c e s s a r i ly q u ite r o u g h fo r s e v e r a l rea so n s. I t is
v e r y d ifficu lt t o f i x a s ta n d a rd o f c om p a r a t iv e w e a lth ju s t a s i t is v e r y d iffic u lt to e s ta b lis h a n y cr ite r io n
o f c iv i liz a t io n f o r p e r io d s o r p e o p le s ; b u t a s t h e c la s s ific a t io n is b y t h e s am e h a n d th r o u g h o u t a c e r ta in
d e g r e e o f u n i fo rm i ty m a y b e g u a r an te ed . A s e r io u s em b a r r a s sm en t, h ow e v e r , h a s b e e n en co u n te r ed
in th e c i r cum s ta n c e th a t s o m a n y o f th e g r a v e s h a d b e e n p lu n d e r e d in . an c ie n t t im e s . T h o u g h it
is p o s s ib le t o fo rm s om e g u e s s a s t o th e k in d o f o b je c t s w h ich c h ie f ly a t t r a c t e d th e co n tem p o r a r y 1
1 All specimens from cemetery H are. at least subsequent to sequence-date 60,, and no doubt some of them which
have been included in ‘ Late Predynastic ’ are actually of the First Dynasty, though the evidence is not strong enough to
justify their positive assignment to that period.
p lu n d e r e r , y e t th e a r c h a e o lo g is t w ill fr e q u e n t ly b e b a ffle d t o d e c id e w h e th e r a g r a v e w h ich h a s
b e e n p a r t ia l ly p lu n d e r e d w h en h e s e e s i t w a s o r ig in a lly r ic h o r p o o r . In t h e fo llo w in g c la s s ific a t io n th e
fa c t t h a t a g r a v e h a s b e e n p lu n d e r e d is g e n e r a l ly co n s id e r e d su ffic ien t t o tu rn th e b a la n c e in fa v o u r o f
th e c om p a r a t iv e w e a lth o f it s ow n e r . A b o u t th e v e r y p o o r g r a v e s , o f co u r s e , n o q u e s t io n c o u ld a r ise ,
and. t o t h a t e x t e n t th e in fo rm a t io n w h ic h is h e r e g iv e n m a y p ro v e v a lu a b le .
T A B L E X I V .
E A R L Y P R E D Y N A S T IC M A L E S .
FR OM A BYDOS . FR OM E L A M R A H . F R O M H O U .
Catalogue
N um ber.
è |
Sequence
d o lin g .
R ic k or
Catalogue |
N um ber.
N um ber.
Sequence
d a tin g .
R ich or
Poor.
Catalogue 1
N um ber.
N um ber.
Sequence
d a tin g .
R ich or
Poor.
<p 50 3 0 -4 2 123 a 1130 8 1 -5 2 1005 B 4 4 5 44 av. to r.
3 0 53 3 1 -6 3 131 b 2 3 7 8 9 -4 6 1017 B 2 0 7 8 3 -4 5
5 (p 83 8 0 -3 7 139 b l0 7 9 8 8 -4 6 1025 B p p .
7 0 5 5 8 2 -3 4 189 b 212 86 1035 B 3 7 4 48 P-
9 <P 57 199 b l0 9 3 8 8 -4 7 1057 B 3 4 3 5 -3 9
11 0 6 9 b 3 4 -4 6 207 b 1035 3 8 -4 6 1059 B 4 2 1 4 1 -4 8 P-
13 0 3 2 be fore 57 217 b l 9 6 3 4 -4 7 1069 B 1 0 7 33
15 0 9 8 3 -6 2 219 a 146 8 4 -4 1 1075 B 2 0 4 3 3 -4 5
17 0 1 8 8 3 -5 2 301 a 56 4 8 -5 5 1091 B 101 34
19 0 1 8 8 5 -5 1 308 a 150 3 0 -8 4 a v . 1095 B 144 36
21 0 58 8 4 -5 6 1099 B 1 4 5 36
28 0 2 9 b 8 8 -4 3 1103 B 2 0 3 3 3 -4 5
25 0 69* 8 4 -4 6 1113 B 88 b e fo re 43
27 0 38 3 4 -5 6 1125 B 86 3 5 -4 0
29 0 9 0 1 1129 B 8 7 31
81 1143 B 2 3 8 4 3 -4 8
83 0 27 1153 B 3 7 7 8 4 -5 1 P-
85 0 1 5 8 1 -5 0 1155 B 3 8 2 8 1 -4 8
87 0 81 3 3 -3 8 1159 B 2 8 0 8 5 -3 7 P-
89 0 2 9 * 8 3 -4 8 1187 B 4 4 3 44
1203 B 115 8 1 -6 0
1211 R 1 0 3 4 1 -4 8
1247 R l 2 7 b 3 4 -4 7
1251 R 2 9 * 4 0 -4 4
E A R L Y P R E D Y N A S T IC F EM A L E S .