P to lem a ic b u r ia ls w e r e fo u n d a t D e n d e r a h (see b e low ) . T h e i r e q u ipm e n t w a s p o o r , a n d in g e n e r a l
s im i la r t o th a t o f th e P to lem a ic m um m ie s . T h e s t y le o f th e h e a d -w r a p p in g s , am u le t s , & c . , a s w e l l a s
th e tom b -co n s t ru c t io n , sh ow s th e p e r io d t o h a v e b e e n a lm o s t a s la t e a s th e P to lem a ic ; b u t th e t y p e o f
th e w in g e d s e a ra b s an d g e n ii in b lu e g l a z e is n e a r e r t o w h a t is k n ow n a s p ro p e r to th e tw e n t y - s ix th to
th i r t ie th d y n a s t ie s . T h i s s e r ie s th e n m a y c o n f id e n t ly b e d a t e d t o a b o u t th e th i r t ie th d y n a s t y .
P to lem a ic P e r io d .
T h e e x c a v a t io n s in th e c o u r s e o f w h ic h th e s e s p e c im en s w e r e o b ta in e d a r e c u r s o r ily d e s c r ib ed in
D en d e ra h , p p . 3 1 - 3 3 a n d 5 4 -5 6 .
R om a n P e r io d .
T h e s e s p e c im en s w e r e a ls o o b ta in e d a t D e n d e r a h in th e s am e y e a r a s th o s e o f th e s ix th t o tw e lf th
D y n a s t ie s an d o f th e P to lem a ic p e r io d . T h e g r a v e s w e r e n o t o f th e s lig h t e s t a r c h a e o lo g ic a l in te r e s t ,
an d n o a c c o u n t o f th em h a s b e e n p u b lish e d . T h o u g h t h e y co n ta in e d f ew o r n o o b je c t s th e r e c a n b e
l i t t le d o u b t th a t th e g r a v e s a r e c o r r e c t ly d a t e d . T h e y a r e n o t M o h am m e d an o r C o p t ic , b u t th e
co n d it io n o f th e b o d ie s s h ow e d th a t t h e y w e r e o f m u c h la t e r d a t e th a n a n y o f th e o th e r s in o u r
v a r io u s series. T h is e x c lu d e s th e p o s s ib i l i t y t h a t t h e y m ig h t b e p a u p e r b u r ia ls o f a n e a r lie r t im e , e v en
a p a r t from th e c ir cum s tan c e t h a t n o g r a v e s o f th e t ru e E g y p t ia n p e r io d s a r e q u it e d e v o id o f s om e
fu n e r a r y fu rnitu re . S om e a t le a s t o f th e s p e c im e n s a r e p r o b a b ly a s la t e a s th e s ix t h c e n tu r y A.D.
N O T E S O N T H E O R I E N T A T I O N O F T H E S K U L L . ( S e e p . 35.)
A s h a s b e e n a l r e a d y s ta te d in th e t e x t , th e r e is a n o b v io u s d if f ic u lt y in c om p a r in g th e d is p o s itio n
o f p o in ts w h ic h lie la t e r a l t o th e m e s ia l p la n e an d th o s e w h ic h fa ll w ith in it , i f th e r e is n o com m o n
p o in t t o w h ich t h e y c a n b e re fe r r ed . In o r ie n t in g th e s k u l l a c c o r d in g t o th e F r a n k fo r t -M u n ic h p la n e
th e h o r iz o n ta l p a s s e s ju s t a b o v e th e e x t e r n a l a u d i to r y m e a tu s , a n d co r r e sp o n d s a n te r io r ly t o th e
in fe r io r o r b it a l m a rg in . N o w su ch a d is p o s i t io n o f th e s k u ll is b a s ed u p o n th e su p p o s it io n t h a t th e
in fe r io r o r b ita l m a r g in h a s a f a i r ly c o n s ta n t r e la t io n t o o th e r p a r t s o f th e c r a n ia l an d fa c ia l s k e le to n .
T h e fo rm o f t h e o r b it , h ow e v e r , r a n g e s from th e n e a r ly c i r c u la r (megaseme) t o th e o b lo n g o r com p re s se d
fo rm (microseme), an d th e s e d iffe r e n c e s a r e d u e p r in c ip a l ly t o a lte r a t io n s in th e v e r t ic a l h e ig h t o f th e
o r b i t a l ap e rtu re . T h e q u e s t io n th e n a r ise s w h e th e r th e v a r ia t io n s in h e ig h t a r e d u e t o a r is e o f th e
low e r m a rg in o r a fa ll o f th e u p p e r e d g e , o r a c om b in a tio n o f b o th . I t s e em e d a d v is a b le th e r e fo r e t o
m a k e s om e o b s e r v a t io n s t o e lu c id a te th i s p o in t . T h e p ro c e d u re a d o p ted w a s a s fo llo w s . A n um b e r
o f s k u lls p re s en t in g e v e r y v a r ie t y o f o r b it a l fo rm w e re ta k en , an d th r e a d s w e r e th e n s t r e tc h e d
h o r i z o n ta l ly a c ro s s th e ir o r b ita l ap e r tu r e s o n a le v e l w ith th e n a sion. T h e th r e a d s w e re th e n r e ta in e d
in p o s i t io n b y b e in g sm e a r ed w ith g lu e an d s o f ix e d t o th e u n d e r ly in g b o n e . T h e d is t a n c e o f th e
lo w e r m a r g in - o f th e o r b it from th e h o r i z o n ta lly d is p o s e d th r e a d w a s th e n m e a su r ed , an d , a s w a s
p rem is ed , th is d is ta n c e w a s fo u n d t o v a r y m o r e th a n th e m e a su r e a b o v e th e th r e a d to th e u p p e r
o r b ita l e d g e . In a s e r ie s o f th i r t y - e ig h t s k u lls o f w h ic h th is m e a su r e is re c o rd ed , a v a r ia t io n o f a s
m u c h a s 13 mm . in th e r is e o r f a l l o f t h e lo w e r o r b ita l m a r g in a s r e la te d to th e le v e l o f th e n a s io n w a s
o b s e r v ed . S in c e th e low e r o r b it a l m a r g in is u t iliz e d fo r p u rp o s e s o f o r ie n ta t io n in th e F r a n k fo r t -
M u n ic h p la n e , i t fo llo w s t h a t th e d is p o s i t io n o f th e s k u lls b y th is m e th o d n e c e s s a r i ly in v o lv e s a r ise
an d fa ll in th e p o s i t io n o f th e n a sion, an d s o le a d s t o a d is tu rb an c e o f th e c r a n io - fa c ia l a x is . I t s e em s
t o u s t h a t su ch an a s sum p tio n is im p ro b a b le , a n d t h a t th e le v e l o f th e o r b ita l e d g e is m o re l ik e l y to
v a r y th a n th e d is p o s itio n o f th e n a sio n . A c c e p t in g th e co n v e n ien c e o f th e F r a n k fo r t -M u n ic h p la n e
1 The specimens from Denderah of the sixth to twelfth Dynasties, the Ptolemaic, and the Roman periods have
already been published in a different form in the supplementary part of ‘ Denderah ’ (Seventeenth Memoir of the Egypt
Exploration Fund, London, 1900). Measurements of the limbs belonging to them are also to be found in the same
volume. The specimens of the Early and Late Pre-dynastic periods from Abydos have been published in T h e E a rliest
Inh a bitan ts o f A bydos, by D. Randall-Mac I ver (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1901),
as amply demonstrated by practical experience, it became apparent that if it was to be replaced by
any system of orientation based on the disposition of points falling within the mesial plane it was
necessary to establish some correlation between the two systems. For this purpose a craniophore of
special design was Constructed. The instrument, of which a figure is appended, proved very useful, as
it enabled us to arrive at certain conclusions with regard to the disposition of the skull which are
otherwise obscure.
A v e r t ic a l p la t e o f m e ta l A B C \ th e e d g e o f w h ic h fo rm s p a r t o f th e c i r cum fe r en c e o f a c ir c le ,
o f w h ic h B C is th e ra d iu s . A t th e p o in t B th is p la t e is h in g e d to a h o r iz o n ta l p la t fo rm X X , th r o u g h
a s lo t in w h ic h i t c a n b e ra ise d an d low e re d . T h e u p p e r e d g e o f th is v e r t ic a l p la t e is p ro v id e d w ith
a m e an s o f s e c u r in g th e s k u ll so t h a t th e n a sio n r e s t s o n a n e d g e A D p a r a lle l to B E , w h ils t b y m e an s
o f a s c r ew a a th e s k u l l c a n b e p in c h e d an d s o f ix e d a t th e n a sio n . A s p a c e in th i s p la t e h a s b e e n
c u t a w a y s o th^ t th e fa c e c a n b e d is p o s e d w ith in it s c i r c um fe r e n c e : th e e d g e o f th e p la t e from E to C
is m a r k e d o f f in d e g r e e s w h ic h c a n b e r e a d i ly no ted ,, a s th e p la t e w i th th e s k u ll a f f ix e d t o i t is r a is e d
o r low e re d t o a p o s itio n in w h ich th e p o in ts u t iliz e d in a n y s y s tem o f o r ie n ta t io n fa ll w ith in th e
h o r iz o n ta l p lan e . W i t h th e s k u lls a f f ix e d to th i s a p p a r a tu s i t w a s e a s y t o p la c e th em in th e
F r a n k fo r t -M u n ic h p la n e b y b r in g in g th e in fe r io r e d g e o f th e o r b i t le v e l w ith th e a u r ic u la r p o in t .
H a v in g d o n e so , b y r e a d in g th e s c a le o n th e a r c o f t h e v e r t ic a l p la t e i t w a s e a s y t o d e te rm in e th e a n g le
fo rm e d b y th e b a s i-n a s a l lin e w ith th e h o r iz o n ta l, s in c e th e s k u ll is f ix e d t o th e u p p e r e d g e o f th e
p la t e in s u c h a m a n n e r a s to b r in g th e b a s i-n a sa l lin e p a r a lle l t o B E th e r ad iu s , th e e x t r em i t y o f
w h ic h , B , co r r e sp o n d s t o th e p o in t a ro u n d w h ic h th e p la t e r e v o lv e s . O n o r ie n t in g th e s k u lls in th e