| Southport : Original Sources in Exploration | | |
The Royal Tombs of the First Dynasty (Abydos), Part I W.E. Flinders Petrie | | | | |
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Chapter 3: THE OBJECTS DISCOVERED. (part 2, sections 23-24)
23. The Sealings (pls.12, and 18-29)
The
general appearance of the caps of clay which were used to fasten the
jars is shown in the photographs in pl.12, 3, 4, 5, (i; and the
jars, as found intact, in photograph in pl.38.
7. The mouth of
a jar was first covered with a stopper of pottery; the jar was put in a
network of rope (shown in the figures of jars on seal pl.21, 29); and
then a dome cap (as pl.12, 3) or a high cone (as pl.12, 4,6) of
yellowish clay mixed with palm fibre was plastered over the top, and
this was sealed by rolling a cylinder seal across it twice at right
angles. Sometimes the two impressions are of the same seal (as seen in
pl. 12,.3), sometimes they are of different seals. There were often two
sealings; at first a smaller cone sealed across, and then a coat of
about 1-inch thick of more clay, and a second sealing upon that. Thus
often a quite illegible cone may yet yield a good inscription by
carefully knocking away an outer coat. In no case did I find a
difference in the reign of the two coats; on the contrary, the second
coat was put on before the first one was hard. These cones are usually
marked with several rough scores on them, put on quite regardless of
the impression of the seals (seen on a middle one in pl.38, 7);
and often a row of finger holes. These markings are probably a tally of
quantities, and were all put on while the clay was moist.
Plate 12: Jar sealings of Kings Merneit, Den, and Qa.
Besides
these sealings on yellow clay there were many upon ordinary black Nile
mud; they are much softer, and more difficult to read;
fortunately some have been baked in the burning, and are better
preserved. The forms are never high cones, sometimes dome caps, but
more usually almost or quite flat. Beside these are a few seals on
cords which have tied up packets or the lids of jars, as seen at Medum (Med.,
xiii.). These black clay seals are the more important historically, as
they alone give the suten bifi names of the kings. In no case is there
aught but a lea name on the great yellow cones; but on black mud
sealings we have the joint names of Den-Setui (on a very fragmentary
impression not here drawn, as I hope for others in clearing the tomb in
future), of Azab-Merpaba, pl.26, 57, and of Mersekha-Semempses, pl.28,
72.
The copies here were generally compiled from several
examples, sometimes ten or twelve would assist in giving the complete
impression. Nothing is here inserted except from actual impressions,
but a few dotted lines. A blank or imperfect sign means that so far I
have not seen that identical part, however certain its reading may be
by repetition. The number of repetitions around the seal were carefully
sought by observing minute differences; and where the extent of
repetition was uncertain the drawing is left without end lines, as in
No. 37. The material of the original cylinder seals was probably wood.
On some impressions is a raised line running from top to bottom across
the signs, and therefore accidental. This could only be produced by a
split in the seal, and such is very likely to occur in wood. The
cylinders were from 1 •(> to 3*3 inches long, and up to as much as
2^ inches diameter. I do not attempt to enter on details of the
readings, as Mr. Griffith will deal with them in his account, but only
make a few notes on archaeological points. The sealings are numbered
continuously, so that the plate numbers need not be noted.
24. The Seal Inscriptions, pls.18-29.
Plates 18 (Nos.1-6) and 19 (Nos. 7-11): Sealings of King Zet.
2,
3. The placing of ath ( | with the name of Zet may be connected with
the name presumably equivalent with Zet, ( ^ L in the Table of Abydos.
4.
The doors here show the pivot and top pin, as on the piece of pottery,
pl.7, 9. The fortress is the same as in the following No. 5.
6.
The figure of the swimmer here in the canal is the first and most
natural of a series. (p.25) In 18 it is clumsy, and the figure
also appears out of the water (see also 20, 21). In 46 the figure is
without the canal. In 67, 69 it is more conventional; and lastly, in
81, the swimmer is quite apart from the water, without even the drops
of spray.
8, 9, 10. These seals are very different in character
from the others, far coarser and more irregular. They are probably
survivals of an older style.
11. This piece of accounts,
written on the base of a brown pottery dish, is the oldest that is
known. It seems to refer to quantities of things rather than to
individuals;
as the numbers, though mostly 20, are sometimes 100 and 220.
Plates 20 (Nos.12-20) and 21 (Nos. 21-29): Sealings of King Merneit.
12,
13, 14, 15, 18. In all these occurs the ka arms holding a throw-stick
or wand, a sign which comes from earlier times (see No. 10), but which
disappeared afterwards.
21—27. A difficulty occurs in the
sealings from the tomb of Merneit, that not one bears the name of
Merneit, and many have the name of Den. Yet it will be seen that the
seals are quite different from those of the tomb of Den. Not one is in
common. Moreover, there are many peculiarities of Merneit's seals, such
as the ad mar Seta, Nos. 24, 25; the vineyard, No. 31; the place of the
boar, No. 33; the ram, No. 34; the corn measures (?), 37, 38, 39; the
nomes of the east and the west, 37, 38; and the sezet liotep fortress,
40, 41; and not one of these occurs on any seal belonging to the tomb
of Den. On the other hand, the peculiarities of Den, as the sekhent du
II or building, and the frequent name of Hemaka, bearer of the seal,
never occur on the sealings from Merneit.
We cannot therefore
look on these sealings as having been all made by officials of King
Den. Rather must we suppose that Merneit had the name Den, and that it
was adopted by his successor, the well-known king Den-Setui. It is
possible that in No. 26 we might read Merneit, as the second sign might
be another form of the distaff without the arrows.
Plates 22 (Nos.30-36) and 23 (Nos. 37-43): Sealings of King Merneit.
33. The
"place of the boar" occurs again under Azab, better engraved in No. 60.
The object over the boar, or over the jars in No. 60, looks like a
brick-mould with its handle, but might be the sign sekher. o O -----.
34.
The ram following mer-se-lchnum appears to be on a different stand in
each repetition; though not in clear condition, the four forms cannot
be the same.
37, 38, 39. A cylindrical vessel with two handles
in these seals seems to be a measure for corn or dry goods. The two
seals 37, 38 are a pair, one for the produce of the east, the other of
the west. On 39 the sign of Neit appears, but no mer.
43. The large object shown on this seems, from the more detailed seal 86, to represent a shrine of a sacred bird.
Plates 24 (Nos.44-49) and 25 (Nos.50-56): Sealings of King Den.
45 -
50 show the name of the fortress or tomb of Den, Hor-se-khent-du: this
was not intelligible in the drawing by De Morgan, 784.
47, 54.
The two forms of jars, wide and narrow, shown here with their sealings
upon them, are the two types of early jars, the pointed, as in pl.39,
5, and the full, as in pl. 40, 11.
53 - 56. Hemaka was the
royal seal-bearer, apparently vizier of that time (see pl.15, 16, 17).
Some small sealings from Den and from W 33 are drawn enlarged on
pl.32, Nos. 38-41 (see pl.7, 7).
Plates 26 (Nos.57-62) and 27 (Nos.63-71) : Sealings of King Azab-Merpada.
57 — 60. The seals of
Azab show a distinct advance in detail and arrangement. The palace of
the Hor-pa-ua is named, confirming the conclusion from the stone vase
inscriptions, that this name referred to the royal living palace. All
these with suten Ijiti are on black mud.
71. This piece of
ivory carving might have appeared better on pl.15. It seems to have
been part of the inlaying of a casket or of furniture. The two Hathor
heads recall those on the great slate of Narmer (see photograph,
pl.11,13). (p.26)
Plate 28 (Nos.72-77) : Sealings of King Mersekha.
72. This important seal, which fixes the
identity of Mersekha, occurs on two small lumps of clay, each bearing a
few very partial prints of it. They were used to fasten the knot of two
cords; and the inscription seems to belong to some material for
cleansing the mouth.
73, 74 are difficult to read, owing to
their very imperfect state; these, as well as 72, bearing the suten
hiti title are on black mud. The buildings named on them begin with
suten biti, but there is nothing following that can be made any
equivalent of "Semempses" or of the figure on 72. They must probably be
all titles of the king, the "golden bull."
77. This seal is
interesting, as we have precisely the same seal in the tomb of Qa,
excepting that the name of the king has been cut out, and there is
therefore a mere lump in place of it on the impression. This shows that
after a king's death his official seals could not be used, or at least
must have his name erased if no other seal was provided.
Plate 29 (Nos.78-88) : Sealings of Kings Ka and Perabsen.
86.
This delicately cut seal has the same shrine on it, with a couchant
jackal and feather over it, as we see on the stele of Sabef, pl.30.
87,
88. These two sealings of Perabsen were found by accident in clearing
the grave W 30, at the end of the cemetery close to the tomb of
Perabsen. This group of graves is not of his date, as in W 33 was the
bowl of Azab, pl.6, 8. Doubtless more seals of Perabsen and of other
kings will be found in exploring their tombs next year.
[Continue to chapter 3, part 3]
[Return to Table of Contents]
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