Hierakonpolis 2004/2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Exceeding Expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Excavating Egypt’s Early Kings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Ears to You! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Lifestyles of the Hierakonpolis Rich and Famous . . . . . . . . . .8Dental Health at the Predynastic Cemetery HK43 . . . . . . . . .9Finding Lost Souls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Rough Jars in an Elite Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13The Earliest Example of Pharaonic Iconography . . . . . . . . . .14

Color Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16Another look at HK11C Squares A6–A7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Understanding the HK Potters: Experimental Firings . . . . . .20Moments in Mud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Fort-ifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24Fort Within a Fort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26The Hierakonpolis Home Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28A First Timer at Hierakonpolis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

NEKHEN NEWSPublished for

The Friends of Nekhen

Volume 17 Fall, 2005

Excavating Egypt’s Early Kings

In This Issue

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Hierakonpolis 2004/2005

NEKHEN NEWS is published for The Friends of Nekhen

Tori MuirSpot-on CreativeDesign/LayoutEmail: tori@spot-on-creative.com

All photographs copyrightHierakonpolis Expeditionunless otherwise indicated.

www.hierakonpolis.org

Renée FriedmanDirector, Hierakonpolis ExpeditionEditor of the NEKHEN NEWSEmail: friendsofnekhen@yahoo.com Dept. of Ancient Egypt & SudanThe British MuseumLondon, WC1B 3DG, UK

David SharpAssociate Editor

Friends of NekhenMiddle East StudiesUniversity of Arkansas202 Old MainFayetteville, AR 72701 USA

Period Date BCBadarian 4400–4000Naqada I 4000–3800Naqada II 3800–3300Naqada IIIAB 3300–3050Unification/Narmer 3050Dynasty 1 3000–2890

Period Date BCDynasty 2 2890–2686Old Kingdom 2686–2160First Intermediate 2160–2055Middle Kingdom 2055–1650Second Intermediate 1650–1550New Kingdom 1550–1069

Time Line

Red ware kilns

Thank you!The response of all of our Friends of Nekhen to the Fix theFort Appeal has been nothing short of amazing. Thank youall so much! We especially grateful to the LaSalle Bank,Chicago, Tom and Linda Heagy, Archaeology Magazine,David and Crennan Ray, Larry and Renee Stevens,Courtney Taylor, James and Jeanne Manning, Susan AnnWest, Francis Ahearne and Rikki Breem for their kind gen-erosity and the World Monuments Fund for their supportof the current work.

You too can help us help the Fort by becoming a Friendof Nekhen — see www.hierakonpolis.org and follow ourprogress at www.archaeology.org.

First Fort

HK24A

Every year at Hierakonpolis results in new and importantdiscoveries, but the 2004/2005 season exceeded all expec-tations. Even before the work began, the generosity shownby the Friends of Nekhen was and continues to be remark-able. We feel deeply honored by your trust and confidence.With your donations and the support of the WorldMonuments Fund we have been able to make substantialprogress toward fixing the Fort, during the course of whichwe found out we had not one Fort, but two! Embeddedwithin the walls is an earlier, partly finished version of theFort — a Fort within a Fort. This unexpected discovery hasnot only allowed us to formulate a better understanding ofthe patterns of deterioration and how to address their repairmore appropriately, it has also opened up entirely new pos-sibilities for determining the purpose of this unique andenigmatic enclosure.

Meanwhile at HK6, Tomb 23 lived up to expectations andthen surpassed them, when a research and exploration grantfrom the National Geographic Society allowed us to resumeexcavations. We already expected it to be a large tomb, in factthe largest of its time, but the extensively preserved above-ground architecture forming the earliest funerary complex inEgypt and the exquisite artifacts including a companion forthe flint ibex leaves no doubt that this tomb belonged to oneof Upper Egypt’s earliest kings. Study of previously excavatedmaterials also shows us that he wasn’t the only important rulerburied at HK6 who was on the forefront of developments thatwould shape Egyptian culture.

Last year we commented that small holes made for sim-ple answers, but we didn’t expect that by expanding the exca-vations at HK11C Square A6 we would change the answercompletely! Full clearance of the firing complex now suggestswhat we thought was a pottery kiln is actually an elaborate

brewery, similar and possibly even larger than the one foundin 1989 at HK24A. While beer rather than pottery shouldperhaps now be considered Hierakonpolis’ major product,experiments in pot making and firing using local materials hasengendered a new found respect for the skill and ingenuityof the site’s ancient potters.

Whenever he had the chance, Mike Hoffman was fondof saying that it all started at Hierakonpolis. We would alwayslaugh and turn away, but now, after our tenth continuous sea-son of fieldwork, it looks like he was right!

Exceeding Expectations— by Renée Friedman

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Introducing….We are happy to welcome DrThomas Hikade, who joins the teamas the new co-director of theHierakonpolis Expedition. Recentlyappointed Assistant Professor ofEgyptology at the University ofBritish Columbia, Dr Hikade is agraduate of Heidelberg University,Germany with a dissertation onNew Kingdom mining expeditions.

Over the last 10 years he has specialized in stone imple-ments honing his skills with us at Hierakonpolis (see NekhenNews 12 & 16) and the German missions at Abydos,Elephantine and Maadi, amongst many others. His first exca-vation season at Hierakonpolis will be inNovember/December 2005, with an international team fromCanada, Australia, Germany and England, examining theworkshops around the predynastic temple at HK29A.HK2005: The Brick-Makers.

Fixing the Fort!

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At the end of the year 2000 excavations in the elite ceme-tery at HK6, Barbara Adams knew she was on to somethingspecial. In addition to stunning artifacts, such as the exqui-site flint ibex, she had also uncovered part of the burialchamber of what was to be the largest known tomb of theNaqada IIAB period (c. 3800–3650BC). Even more amaz-ing was the presence of stout timbers flanking the tomb anda post fence surrounding it. These were clear evidence forthe first funerary enclosure anywhere in Egypt and thebeginning of developments that would ultimately lead to theStep Pyramid (see Nekhen News 13:4–7). Sadly she could notfinish this work, but thanks to a grant from the NationalGeographic Society we were able to resume excavations inearly 2005, revealing a tomb compound that surpassed allexpectations.

Moving to the west and north, our work revealed the fullextent of the rectangular tomb chamber to be c. 5.5m long(E–W) and 3.1m wide (N–S), with an original depth of over1.2m. That it can comfortably seat the entire excavation crewamply illustrates its substantial size (see cover).

It is also the earliest known Egyptian tomb to provide clearevidence of a superstructure. How early tombs appearedabove ground has long been a question, with many suggest-ing that a simple mound of dirt did the job. Needless to say,nothing prepared us for what we found. Eight posts arrangedon either side of the tomb cavity indicate that a wooden orreed-mat covered building stood high above it. Preservationwas such that in four cases the actual timber posts survived,each one dressed to a 20x20cm square in cross-section.

East of the grave, similar posts mark the presence of a sep-arate above-ground structure, perhaps an offering chapel or‘serdab’ (statue chamber). Then, surrounding it all, hundredsof regularly spaced smaller posts, some preserved to over 50cmin height, form an enclosure surrounding a precinct that is 16mlong and 9m wide with an entrance on the northeast side.

Although badly and repeatedly plundered, the tombchamber still contained a number of fine and unique itemsas would befit a regal owner. The ivories, a cow figurine, anda unique tri-lobed stone vessel are only a fraction of its orig-inal riches. It also contained further fragments of the ceramicfunerary masks found exclusively at the HK6 cemetery, indi-cating at least two original high-ranking occupants.

Human bone was found throughout the tomb chamber,but it was only in the north-west corner that in situ remainswere recovered. Here, the legs and feet of three bodies werefound in articulation, resting directly on the irregular bedrockfloor with no matting, wrappings or grave goods. Arrangedwith little attention to order or orientation, it seems unlikely

Excavating Egypt’s Early Kings— by Renée Friedman

The Tomb 23 complex and preliminary reconstruction.

Plan of the Tomb 23 funerary complex.

Squared timber from the tomb superstructure and the enclosurewall behind.

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that these bodies belong to the tomb owner or his immedi-ate family. If they are not intrusive, then it is possible that theybelong to retainers or prisoners who were placed at the footof the grave, figuratively beneath the feet of the main burial,which would have been located in the eastern part of the gravewhere the finest objects were found.

A shallow subsidiary tomb (Tomb 25) to the west maybe a later addition, but as it is contained within the enclo-sure and appears to have had a superstructure, it presumablycontained people of some importance. Although plunderedin recent times (part of a plastic dust pan was found), thewell-preserved remains of three disarticulated adults wererecovered along with large amounts of resin-soaked textile,just like that known in the contemporaneous workers’ ceme-tery at HK43, where linen was used to pad the hands, neckand head of three ‘proto-mummies’ (see Nekhen News10:4–5). The wrappings in Tomb 25 show that this is notsome strange aberration, but a practice in which the elite alsoengaged. Unfortunately it is not yet clear whether more, ordifferent parts, of the body were wrapped in the elite ritual.

While the finds within the tomb chambers were fairly lim-ited, one of the main areas of interest this season (and prob-ably also in antiquity) was on the east side of the enclosure,in and around the offering chapel. It is here that the major-ity of the fragments of Egypt’s first life-size human stonestatue were found. Nearly 600 fragments have now beenrecovered, including the well-carved nose and the two ears,to which we have made new joins (see below). Thus, it is likely

that the statue was set up in the offering chapel and was thefocus of special rituals and offerings.

A number of ritual deposits were concentrated in thenortheast sector. Several included fragments of special ritualvessels paralleled only at the predynastic temple at HK29A.Hundreds of these distinctive matte red bottles and highly pol-ished black egg-shaped jars were used in temple rites, whichwere possibly associated with the coming of the Nile floodwhen the dry (matte) red land would become the fertile (shiny)black land (see Nekhen News 15:8). The recovery of theseunique vessels around Tomb 23 suggests that tomb owner’srebirth required similar rituals as the rebirth of the land.Reinforcing the theme of fertility and rebirth, a foundationdeposit of blackened ostrich eggshell was also found beneaththe post supporting the northeast corner of the enclosure wall.

Nearby, another ashy deposit contained even moreintriguing offerings. Just below the surface we discovered thecomplete figurine of a ram’s head expertly chipped fromflint, an obvious companion to the flint ibex that was foundin the same area in 2000. While the exact significance ofthese animal forms is unknown, their manufacture clearlyrequired high levels of skill and patience, and only around50 such flint figurines are known. Although less than halfare provenanced, where their origin is known, they mainlycome from elite tombs and/or temple deposits at the pre-eminent sites of Hierakonpolis or Abydos.

Because none of the fine examples from Hierakonpolishave been found actually within a tomb, Barbara believed thatthese figurines were made specifically for votive offerings, withtheir presence symbolizing control over natural chaos. The sit-uation at Tomb 23 certainly supports this interpretation, asthe same deposit contained part of an ivory cylinder incisedwith geometric designs (probably the handle for a mace), sev-eral transverse arrowheads, and one isolated human cervicalvertebra with deep peri-mortem cut marks. It is unknownwhether this neck vertebra belongs to any of the individuals

Hamdy Mahallal uncovering the posts of the enclosure wall.

Flint ram’s head and ivory cylinder from votive deposit at Tomb 23.

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There is something very weird (dare I say eerie) about stick-ing your hand in a bag of sherds and coming out with an ear– even if it is made of clay. Yet it was proof that another exam-ple of the celebrated ceramic funerary masks exclusive to theHK6 cemetery had been present in Tomb 23. This well-pre-served ear, with its detailed modeling and heavy lobe, hadobviously been made separately and then attached to the

mask. It thereforederived from adifferent maskthan the fragmentfound in thetomb by Barbarain 2000 (seeright). In con-trast, that ear hadbeen made fromthe same piece of

clay as the mask, and simply pinched into shape. We were for-tunate to find more fragments to mend to that ear, includingthe mask’s upper edge and two holes through which a thongmust have been strung to tie it onto the face. Although the clay

is now somewhat abraded, the attention given to the innerdetails of this ear can also be seen.

They say that all human ears are individual. Although thisclaim is hotly contested among forensic scientists, is it cer-tainly true for the masks. On the famous bearded mask, the

Ears to You!— by Renée Friedman

found in the tomb, but the deposit issufficiently far away from the tombchamber to rule out the possibility thatany of these objects were accidentallyplaced here during tomb robbing events.Although the objects are no longer insitu, there can be little doubt that they arepart of an intentional deposit of materi-als, all of which carried strong connota-tions of power and control.

While the question of human sacrificemust remain open, we know that thetomb owner took other companions withhim to the afterlife. The most impressiveof these was the 10-year-old African ele-phant that we found in 2003, buried adja-cent to the enclosure wall in Tomb 24(Nekhen News 13:9–12). The ownershipand maintenance of such a mighty beastin both life and death is an eloquent state-ment on the power and wealth of its mas-ter, and there is no doubt that a variety of other exotic

animals will be found surrounding thefunerary precinct in future excavations.

The scale of the architecture, and thepresence of the stone statue, offerings,and elephant burial indicates that Tomb23 belonged to one of the early rulers ofHierakonpolis. At a time when the set-tlement was at its peak and formed thelargest urban center anywhere along theNile (c. 3650BC), there can be littledoubt that he also controlled a large por-tion of Upper Egypt as well. The impli-cations of this discovery for understandingpredynastic developments leading to thebirth of Egyptian civilization, and therole that Hierakonpolis played in this,are hard to overstate. Figuratively cap-ping the pyramid, this special tomb alsoallows us to bring together finds madethroughout the site over the years, andcombine them to tell an even more

remarkable story of Egypt’s beginnings. '

Trilobed stone vase from Tomb 23.

b b b b b b b b b b b b b b

New ear (front and back) from Tomb 23.

The famous bearded mask and the fragment with ear and upperedge from Tomb 23.

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ear is distinctly rendered in a more schematic fashion and wasmade from the mask’s clay, while on the less complete smallermask, the ears (missing) had been made separately and thenapplied. In total, we now have four ceramic masks fromHK6, with minor fragments suggesting a fifth. Although farfrom complete, we can see that each one was unique, perhapscreated to the individual specifications of the owner. Therecan be no doubt that, like later masks, these were highlycharged images, providing protection for the deceased andallowing entrance into the spiritual world for him or her,(however, as two masks appear associated with each of thelarge tombs so far identified at HK6, it might be more cor-rect to say ‘him and her’).

Ears remained the theme of the season as more fragmentsof the limestone ears of the statue also emerged. In fact, theears were our one notable success in the task of joining thefragments of the statue, of which there are now over 560.Not only were we able to reconstruct the second ear, but wealso connected the curving pieces showing that ears stoodproud of the head by about 2.5cm, more or less as theywould have appeared in life. More schematically renderedthan those of the masks, these ears — semi-circular in shapewithout an apparent lobe — are still a testament to the skillof the stone carver. Clearly a great deal of care went into cre-ating the sharp edges of the helix (the outer rim of the ear)and the smooth undulating curve for the inner detail. In thecenter, the deep carving to depict the opening of the audi-tory canal suggests that importance was placed on the statue’sability to hear. Unlike its only possible contemporary par-

allel, the disputedbasalt statue ofMacGregor Man inOxford, these earopenings were notdrilled; only the nos-trils show the use ofthe drill, a featurealso shared withEarly/Pre-Dynasticivory statuettes.

We were alreadyup to our ears, whena suspiciously shapedobject of stoneturned up in theTomb 23 complex.Made of lovely whitecalcite s imilar toparts of the statue,we were greatly relieved when it turned out not to be a thirdear, but what it is, however, we don’t exactly know. Strangerstill, an object of identical shape, but made of beautiful redbreccia was found by Barbara near Tomb 19 (see backcover). The remnants of a tang on the reverse of both ofthem suggest they were meant to fit into a socket. Perhapsthey are pivoting lids, and as our two near-ears are mirrorimages of each other, these ‘lids’ may have come in pairs.But this is only our best guess at the moment, and if any-one has any other suggestions, we would be more thanhappy to ‘ear’ from you. x

The ear collection: the limestone ears of the statue above, the clayears from the Tomb 23 masks below.

This mask had applied ears, now lost.

Oxford's MacGregor Man has projectingcrescent-shaped ears, but curious drilledear openings.

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I came to Hierakonpolis this season to assist as an illustrator,drawing artifacts at Hoffman House, but my background inphysical anthropology meant that my job description changedabruptly when the excavations at HK6 started to produce largeamounts of human bone. I am certainly no stranger to theosteological material at Hierakonpolis and the opportunity toexamine these remains was the answer to a long-held dream.

In 2001, I examined 53 skeletons from the working classcemetery at HK43 (see Nekhen News 13:17). I was impressedby how healthy and robust the individuals appeared. Evidenceof arthritis and the pronounced muscle attachments left nodoubt that these people were hard workers. Although manyalso suffered from mild iron-deficiency anemia, this condi-tion is not fatal and may be brought on by a host of factorsincluding diet, disease and parasitic infection. So, aside froma few severe dental abscesses and two skeletons with cut-marked vertebrae, I could not determine possible causes ofdeath for that particular sample. Whatever killed those peo-ple did not leave tell-tale marks on their bones.

As I studied the HK43 individuals, I wondered what theskeletons of the Hierakonpolis elite might look like, as pastresearch has shown that status differences may be seen in somearchaeological populations. The elite classes often exhibitfewer skeletal stress markers, indicating that they enjoyed amore diverse diet, and did not engage in the heavy labor per-formed by the working class. In 2001 there were not enoughcomplete skeletons from the elite cemetery at HK6 to attempta comparative study, but when the bones began to stream infrom in and around Tomb 23, I finally saw my chance.

My first task was to inventory the bones and to figure outwhat parts went with whom. I became increasingly per-plexed as the numbers of people started to add up. Thanks

to the efforts of the grave-robbers, the majority of the humanremains had been churned and scattered, probably onrepeated occasions over the centuries, and had weathered atdifferent rates. Assembling people from the ever-increasingbone pile was quite a challenge! For example, three pieces ofa fibula (lower leg bone) fitted together perfectly, yet eachfragment was a different color and texture.

There were few articulated remains. The legs and feet of threeindividuals (all adults, one female) were found in the northwestcorner of Tomb 23, while further to the south, badly frag-mented portions of two upper torsos appeared more or less insitu. Unfortunately it was impossible to determine whether thetorsos belonged to the same individuals as the legs and feet.Already, there were potentially five different people in this tomb,and these were the easy ones! At least three more individuals (twoyoung females and a young man) could be distinguished withinthe highly disturbed contents of subsidiary Tomb 25.

Figuring out what was going on in the fill over bothtombs was far more complicated. Luckily, the preservation ofthe feet was excellent and using the size and presence of thesedistinctive bones, the remains of at least another 8 peoplecould be determined. Altogether, 16 individuals may be pres-ent in the HK6 sample, including an infant, three children,one subadult of undetermined sex, three young adult females,two young adult males, and six adults of undetermined sex.

As HK6 dates to about the same time as HK43, I was nat-urally interested to see if differences among the assemblagescould be detected. Although sixteen individuals do not com-prise a statistically valid sample for analysis, some generaltrends can be observed. The first thing I noticed was that theadults’ bones from HK6 lacked the robust muscle attachmentsof their ‘working class’ contemporaries. I also did not see muchevidence of arthritis in the vertebrae and joints of the elite,apart from one toe phalange which exhibited painful-look-ing bony spurs. Like the HK43 individuals, the teeth appearedto be in mostly good condition with little dental wear (see nextarticle), but one young woman did have a cavity that had dete-riorated an entire molar cusp — ouch! Dental caries combinedwith minimal dental wear indicate a diet of carbohydrate-rich,processed foods for both populations.

The skulls were heavily fragmented, and often severelyweathered, so it was difficult to assess the presence of porotichyperostosis and cribra orbitia — porous holes in the cranialvault and eye orbits — indicating iron-deficiency anemia. Onechild showed very mild cribra orbitalia, as did most of the chil-dren in the HK43 sample, although none appear to have beenmalnourished. Given their presumably iron-poor, grain-dependent diet, this finding was not surprising.

Lifestyles of the Hierakonpolis Rich and Famous— by Jeanette Matovich

The only articulated remains: three lower bodies in the northwestcorner of Tomb 23.

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Dental Health at the PredynasticCemetery HK43

— by Tammy Greene, University of Alaska, Fairbanks

Your membership in the Friends of Nekhen

makes the difference. Please rememberto join or renew today

Questions? Comments? Contact us:friendsofnekhen@yahoo.com

Excavations in the predynastic cemetery at HK43 have pro-vided a great deal of information about the working class peo-ple interred there. In order to find out more about what lifewas like for this population, the teeth of 66 adult males, 80adult females, and 32 children (between the ages of 6 and 17)were examined. Although many more burials have been exca-vated, some individuals could not be included either due tothe poor preservation of their teeth, or post-mortem (afterdeath) loss due to grave-robbing.

Dental diseases investigated include carious lesions (cav-ities), plaque (the white stuff your dentist scrapes off ), abscess,and periodontitis (when gum disease spreads to the bone).Overall, the dental health of this population was very good,which is unusual for most prehistoric people, although notfor predynastic Egyptians. Approximately 2/3 of all the adultsexamined had no cavities at all, with almost no differencebetween men and women. Only one child had a cavity.Interestingly, there was less evidence for cavities amongstolder adults than younger persons, but this is probably dueto complete loss of the afflicted teeth in older adults. Withoutmodern dental care, cavities will continue to grow in size andmay eventually consume the entire tooth.

While almost all individuals had at least some plaque,the amount was very slight; generally a very thin coveringover less than 1/3 of the tooth. Having a third of your toothcovered by plaque may sound like a lot by today’s standards,but in some prehistoric populations the teeth are entirelycoated with thick layers. Males at HK43 had more plaquethan females of all age group except for those over 50. Thesedifferences are statistically significant, but the reasons for itare unclear.

An abscess is a hole in the jaw-bone that forms to allowpus to escape. Pus is produced when either a cavity, trauma,or tooth wear provide bacteria with a means to reach the pulpinside the tooth. Only about one out of every ten adults atHK43 had an abscess. No children were affected. Twice asmany males as females had an abscess, but this was not sta-tistically significant. Older individuals were more likely to suf-fer, with the percentage of affected individuals rising from 5%in the 18–35 year olds to 55% in those over 50. The increasewith age is expected as the teeth have had longer to form cav-ities, be exposed to trauma, and wear away from abrasive foodor from using the teeth as tools.

Periodontitis is an infection of the bone around the teeth.Bone loss from the infection may become so severe that thetooth falls out. Overall very few people at HK43 were affected,

There were three big anomalies in the small HK6 sample.First, there was the isolated cervical (neck) vertebra from thevotive deposit by the Tomb 23 offering chapel (discussedabove) with peri-mortem cut-marks that suggest beheadingat the time of, or soon after, death. Then there was a youngwoman with a twisted, bowed tibia, and finally, an adult ofundetermined sex who had a severe pathology on the rightfemur head, which may be the result of an injury such as adislocated hip. The bone was very rough and porous, and

appears to have been in a state of healing when the persondied. The bowed tibia was interesting because I had alsoobserved three individuals at HK43 who exhibited mild twist-ing and bowing of the leg bones. Similar deformations arecaused by rickets, a condition brought on by a lack of VitaminD. As Vitamin D is absorbed through the skin from naturalsunlight, one thing certainly not lacking in Egypt, thedeformed limbs may be associated with an unknown hered-itary condition.

This limited assemblage has thrown some light on the livesof the elite, although we are still in the dark as to how theydied. The HK6 skeletons appear to be those of generallyhealthy individuals, who didn’t have to work too hard, andperhaps enjoyed a somewhat more refined diet. As more findsare made, the picture will become sharper and I look forwardto what future excavations will reveal about the elusive eliteof ancient Hierakonpolis. D

The cut vertebra from the votive deposit at Tomb 23.

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with an almost equal number of males and females, but nochildren, suffering from the condition. The percentage ofaffected individuals rose from 3% in 18–35 year olds to 50%in those over 50. As with the other diseases, an increase isexpected in older individuals.

The predominantly good dental health experienced by thepeople of HK43 can most likely be attributed to a combina-tion of the types of foods eaten, food storage and food prepa-ration techniques. It has been suggested that the methods usedto store grain may have promoted the growth of microbes pro-ducing a natural antibiotic. Although there were some dif-ferences between males and females, the overall picture is notstatistically significant, suggesting that their diets were verysimilar. The in-depth examination of the ingested food stuffs,planned for coming seasons, may verify this.

No discussion of the great dental health at HK43 wouldbe complete without looking at an exception to the rule. Burial364 belonged to a male over 50 years of age. He had lost six of

his teeth during life. The teeth he retained were so worn thatthere was little enamel remaining, and in some instances he waschewing on the roots of his teeth. One cavity had consumedthe entire tooth, and another covered approximately one halfof the crown. Six of his teeth had abscesses that were active atthe time of his death, and the left side of his lower jaw wasaffected by periodontitis around the molars. With almost a cen-timeter of bone lost around the molar roots, these teeth wouldprobably have fallen out soon.

The poor dental health of this older man is very surprisingwithin a population where many people lived their entire liveswithout experiencing any dental problems. Could the excep-tional condition of his mouth be the reason for the curiousdeposit found in his grave? Below his desiccated left arm wefound a unique grave offering — the left lower jaw of a pig,complete with beautiful teeth. Could this have been a spare partfor the next life? Or a comment on his personal hygiene? Wemay never know…. 3

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HK43 Burial 364. Maxilla of the older man showing heavily wornand missing teeth.

Mandible from Burial 364. Note the two large abscesses on thelower incisors. Not a pretty picture.

A pig’s jaw deposited by the arm in Burial 364. False teeth? The pig jaw from Burial 364.

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Hierakonpolis, ancient Nekhen, has always been closely asso-ciated with rise of the first pharaohs and the development ofthe early state. This connection was recognized by the ancientEgyptians themselves and is supported by a wide body of evi-dence. Not only was its local falcon god, Horus, intimatelyassociated with divine kingship, but there is also the evidenceof royal patronage at its early temple in the form of uniqueinscribed ceremonial objects such as the Narmer palette. Thepalette put Hierakonpolis on the map in modern times, butfor the ancient Egyptians the site was never forgotten.Throughout Egypt’s long history, the jackal-headed demigodsknown as the Souls of Nekhen were honored companions ofpharaoh in all of his sacred duties. Together with the Souls ofPe, these deities are generally considered to be the longdeceased kings of the pre-unification Kingdoms of Upper andLower Egypt, which had their capitals at Hierakonpolis andButo respectively.

Archaeological workundertaken over the last100 years gives no reasonto doubt the site’s impor-tant role, but what isbecoming clearer as aresult of our recent dis-coveries at HK6 is thatHierakonpolis was a pre-mier center far earlierthan previously imag-ined. Now that the exca-vation of Tomb 23 hasshown us the remarkablesize of the early elitetombs, we can propose anew interpretation forsome of our earlier finds.

In 1998 and 1999,Barbara Adams excavated Tomb 16, a brick lined tomb ofthe Naqada III period, which she believed had been builtwithin a specially constructed pit that had been dug throughearlier graves (Nekhen News 12:4-6). In conjunction with theanalysis of the pottery found around this tomb (see below),it is now clear that the ‘construction pit’ is actually anotherlarge elite Naqada IIAB tomb, measuring c. 4.3 x 2.6m, intowhich the brick lined tomb was inserted much later. Severalposts found in the vicinity suggest that the original tomb hada superstructure or enclosure like Tomb 23, and it may nowalso be proposed that the two ceramic masks found nearbyin disturbed contexts derive from the original Tomb 16,

again suggesting atleast two importantoccupants. Pressingthe comparison withTomb 23 further, itseems likely that thegraves of the elephant(Tomb 14) and wildcow (Tomb 19) shouldalso be viewed as com-panions for the origi-nal owner of the Tomb16 complex.Similarities among theceramics suggest thatTomb 23 may dateonly a generation or solater.

With tombs thislarge and elaborate,you may ask why it hastaken us so long tofind them. The answerto that questions leads to one of the most intriguing resultsof our recent work.

We know from the investigations by Michael Hoffmanand Barbara Adams that the elite cemetery was in use in theNaqada IC–IIB period (3800–3650BC), but was abandonedin Naqada IIC–D (3600–3300BC), when the royal cemeteryapparently shifted to the vicinity of the famous Painted Tomb(Tomb 100) on the south side of the site. This transition may

Finding Lost Souls— by Renée Friedman

A Soul of Nekhen.

Once considered a construction pit, brick-lined Tomb 16 was actual-ly built within another large tomb of the early Naqada II period.

The recently restored cult statue ofHorus of Nekhen, the patron god ofkingship (Egyptian Museum, Cairo).

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not have been peaceful. There are clear indications thatTomb 23 was burned probably not too long after it was built,as charred matting still adheres to some of the fence posts. Inaddition, the statue, which may have stood proud in theoffering chapel, was intentionally defaced with glancingblows, making it very hard to mend.

When the cemetery comes into use again in theNaqada III period/early First Dynasty, large mud-brick linedtombs were constructed. The evidence from Tomb 16 andothers now suggests that the location of these later tombs wasnot by chance. Instead, it seems that a conscious decision wasmade to place the brick lined tombs above, or even within,the earlier graves, apparently reflecting a desire by the later eliteto be closely associated with their forebearers. The earliertombs with their elaborate superstructures would have beeneasy enough to locate, and a restored version of their originalappearance may have been what their descendants were aim-ing at when they too constructed wooden shrines and enclo-sure walls over and around their tombs, unlike anywhere elsein Egypt. Evidence for post fences and wooden superstruc-tures were found around Tombs 1, 10, and 11, and Hoffman’sreconstruction of the superstructure for Tomb 1 shows a sim-ilarity so close to Tomb 23, it cannot be accidental. We mayalso now ask whether the elaborate wooden constructionover these early tombs may have influenced the woodenshrines found within all of the royal tombs at Abydos as well.

A return to early predynastic burial grounds in the ‘pro-todynastic’ period is not restricted to Hierakonpolis, and thereis clearly a strong interest in the past at this time. For exam-ple, Black-topped pottery reappears after a hiatus of 400 years,

although the secret of its proper manufacture had been lost.An interest in exotic animals, not seen in the interveningNaqada IIC period, is revived at least in graphic form. Closerto home, the predynastic temple in the desert at Hierakonpolis(HK29A) is renovated in early Dynasty I, and may even be por-trayed on the Narmer macehead (see Nekhen News 15:4–5),although the desert settlement around it had long been aban-doned by this time.

The evidence all together suggests, quite remarkably, thateven as Dynastic civilization was being born, the Egyptianswere already looking to the past for inspiration and justifica-tion, as they would do again and again over the course of theirlong history. And Hierakonpolis was a great place for inspi-ration. With the characteristic hallmarks of Egyptian culturesuch as funerary masks, mummies, stone statuary and funer-ary architecture all well established at Hierakonpolis by3700BC, it is little wonder that the ancient Egyptian vener-ated the site and revered its ancient rulers.

Our excavations have shown that the Souls of Nekhenwere not a later fiction. Strong and rich rulers were pres-ent at the site in the predynastic period, and it is hoped thatfurther excavations at HK6, like those in the Umm el-Qaab at Abydos, will reveal the tombs of an entire dynastyof early ‘kings’ and help us to understand more clearly theorigins of Ancient Egyptian civilization and their influenceupon it. q

Tomb 1 reconstruction (after B. Fagan, 1987. New Treasures of thePast, p. 74).

Wood and reedsuperstructure

Mudbricklining

Reedfencing

Questions? Comments?Contact us:

friendsofnekhen@yahoo.com??

Mapping postholes from the superstructure around protodynasticTomb 11 in 1982.

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When I began work on the material from Barbara Adams’excavations at HK6, I soon realised that Rough pottery madeup a vast part of the ensemble, with large quantities still tobe mended and analyzed. As a consequence, I decided to con-centrate this season’s efforts on the extensive material foundin Tomb 16, its so-called ‘construction pit’ and the fill aroundthe adjacent Tomb 18. Many joins could be made betweenthese locations, and the material, all dating to the earlyNaqada II period, obviously derived from the same source.Such a large collection of pots must come from a spacioustomb, and now we are aware of the extraordinary size of theearly elite tombs, we can suggest that the ‘construction pit’around Tomb 16 represents another large tomb, into whichthe mud-brick lined Tomb 16 was inserted during EarlyDynastic times, causing heavy disturbance.

From the copious fragments of pottery, about 115 vesselswere reconstructed this year, and more are waiting. The ves-sels include Rough jars made from straw tempered Nile silt,and fine Black-topped and Polished-red pots of types char-acteristic for the Naqada IC–IIA period, although several arerarely represented at other sites.

The straw tempered jars are of particular interest. Thecomplete vessel shape of 30 examples could be reconstructed,but judging from the base fragments, there are at least 36more. The jars have a flat base and low-shoulder with a wideaperture and a simple, slightly reinforced rim. Amongst them,two distinct size types could be distinguished. The first groupmeasures around 30cm or more in height, while the secondgroup is about 5cm smaller. None of the jars show any tracesof use or contents, and it is therefore probable that they weremade especially for funerary purposes. The regular occurrenceof firing stains, both on the inside and outside, further sug-gests that vessel quality was not of great importance, as theywere not intended for practical use. Vessels produced specif-

ically for the grave are very rare in ‘regular’ predynastic ceme-teries, but their frequent presence at HK6 again confirms thespecial status of this cemetery.

The smaller jarsclosely resemble contem-porary Black-toppedforms and may be meantas imitations, but themore numerous larger ves-sels perhaps symbolicallyrepresent the idea of large-scale storage in, or provi-sioning for, the tomb, aswould befit its elite status.The break pattern of some jars suggests they were deliberatelysmashed by sharp impact to the mid-shoulder, but because ofthe heavy disturbance, it remains uncertain whether this shouldbe seen as ritual behaviour or simply the result of plundering.

No precise parallel for these jars can be found in Petrie’spredynastic pottery corpus (the poorly known R83b has beensuggested, but is inappropriate). Yet, jars of exactly this typeare known from HK6 Tombs 6, 9 and 23 as well as the richtomb U-279 at Abydos, all of which date to the earlyNaqada II. This not only helps to determine the chronolog-ical position of this jar type, but also its special elite usage.

The straw tempered jars from the original Tomb 16 rep-resent the earliest large-scale occurrence of Rough pottery ina predynastic cemetery. Remarkably, the early appearance ofRough pottery is not connected to low-status tombs, as mighthave been expected from the rather coarse appearance of thesevessels, but, on the contrary, is linked with the most importanttombs ever found in Egypt for the early Naqada II period. This,of course, opens up new and interesting avenues for the inter-pretation of Rough pottery at that time. b

Rough Jars in an Elite Context— by Stan Hendrickx

Large and small versions of the elite Rough jars.

Reconstructed Rough jars from in and around Tomb 16.

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The Earliest Example of Pharaonic Iconography— by Stan Hendrickx

One of the many remarkable finds made by Barbara Adamsduring her excavations at HK6 was a fragmentary Polished-red bowl from the fill around Tomb 16. It was most proba-bly part of the inventory of the original tomb, which judgingfrom other findsdates to the earlyNaqada II period(see page 13). Thebowl has flaring wallsand a flat base, closelyresembling Petrie’s typeP15 b/d, which is characteristicfor the late Naqada I – earlyNaqada II period.

The bowl is slipped and polishedon the outside, but only just belowthe rim on the inside. Although therest of the interior is carefullysmoothed, it is rough in appearance.Considering that this is where thecontent would have been held, onewould expect it to be finished at least as carefully as the restof the vessel. Yet this part of the interior shows no traces ofuse and looks as if it has come straight from the potter’s

hands, despite thefact that there aresigns of wear on theexterior. Presumablythe bowl containedsomething that filledthe interior but didnot leave any traces.A liquid is not verylikely, because theabsence of slip andpolish leaves the ves-sel walls ratherporous. As the vesselwas used at leastoccasionally, the con-tent must have beensomething stable,but not very heavy orrough. One couldsuggest (dried) flow-ers or herbs, but thisremains mere specu-lation. Although the

original content cannot be defined, it seems pretty clear thatthe bowl had no actual household function. Therefore, thevessel must be an expression of status, be it as an item of lux-ury, religion, or a combination of both.

Bowls withuntreated interi-

ors are very rareamong Polished-red

ware, but they do occuroccasionally in White Cross-

lined pottery where the interiordecoration is limited to the pol-

ished part below the rim. Theabsence of interior slip and polish isalso observed on a few very exceptionalvessels with applied decoration on therim, like those with snakes and femalefigures found by the German missionin cemetery U at Abydos. The fact thatit is mainly bowls with decoration thatare finished in this way corroborates the

elite function of such vessels.It is indeed the decoration that makes the vessel from HK6

really exceptional, although it is neither painted nor applied.The bowl has two pot-marks on it, both of them incised afterfiring. One, on the exterior, represents a highly stylisedquadruped. Although the head is slightly damaged, it looksas if it were never fully indicated. The long tail and otherappendages suggest that a bull may have been intended,although the absence of horns is strange. Alternatively, itcould be a running dog, because of the curved back, but sucha long tail is rare for Predynastic or Early Dynastic repre-sentations of dogs. A preliminary search for parallels amongpot-marks and rock-art did not yield any useful results, butthe zoological identifica-tion was apparently notimportant to the artist any-way; for him, the symmet-rical aspect of the drawingseems to dominate.

The second pot-markis within the slipped andpolished area on the insiderim. Unfortunately, onlyhalf of the drawing is pre-served, but there is nodoubt about its identifica-tion. When completed The pot-mark reconstructed.The Bat pot-mark.

Polished-red bowl from Tomb 16 with pot-marks projected on the surface.

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symmetrically, it obvi-ously represents theemblem of the cow god-dess Bat, with the char-acteristic angular face,protruding ears and tallincurving horns.

This is not the firstexample of the Batemblem found atHierakonpolis, but itmay well be the oldest,predating by a number

of years the example found in the predynastic temple atHK29A (see Nekhen News 15:8–9). This new find againconnects the elite cemetery at HK6 with the temple atHK29A, but also, and more importantly, it provides uswith a direct link to the dynastic style of representing Bat.This little drawing is in fact the oldest for which exact par-allels can be found in pharaonic iconography. The impor-tance of the goddess Bat during the Late Predynastic andEarly Dynastic period is well known from the Gerzeh andNarmer palettes, among others. While it comes as no realsurprise that the canonical form of her emblem is the ear-liest to appear, only a few years ago no one expected thatany direct iconographic links could be made with the earlyNaqada II period.

It is most remarkable that while these two very earlyexamples of pharaonic iconography come fromHierakonpolis, similar finds have not been made at Abydosin the elite U cemetery. The Naqada IID–IIIA phase of theU cemetery is certainly to be considered the direct prede-cessor of the Dynasty 0 and I royal tombs at Umm el-Qaab,but whether the early Naqada II tombs in this cemetery alsocontain the burials of the most important people of this timenow needs to be questioned. Both the size and complexityof HK6 Tombs 16 and 23 and the ‘Bat connection’ put thespotlight on Hierakonpolis in early Naqada II.

Our two very early attestations of the Bat emblem bothappear in contexts that can be linked with the recurrent ideaof ‘order over chaos’ and (divine) royal power atHierakonpolis. That the emblem continued to be used in thisway, even after the center of royal power shifted to Abydos,may be an additional argument for some sort of diplomaticaccommodation rather than war between Abydos andHierakonpolis during the final stage of state formation, asalready suggested (see Hendrickx & Friedman 2003, GöttigerMiszellen 196: 95–109).

Returning finally to the vessel under discussion, althoughthe two pot-marks may initially seem to be only rather ‘hum-ble’ intellectual expressions, it is most tempting to recognisealready at this early stage the difference between what BarryKemp (Anatomy of a Civilization, 1989) has called formal andpre-formal art. *

The goddess Bat on the ostraconfrom the temple at HK29A.

The Goddess BatEven before the recent discoveries at Hierakonpolis, Bat wasknown to be a goddess of great antiquity and importance in theearly period of Egypt's history. Her name is thought to be thefeminine form of the word b3 meaning ‘spirit’ or ‘soul’. As a celestial cow goddess she is shown with stars surrounding herhead on the Gerzeh palette and a recently discovered seal impression from Abydos (Tomb U-210, dated Naqada IID). In thisguise she again appears, perhaps not coincidently, on the rim of alarge First Dynasty stone vessel found scattered around the templearea at Nekhen, on which she may also be explicitly named by thecarving of a stork, the hieroglyphic writing of her name.

At the same time, she can be shown without her astral attrib-utes, and on bothsides of the Narmerpalette she takes onthe human face shewill retain through-out Dynastic times.Heightening her pro-tective abilities, shemay have been con-ceived as a double-faced Janus-type figure according to

an utterance (506) in thePyramid Texts, where theking identifies himself as‘Bat with her two faces’.

Because of similarities inappearance, Bat has beenlargely confused in moderntimes with the goddessHathor, another protectivecow goddess not explicitlyattested until the FourthDynasty. Yet, even in antiquity, the connection between the twodeities was close. In the Middle Kingdom Hathor begins to takeover Bat's cult and attributes, and by the New Kingdom this processof assimilation is complete.

Although Bat is an obscure goddess today, her emblem with itsdistinctive incurving horns is actually well-known. It is commonon protective amuletic jewelry, and it has also been suggestedthat it is her face, not Hathor’s, that decorates the elaborateceremonial rattles or sistra used to worship the gods from theMiddle Kingdom down to the end of dynastic times — longafter this once important and very ancient goddess had beensadly forgotten.

Narmer’s Bat.

Emblem of Bat from the MiddleKingdom and her name in hieroglyphs.

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Fit for a King. Ivories from Tomb 23Ritual vessels.

Tomb 23, the posts and postholes of the superstructure and enclosure wall along the south side

The joy of discovery! The ivory cylinder revealed.

The well-preserved posts of the enclosure wall. Post-mould of a square timber fromthe superstructure over Tomb 23.

Photo: J. Rossiter

Tomb 23 general view.

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Perfectly squared timber fromthe offering chapel.

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The exquisite flint ram and ibex and anarrowhead from the votive deposit.

The ear from one of theceramic masks.

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Tomb 23 and Its Treasures

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Fort repairs at the Northwest corner.

Holding the Fort

A hive of activity: filling sandbags to shore up the Fort.

Bringing in the dirt to raise the lower ground level by over 1.5m.

Sand bags at the corners provide temporary support.

Abdullah and Fahty making necessary repairs.

The large vats of HK24A brewerydiscovered by Jeremy Geller.

Bill Remsen points outthe Fort within the Fort.

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Photo: R Jaeschke

Sand bag delivery to the precarious Northeast corner.

The firing installation at HK11C Circular fire-bar Feature 12 with pile of charcoal behind.

Finds at HK11C: the Brewery

Hamdy making bricks.

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The excavation of the predynastic kilns at HK11C in December2003 (see Nekhen News 16:18–20) left us with more questionsthan answers. How could we explain the differences betweenthe simple pit kilns in square B4 and the curious fire-bar cir-cles in Square A6? Knowing that these elements were only partof a larger complex, we returned to Square A6 in February 2005to expand the excavations and find out more.

Unfortunately, the circular features had been completelydestroyed by robbers, leaving in their place a deep pit, almost1m below floor level — the only good news being that the sidesof this pit clearly showed the structure continued to the north.After assessing the damage, we began excavations to the east andnorth (Square A7), extending the trench to the edge of the WadiAbu-Suffian and incorporating the area previously excavated byHarlan in 1979 (6.5N–21W). Soon after removing the sub-surface layers, we recognized the outline of the structure’s walls,and concentrating on its interior, we eventually uncoveredmore circular features like those discovered last season. An almost complete plan of this large firing structure can

now be reconstructed on paper. Defined by linear walls on atleast three sides, it is a rectangular complex, measuring about3m (E–W) by at least 7m (N–S). The north wall could not beidentified because of erosion at the wadi edge. Within it, orig-inally eight or more circular features were arranged in two rows.

The long straight walls were constructed mainly withlarge fragments of square ceramic ‘plates’ set on edge, withfire-bars, potsherds and mud plaster filling the gaps. The orig-inal purpose of these large plates still remains a mystery.While the plates used in the walls were all fragmentary,severely burnt, andoften covered withmud plaster, exam-ples from the gen-eral debris hadunburned surfacesand no plaster. Wewere able to mendnumerous frag-ments and twoplates were recon-structed almostcompletely. Thelargest measured nearly 80cm long, and was 20cm thick. Twoshallow perpendicular lines, made by the potter’s finger whenthe clay was wet, divide the surface into four quadrants.Similar marks were often observed on other fragments re-used in the structure’s walls. It is obvious that the ceramicplates played an important, if unknown, role, but it is notso clear whether they were fired before their initial use, as

Another look at HK11C Squares A6–A7 — by Izumi H. Takamiya, Kinki University, and Michiko Aoki, Waseda University, Japan

Ceramic plate from HK11.

Plan of the firing installation in HK11C Squares A6-A7.

A new view of the firing installation.

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unbaked fragments were also found in the debris, addingmore to the mystery.

Within the rectangular space encompassed by these walls,we could identify the floor as a thin layer of white ash upon theburnt-red natural soil. The reddening of the sediments extendedevenly over the interior, suggesting that heat was applied to theentire complex and not concentrated at individual firing fea-tures. This is further indicated by the thick charcoal depositsor remnants of fuel that were concentrated along the walls, oftenforming prominent heaps between the circular features.Corresponding to the charcoal heaps were semi-circulararrangements of fire-bar fragments placed along the exterior.These may have functioned as stoke holes for introducingmore fuel. As no charcoal was found near the U-shaped struc-ture on the south wall discovered in 2003, this feature may wellhave served for ventilation, as we previously suggested.

Four new cir-cular kiln featureswere uncoveredthis year. With thethree found lastseason and onepreviously exca-vated by Harlan in1979, this makesa total of eight,although it is pos-sible that two ormore may haveexisted at the north

end, where the floor is now seriously eroded. The best-pre-served example is Feature 12, which consists of 13 fire-barsstill standing upright, slanting slightly inward, arranged infour closely spaced concentric circles. Although the upperparts of the fire-bars have broken off, it was easy to see thatthey were originally of different heights, becoming progres-sively smaller toward the innermost circle. In the center wasa deposit of sand and ash.

After painstaking refitting, we were able to distinguishthree different size variants among the fire-bars: 33cm, 54cmand 64cm in length respectively. All of the complete exampleshave pointed bottoms and wedge-shaped tops with D-shapedmid-sections. As more than 150 examples of wedge-shaped topfragments were recovered from in and around the excavationarea, it seems that that the majority, if not all, of the fire-barswere of this shape. Fire-bars occur at other sites, but the wedge-shaped tops appear to be unique to Hierakonpolis.

At the end of last season we suggested that the structurewas an elaborate pottery kiln, but now this must be recon-sidered, although Harlan and Hoffman identified similarinstallations as such. Based on the evidence from the kiln

at HK29, Hoffmanproposed that potswere fired withinlarge vats supportedabove the f lames by the f ire-bars .However, prelimi-nary experiments inJapan by M. Babashow that this tech-nique would nothave worked, as notenough heat canpermeate the vatwalls to fire pottery. More experimental studies are neededto verify this.

On the other hand, the now complete plan of the HK11Ccomplex bears a strong resemblance to structures identifiedas breweries. In particular, the rectangular chamber, the rowsof circular features, fire-bars of diminishing height, anddeposits of fuel along the walls all find parallels in the instal-lation excavated by T.E. Peet at Abydos in 1911–12. Althoughwe have not yet clearly identified the large vats like thosefound at Abydos, the configuration of the in situ fire-barsimplies the existence of these large jars in our complex.

While Peet suggested that the Abydos kilns were forparching grain, when Jeremy Geller uncovered the breweryat HK24A in 1989, their true function became clear. Theanalysis of residue discovered within the large vats at HK24Aprovided proof that the product was beer (see color pages).

So far no residue has been identified at HK11C, butoverall, our evidence suggests that the installation is indeedanother extensive brewery. With eight or more vats in actionat once, the simple kilns nearby in Square B4 may have servedas the bottling plant for the copious amount of beer produced.But for whom was the brew intended? Was the local pubnearby? Or, given its location, close to the elite cemetery atHK6, is this evidence for a ‘royal’ mortuary cult as elaborateas the tombs on which it was focussed? 0

Cross-section of the firing features from the Abydos kiln.

Reconstructed fire-bars.

Feature 12 from above.

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In 2003 the excavation of HK11C Square B4NW revealedthe remains of pottery kilns dating to the early Naqada IIperiod. This discovery provides a valuable addition to ourrather scanty knowledge of predynastic firing techniques.But how did they work?

The kilns take the form of pits about 1m in diameter, nowfilled with alternating layers of charcoal and sherds. Open onone side, they were built into the edges of a man-made plat-form, which was composed of burnt mud mixed with ashesand sherds (see Nekhen News 16:18–19). More intriguing,however, was the debris found around the kilns, which con-tained highly fired sherds with burnt mud adhering to them.These were found in amounts that strongly suggest they hadbeen used in the kiln and were not simply the remains ofunsuccessful pots.

In Japan, I have been investigating the production of pre-dynastic pottery with experimental studies using methodsranging from simple bonfires, in which the pots and firewoodare placed together (leaving few remains in the archaeologi-cal record), to more advanced updraught kilns, in which thepots are placed above and separate from the fuel (leavingstructural remains). I also tried a method still widely practicedin East Asia, called Yunnan style, in which the firewood sur-rounding the pots is covered entirely with a layer of mudbefore firing. It was the debris produced by this method thatmost closely resembled the burnt mud and sherds scatteredaround the kilns in Square B4, so I decided to build one atHierakonpolis to see if it would work.

First, I had to find a spot that was similar to the originalkiln site, located at the edge of the wadi with access to thenorth wind. A bank of Sahaba silts overlooking the road tothe dig house met the criteria and also provided a natural plat-form into which I dug a shallow pit (diameter: 70cm; depth:

45cm). After coating and heating to make it more like the pitsin the burnt earth platform, it was time to fire some pots.

I had wanted to use pots made from the local materials thatthe ancient potters may have used, but clay preparation turnedout to be more arduous than anticipated. In the interest oftime, we commissioned the local potter to make us copies ofthe straw tempered roll-rim jars, which account for over 80%of the assemblage around the kilns. He happily obliged, thoughsome are closer to the original than others. For fuel, acaciabranches and straw were used. The firewood and kindling wasarranged on the floor of the pit, followed by a layer of sherds,on top of which I placed the pots. This arrangement wasintended to keep the pots from direct contact with the fuel andprevent black stains (fire clouds) on the surface. The potswere then surrounded by more firewood and straw, which Icovered with sherds and a thick coating of sticky mud.

Once the firewood was lit, the temperature rose gradually.Forty minutes after ignition, when the temperature inside hadreached almost 450°C, the mud cover cracked, allowing in air,and consequently the temperature decreased. However, soonthe temperature rose rapidly, and after 60 minutes it reached750°C, with a maximum temperature of over 900°C attainedafter 120 minutes.

Understanding the HK Potters: Experimental Firings— by Masahiro Baba, Waseda University, Japan

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Temperature chart from experimental firing. Masahiro applying mud to his kiln.

Mud-covered kiln in cross-section.

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In the end, the vessels were well-fired, with no blackstains on the rims thanks to the interposed sherds. The fir-ing temperature of predynastic straw tempered Nile siltvessels has been estimated at 750–850°C, and in thisexperiment we achieved and maintained a temperaturebetween 700–900 °C. Thus, the experiment was success-ful, but one problem still remains. Even though theorganic temper in the pots’ clay was burnt away, just as inancient pottery, the surface color of our pots lacked theeven redness of predynastic wares. This uneven colorationprobably is a result of the unequal distribution of flameswithin the mud-covering. Obviously further experimentswill be needed before we can truly step into the predynasticpotter’s shoes.

Studying the remains after the firing, it seems very likely thatthe ancient potters used this method. A mud-covered firing iseasy to operate and needed little adjustment after ignition. It isalso economical, requiring less fuel than either the bonfire (3times less!) or updraught kiln, which is an important matter ina place like Egypt. The kilns in B4NW date to the earlyNaqada II period when the mass production of pottery isbecoming evident, and economical techniques would have beenhighly valued. While these kilns are still ‘primitive’, they are tech-nologically advanced, allowing the control of airflow whilstretaining heat and effectively separating the pots from the ash.Through these experiments we can begin to appreci-ate both the ingenuity and skill of the potters of Hierakonpolis. c

Mud-covered kiln at start of firing. Finished pots and plenty of burnt debris at the end of the firing.

Moments in Mud— by Jane Smythe

The recent excavation of the kilns at HK11C has sparked areal interest in the processes of pottery production at ancientHierakonpolis and raised questions that only experimentalarchaeology may solve. While Masahiro explored the work-ings of the HK11C kilns, I focussed on the kiln sites on theother side of the wadi. In the cliffs above the HK6 cemeteryare a series of sites apparently dedicated to the production ofBlack-topped red ware, arguably some of the most elegant pot-tery ever made in Egypt. Although no actual kilns have so farbeen found, the locations are obvious from the huge amountof firing ‘wasters’ (bloated, melted, warped fragments) that arestill lying about on the surface. As no potter would want totransport either his wet clay or fragile pre-fired pots overlong distances, chances are that the workshops are nearby as

well. But why make pottery far backin the wadi? The answer probably liesin the clay.

A visual inspection of the wadileaves no doubt that there is clay herein great abundance. A few years ago Icollected a little of this clay, took itback to the base camp and started toprepare it for pot-making. I found ithighly workable, requiring no tem-per and relatively easy to clean. Sojust what did it take for a potter tomake a black-topped vase? In order toobtain a better understanding of pot-

Black-topped red ware:some of the most elegant pottery Egyptever produced.

Photo: M. BabaPhoto: M. Baba

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tery production inthe Hierakonpolisarea from the potter’spoint of view Iembarked on a littleexperimental archae-ology of my own.

Through thekindness of HaggSidain, rock-hardchunks of clay werecollected fromwithin the gulliesnear the Red warekilns and hauledback to the dig housewith little effort.Pottery productionthen proceeded totake over the work-room and the resultsof a hard day’sarchaeological workwere shunted asideas containers ofwater and clay tooktheir place.

Commandeeringevery bucket in thehouse, the clay wasbroken down inwater, sieved and leftto dry slowly until aworkable consist-ency was reached.Although no temperwas added to theclay, patience wascertainly frayed.

When it came time for the messy job of wedging (the oppo-site of kneading, as we don’t want any air inside the clay) tomake the paste homogenous and strong enough to model,we were ordered outside where the unfinished walls of thecompound came in quite useful!

The pots were coil built by hand. We then applied a coat-ing (or slip) made from crushed ochre found as thin layers ofred nodules interbedded in the clay strata at the collectionsites. Once leather hard, the pots were burnished to producethe wonderful streaky shine characteristic of Black-toppedpottery. The ancients no doubt used a smoothed stone, butthe back of a spoon also works well.

The pots were then left to dry, a part of the process thatcan be the most important for success in the kiln. The fineand dense clay that allows this pottery to be so thin and ele-gant also makes it very difficult to dry. Slow, even drying isnecessary to prevent shrinkage and cracking, but if too muchwater remains in the clay, the pot will explode when fired, aswe learned to our chagrin.

The firing process has been the subject of much discus-sion and the conundrum of a black top on a red pot hasengaged some of the greatest minds in Egyptology and hasled to many experiments. It was only in 1974 thatMossbauer Effect Spectroscopy finally proved that the blackarea was produced by a combination of carbon uptake andthe effect of an oxygen reduced atmosphere on the iron con-tent in the clay and slip. Or, to put more simply: Put the potrim down in smoke-producing, oxygen-reducing ash ordung and presto! But when?

Experiments using commercially prepared clays showthat a black top can be produced all in one step during fir-ing, yet the red tops on the overwhelming majority of firedsherds at the Red ware kilns in the wadi suggest that some-thing went wrong before the black top was achieved. Giventhe extensive drying time required by the local clay, I am con-vinced that pre-heating (to drive off the remaining water)would have been an important process prior to that part ofthe firing that produced the black top, and this may be thekey. Pre-heating can be accomplished in a simple, low-inten-sity bonfire. Not wanting to transport my fragile pre-fired potstoo far, I chose a spot along the walls of the house compoundto prepare such a kiln. Only after this pre-heating fire had

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Jane painting the pots with a clay slip.

Transferring the pre-heated pots to the black-topping firing.

Jane wedging clay.

bmcnw

reached a good heat were the pots transferred to a preparedbed of dung, where they were placed rim down and then cov-ered with fuel for the main firing.

Our experiments showed that the amount of fuel requiredfor these processes is a major consideration. Charcoalremains, mainly of Acacia nilotica, have been identified inpreviously excavated kiln sites, which is very helpful whentrying to reconstruct firing conditions, although after a cou-ple of firings, I am convinced that the primary fuel was mostprobably palm fronds (which would not have survived as partof the archaeological record). Dung is also an importantingredient. And not just any type of dung — only that ofcows and sheep will do!

Results from this first round of firings were encouragingand a fair replica of predynastic Black-topped red ware wasmade. However, insufficient drying time and the large amountsof salt present in the clay meant that few pots emerged intact.All aspects of the experiment need to be reviewed and refined,and most importantly the process mustbe repeatable. It may take a few seasonsof work to become confident in thecreation of these beautiful prehistoricpots, but with the patience of theExpedition team we may yet see thereturn of Black-topped red ware pro-duction at Hierakonpolis.

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Fort-ifications— by Richard Jaeschke

Back in 1982, I was commissioned by Mike Hoffman toreport on the condition of the Second Dynasty Enclosureof Khasekhemwy (c. 2700BC), known as the ‘Fort’. Sincethat time, I have watched the monument deteriorate anddespaired at the accelerating rate of damage in recent years,which culminated in the catastrophic collapse of the north-east corner in 2002. Having witnessed its heart-breakingdecline, I am very grateful for the generosity of the Friendsof Nekhen and the World Monuments Fund, which hasallowed us finally to begin conservation measures, and itgives me great pleasure to report, if only briefly, on thisimportant structure again. For more details see our updatesat www.archaeology.org.

The first campaign to fix the Fort began in late November2004, but before we could devise treatments to protect it, weneeded to understand how the Enclosure was built and thedamage it had sustained. To help us out, we called upon theinvaluable advice of structural engineer Conor Power and

preservation architect Bill Remsen (both having worked onKhasekhemwy’s Funerary Enclosure at Abydos), andMohamed el-Tahawy, engineer for Hassan Allam & Sons,Cairo, who has much experience in the conservation ofIslamic monuments.

Together with HK veteran and construction professionalJoe Majer, we walked around the structure, identifying areasrequiring immediate intervention, considering work practicesand safety issues. I filmed our discussions so we could reviewRaising the ground level around the entrance to the Fort.

Plan of the Fort and areas addressed in the 2004-2005 season.

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the details later. With a little practice I found that it was justabout possible to look through the viewfinder, point out con-servation issues and avoid falling in holes all at the same time.

One of the more unexpected outcomes of this exami-nation was the observation that the Fort had been con-structed in two phases (see below). The damaged areas of thewalls allowed us to see embedded within an earlier wallmade with bricks of a distinctively different color and tex-ture. The first wall, complete with a facade of regularpilasters, had been built to a height of about 2.5m before itwas encased by the straw-filled bricks of the second phase.Six rows (1.5m) of bricks were built up along the outside andfive rows (1.2m) on the interior of the first wall, but werenot bonded to it. Once the height of the first wall wasreached, construction continued upward as one massivewall, transversely bonded throughout.

This discovery is very sig-nificant. As well as being his-torically interesting, it alsoexplains the patterns of dete-rioration we are seeing. Inessence, for the first 2.5m ofthe Fort we are dealing withthree separate structuresstanding side by side, but notjoined together. Because ofthis, if there is any weaknessin the foundations or damageto the walls, the outer brickseasily fall away, exposing thefull height of the inner core

wall, and creating a dangerous overhang of the fully bondedmasonry above. This is amply illustrated by the perilous stateof the northeast corner.

The Enclosure has its share of inherent weaknesses fromthe materials and methods used in its construction, but thedamage it has suffered is not the result of age alone. Althoughcenturies of exposure to windblown sand have not done itany favours, most of its recent problems have been caused bythe actions of man. We don’t know who sunk the deep pitsat each of the corners, probably in search of foundationdeposits, or when this happened, but we do know that in1905 and 1933 archaeologists excavating the predynasticcemetery below the Fort substantially lowered the groundlevel. The Fort has no underground foundations. The brickswere laid directly on a simple layer of sand c.10cm thick,which was placed upon a 15cm-thick layer of compacted silts.Exposure of these slight foundations has led to erosion, sub-sidence and more.

Having discussed a wide variety of materials and tech-niques, we decided to undertake three main tasks in our first

season: raise the ground level around the monument’sentrance where the wall footings are severely undercut (areaA); repair selected areas with new bricks (areas C, D, E & F);and buttress others that could not be immediately treated(areas B &G).

For filling the gaps in the wall, concrete, cement blocksor fired bricks were definitely out, as they introduce poten-tially harmful chemicals and expand and contract differentlyfrom mud-brick. Since the look of the Fort is also a factor, thenew material, as well as being benign to the old, should notdetract from its appearance. So, we opted for new mud-bricks made in a similar manner to the original.

After measuring dozens of bricks to find the average size(those from the older phase averaged 25 x 12 x 7.5 cm whilethe newer ones were 26 x 12.5 x 8.5 cm), we made a woodenmould to fit the second phase bricks and began experiment-ing with different recipes, trying to match the strength, weightand shrinkage of the originals. To avoid any confusion in the

The undercut walls at the entrance before levelling.

The precarious northeast corner.

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Richard and Mohammed experiment with brick making.

future, each brick was impressed with the HK2005 stamp cus-tom made for us by the monks at the nearby Copticmonastery (see back cover).

While waiting for the bricks to sun dry and cure, we gotto work at raising the ground level by the entrance. Using soilfrom old excavation spoil-heaps, we built up the surface; insome areas over 1.5m of dirt was re-deposited. After every20cm or so, the soil was levelled, the top layer sprinkled with

water, and then tampeddown to compact. As vibra-tions from machinery couldcause the wall to collapse,everything had to be done byhand (or foot, as we gentlypatted down the earth). Itwas a slow process, but nowthe entrance area not onlylooks better, it is also safer forvisitors.

After the holidays, withthe bricks now dry and thefailures discarded, it was timeto fill some holes. After doc-umenting each area thor-

oughly with photographs and drawings, we then cleared awaythe loose debris. Any gaps in the foundations were filled withlayers of compacted earth. When laying the new bricks we triedto follow the coursing and pattern of the original wall asclosely as possible. This phase of the work progressed quicklyas Abdullah Nour, the local mason responsible for buildingmuch of our dig house, proved quite adept. In total, four areaswere repaired in this way: a recent hole dug into the southperimeter wall to obtain bricks; the lower part of a collapsing

pilaster on the south wall; a severely undercut area at thenorthwest corner; and the last remaining segment of the westperimeter wall.

Each area required a slightly different approach, but thesad and lonely section of the perimeter wall at the northwestwas a real test of ingenuity. It was so badly eroded on bothsides that light could be seen through the base; collapse wassurely imminent. The ground level over a wide area on all sidesof this wall segment falls away sharply to over 1m below thefoundations. There is no easy way this can all be refilled, soinstead we created a small box, or caisson wall, using firedbricks to make it clear that it is not an ancient construction.We then filled the interior with compacted earth to providea hard and stable foundation for the repairs. Since so muchof the wall was lost, we filled only what was necessary to sup-port the remaining masonry and did not speculate on the orig-inal dimensions. As a result, the wall does look a little strange,but after we see how the new bricks weather, we may decideto adjust the contours.

Once the work was complete, the fired brick box wasbanked with soil to camouflage it. In the coming season, we

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Filling the breach with new bricks following the ancient pattern.

Abdullah preparing the hole inthe south wall for repair.

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Building the brick box around the perimeter wall.

Photo: R. Jaeschke

The perimeter wall repaired.

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will check these walls for cracks and shifting. Fingers crossed!If it works, we should be able to make substantial progress inrescuing the west side of the Fort with maximum efficiency.

With our first batch of bricks exhausted, we moved on tosandbagging. The critical repairs of the southwest and north-east corners will be long-term projects requiring vast numbersof bricks, so to provide temporary support in the meantime,we built up buttresses of sandbags. Being unable to usemachines meant that it was very hard work, but a local don-key cart provided safe and dependable transport.

This first campaign was a real voyage of discovery. We learneda lot about the Fort and how to conserve it. Next season we intendto improve our brick-making skills after we examine how the firstbatch weathers over the summer. Then it will be time to step upproduction — there is still so much to do! But we have made agood start at turning back the hands of time for a monument thattruly deserves it. Thank you again for your support. F Donkey cart delivery.

Repair and RevealThe repair of the pilaster (rectangular column of masonryprojecting from the wall) revealed a detailed view of howthese architectural elements were built. Two header bricksin every third course, laid so that they projected from theplane of the wall for half of their length (removed andreplaced during the repair), served to anchor the rest ofthe masonry to the main wall. Tracing this distinctive brickpattern around the monument, we now know that theexterior of all the main walls were decorated in this way,even where none of the pilasters survive. The repairedpilaster is one in the series that is still well-preserved onthe southern face of the Fort, some of which still retaintraces of the mud rendering and white plaster that oncecovered the entire monument. Pilasters along the south wall.

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The pilaster during repair.

Photo: R. Jaeschke

The west wall in March 2005 after repairs.

The west wall of the Fort in 1905. (Garstang Expedition, Liverpool University Archive Neg. H102).

In Just a Century…The Fort is clearly a monument in need of immediateattention. Having survived for almost 4700 years, a look atthe archival record shows how much has been lost in as lit-tle as 100 years. The changes are frankly astonishing. Inthe photograph taken by Garstang in 1905, the corners ofthe enclosure walls are still intact and the southern part ofthe perimeter wall still stands to near its full height. Butonly a century later, the perimeter wall has fallen over(possibly due to an earthquake in the 1930s) and most ofthe bricks have been mined away. The corners have alsocollapsed. Time is certainly not on our side...

The most unwelcome new addition to the Fort's catalogueof woes is the large gap in the center of the west wall.About 15m long, 2.5m high and growing, but thankfully stillonly about 1.2m deep, this breach poses a major threat tothe survival of the Fort. Since the ground surface here isc.1m below the wall footings, this gap just gets larger asmore bricks succumb to gravity. If it gets any deeper, it willmeet up with the dangerous cavity that has been excavatedon the interior. Right now, a thickness of only about 1.5m ofbrick holds it all up — a precarious situation to say the least.Fixing this gap will be the goal of the coming season. It willtake a lot of work and a lot of bricks, and we are countingon your help. Please don't leave us holding the Fort.

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The identification of two phases of construction for the Fortwas certainly a surprising discovery, but once we knew whatto look for, it was easy to see. The walls of the first phase couldbe detected in the core of all of the main enclosure walls andwere easily identified by their bricks. Although similar indimensions to those used in the second phase, they are slightlythinner, made with less straw and composed from a dense,slightly yellow clay. The first Fort, with its façade of regularlyspaced pilasters and c. 2.10m- (4 Egyptian cubits) thick wall,had reached a height of only about 2.5m when plans wereapparently changed. In the second phase, the main walls weremade thicker by adding six rows of grey, heavily straw-tem-pered bricks to the exterior face and five rows on the interior.These additional rows abut the core but are not bonded to it,and a distinct division between the brickwork of the twophases is quite visible in cross section.

The limited height and lack of plaster coating on the façadeof the first phase Fort indicates that its construction was incom-plete. Nevertheless, it is clear that all walls were being erected atthe same time, and that the pilasters and complex niching at theentrance were intrinsic to the construction. It is currentlyunknown whether there was simply a change of plan or if the

incomplete structure wasabandoned for some timebefore the second phase ofbuilding began. While it ispossible that the unfinishedmonument of one king wasusurped by another, the exactadherence by the second phasebuilders to the plan and pat-tern of the decorative brick-work of the original suggeststhis is not the case. Whoeverenlarged it, the large quantityof straw and other filler usedin the encasing bricks suggeststhey wanted the work done

quickly. The perimeter walls around and the building within theFort appear to date entirely to the second phase.

The Enclosure at Hierakonpolis has always been anenigma. It is attributed to King Khasekhewmy because of thecarved granite lintel bearing his name found by Lansing, pot-tery recovered during excavations in 1999 (see NekhenNews 11:13), and similarities in construction patterns with theenclosure of Khasekhemwy at Abydos, so there is no reasonto doubt its ownership. But why should Khasekhemwy buildtwo of these huge enclosures?

The longstanding explana-tion has been that Egypt wasundergoing the first test of itsunity at this time, and that dur-ing part of the Second Dynastythe country was ruled by rivalkings. It has been suggested thatKhasekhem (‘the powerappears’), as he was initiallyknown, first ruled as one ofthese kings, perhaps from a baseat Hierakonpolis given thenumber of fine statues and objects bearing his early name foundat the site. Possibly he originally planned to be buried here andso built his funerary enclosure, but when he defeated his rivalsand assumed control of all Egypt, he changed his name toKhasekhemwy (‘the two powers appear’) and constructed a newenclosure and tomb at Abydos, the traditional burial place ofEarly Dynastic kings, of which he was the last.

The two construction phases may support this explana-tion. Perhaps Khasekhem did begin a funerary enclosure atHierakonpolis, which was only partly completed when hedefeated his rivals and could move his immortal ambitions toAbydos. Perhaps he then finished the Fort as a cenotaph. Onthe other hand, its unique features — the projecting gatewaycontaining stairs on either side, the square plan and centrallyplaced internal building — all suggest that the Fort was con-ceived from the beginning as a different type of monument,one perhaps for use in life rather than death. The Fort is stillan enigma, but as our program of conservation and researchcontinues, we may well get to the heart of the matter.

Fort Within a Fort— by Renée Friedman

The Fort within the Fort at thesouthwest corner.

Embedded deep within: the pilastered façade of the first phase wallpeeks out at the northwest corner.

The Fort within the Fort.

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THE HIERAKONPOLIS HOME PAGE

Thanksgiving dinner has now become a tradition atHierakonpolis. It was only the first Thursday of the season,but preparations were underway. We were all looking forwardto a succulent turkey, none more so than the cat, Belly-boy,who was, unbeknownst to me, holding an intense vigil by theoven. This I found out soon enough when I dashed into thedarkened kitchen to grab a serving spoon and inadvertentlystepped on him. His reaction was quick and decisive: he bitme, sinking his mouse-sharpened fangs into my toes. Ouch!

Definitely not an auspicious way to begin the season,but everything has a silver lining. When, after a few days thepain and swelling had not abated, I got in touch with Friendof Nekhen, Dr. David Counsell, who was in Egypt touringwith his family. Prior to his trip he had expressed interest invisiting us, and to my relief, a house call could be arrangedfor the next morning. After various salves and antibioticshad been administered and it was decided I would in fact live,it was now time to pay the bill. Hobbling off, I gave him atour of our desert treasures: the Fort, the burnt house and ofcourse, the predynastic temple. Those who have had theopportunity to see the site, know the surface is covered withan irresistible sea of artifacts: sherds, lithics, bone — the gen-eral debris of ancient life, turned over and scattered by fer-tilizer diggers of centuries past.

Pausing at the temple, we allowed our eyes to wander (andmy toe to rest). After years of intensive archaeological inves-tigation, I had little expectation that our search would yieldanything of interest. The kind doctor quickly proved mewrong when he presented me with a unique black polished

sherd decorated with an animal head in raised relief. Althoughthe identification of the animal is still a matter of debate (don-key or giraffe), the importance of this adorable piece is with-out question.

Vessels with decoration applied in raised relief are veryrare, the most famous example being the fragment bearing theRed Crown found at Naqada (now in the AshmoleanMuseum, Oxford). Motifs on others include arms encirclingthe pot to hold breasts, human forms and faces, cow horns,lizards and scorpions — all, of course, considered to have rit-ual significance. While certainly related to the elaborate ves-sels to which separately modeled figures of hippos, crocodiles,ladies, etc., have been attached (mainlyto the rim of open forms), the decora-tive technique differs.

On our sherd, a ribbon of clay hasbeen applied to the exterior of a largecylindrical vessel to form the raised out-line of the creature. The joins have beencarefully smoothed down and subse-quently burnished. We can’t be surewhether the vessel was originally allblack or black-topped, but when com-plete it must have been quite striking, and one of the mostelaborate examples of its kind. Unfortunately, the intensivesearch around the find spot produced no further pieces.

In the end we were all winners. The cat got its dinner (anda hearty one while we were otherwise engaged in staunchingthe flow of blood), Dave got his tour, and I got a fascinatingartifact and a strong indication that the temple has many moresecrets to divulge. ¬

Fair Trade— by Renée Friedman

The new sherd with an animal head in raised relief.

Belly-boy enjoying the annual Thanksgiving Day feast.

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Red Crown.

“Can you dig? We need diggers and planners this time. Oh…and it’s going to be hot…” The e-mail from Renée arrived andI knew it was going to be a challenge. I’d done archaeologybefore: mainly medieval British, and a Roman fort or two. Icould draw pottery and small finds, knew how to survey, andwas handy with a trowel. Yet, although I had been toHierakonpolis before as a tourist, nothing quite prepared mefor what I was about to experience.

Flying out of Manchester UK at the crack of dawn, Iarrived later that day in Luxor with instructions to load upat the airport duty free for the famous ‘Hierakonpolis sun-downers’ and then catch the train to Edfu. A couple of hourslater, I was in the team’s minibus for the 17 km drive to thesite, arriving in time for the evening meal with the interna-tional crew.

Beit Hoffman, the dig house, is a great place with well-equipped workrooms, sleeping areas for the team and a wideopen courtyard where it’s possible to look up and see the starsembedded in a dark velvet sky. One can well understand whythe ancients saw the constellation we call ‘the Plough’ or ‘theBig Dipper’ as a haunch of meat, since it ‘stands’ up vertically,the wider ‘bowl’ forming the muscle at the top of the hind leg.In fact, on many nights we sat out in the dark, just gazing upat the constellations, refreshment in hand, and occasionallywe would see a meteorite leaving its trail in the night sky.

But there is work to be done! The routine: wake up at6 AM, make your own breakfast, prepare a cool-bag for themid-morning break, and be at the steps by 7 AM to get inthe truck. Then to the site. By the time I arrived, excavationswere already underway in HK6. Tomb 23 had been clearedand the wood posts of the enclosure wall were just begin-ning to emerge from the sand along the west side of the com-plex. Could we find more of this fence along the south andnorth? Marking out the trench, we slowly inched our waydown through the various lenses of sand and gravel withnotable success. But Renée was right… it was hot, unsea-sonably so for February. By 10:30 AM, when the workmentook their break, we were more than ready for the sugar rushfrom our ‘second breakfast’, which consisted of fruit juice,cookies and processed cheese. Yet, exposed in the desert, wewere baking in the sun, by now high in the sky, and therewere still a couple more hours of work before we couldreturn to the shade of the dig house to await a hearty lunchcooked by our chef Ali.

Afternoons at Hierakonpolis are spent at the dig-house,where the cataloguing, drawing and pot-mending takes place.Sometimes the conversations can seem quite surreal or bizarre:“Any of those guys from Tomb 23 missing a leg?”

One task of which I was especially fond was sorting,cleaning and numbering the potsherds from each day’s exca-vation. It was often possible to match up two or more piecesfrom the same vessel right away, but in each bag there wouldbe fragments of fine red bowls, pieces of black polished eggpots and coarse straw tempered ware. The problem was thatyou had to remember the shapes and colours, hoping torecognise gaps and familiar edges that might match up tothe sherds that were brought the day before. It’s like doinga multitude of jigsaw puzzles, each with similar lookingpieces most of which are missing. Nevertheless, it can bequite rewarding as you see a pot coming together from var-

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A First Timer at Hierakonpolis— by Peter Robinson

Peter Robinson mapping Tomb 23.

Piecing it all together.

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ious fragments, some smaller than a postage stamp!Handling the sherds also gives you a real appreciation for theskill of the predynastic potters. While many vessels hadclearly been made with infinite care (for example, the fine,thin egg-shaped jars), some seemed to be clever windowdressing, their highly polished surface hiding a rough unfin-

ished interior and thick heavy walls. In the extra-ordinarycontext of Tomb 23, it looks like quantity sometimestrumped quality.

Evening gives us time to see the sunset flash by in a streamof blues, oranges and reds. Then it’s time for a final meal of theday, which is something that we knock together from what isavailable unless it is ‘gourmet night’. Dig veterans know to bringthe fixings for their speciality, which this year included Japanesesushi, Swiss fondue, Mexican burritos (with real tortillas) andBelgian vol au vent (or at least a facsimile thereof).

It would be wrong to say that my first dig in Egypt was aholiday. It was definitely hard work, but I found it excitingand rewarding. I not only improved my own archaeologicalskills, but also learned new ideas and techniques. The dighouse is no five-star hotel, but there is a great sense of fun andcommunity amongst the team. I, for one, will be avidly fol-lowing the progress of the Hierakonpolis excavations throughthe pages of the Nekhen News in future years, knowing justhow much hard work has been put into every discovery,remarkable or mundane. !

We’ve Been AdoptedThe UK-based publication Ancient Egypt, in its sixth year ofproduction, is now under the editorship of Bob Partridge, along-standing Friend of Nekhen. With six issues a year, themagazine explores a varied range of subjects with popular arti-cles on sites, new excavations and research on the culture, artand history of the ancient Nile valley.

Keen to promote new research, Ancient Egypt maga-zine has chosen Hierakonpolis as its adopted Egyptologicalcause for 2006, having supported the Friends of the PetrieMuseum in 2005.

From the February 2006 issue, Ancient Egypt willinclude reports of the work and research at Hierakonpolisand thereby bring the importance of this site to a new andwider audience, and we hope inspiring them to join theFriends of Nekhen. At the end of 2006, the publishers willalso make a donation to the Friends so that work may con-tinue to fascinate and inform.

For more information about the magazine, please visitthe web site www.ancientegyptmagazine.com or contactthe editor, Bob Partridge, bobegyptpl@aol.com or write tohim at 6 Branden Drive, Knutsford, Cheshire. WA168EJ. UK.

The work room at Hoffman House.

Photo: X. Droux

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Membership ApplicationI would like to help the Hierakonpolis Expedition by join-ing (renewing my membership in) the Friends of Nekhen. Inreturn for my contribution (tax deductible in the USA), Iunderstand that I will receive the annual newsletter and qual-ify for reduced rates on expedition publications.

The membership category I prefer is:

____ Regular ($25/£17/€25*)

____ Sponsor ($250/£150/€250*)

____ Patron ($500/£250/€500*)

____ Sustaining ($1000/£500/€1000*)

____ Student† ($20/£12/€20*) †enclose copy of current student ID

____ This is a renewal for the 2005–2006 season.

(If you have already renewed, thank you!)

Make your check/cheque payable toUnited Kingdom/Europe —The Friends of Nekhen Trustc/o Hierakonpolis ExpeditionDept. of Ancient Egypt & SudanThe British MuseumLondon WC1B 3DGUK

The Friends of NekhenNekhen is the ancient Egyptian name for the site ofHierakonpolis, the city of the hawk, and one of Egypt’s first cap-itals. The Friends of Nekhen is a group of concerned individu-als, scholars and organizations that is helping the HierakonpolisExpedition to explore, conserve, protect and publish all aspectsof this remarkable site. The largest Predynastic site still extantand accessible anywhere in Egypt, Hierakonpolis continuallyprovides exciting new glimpses into this formative — and surprisingly sophisticated — age, and more.

As a Friend of Nekhen you will receive the annual newslet-ter, the Nekhen News, produced exclusively for the Friends.Lavishly illustrated, the Nekhen News keeps you up-to-date onall of the Expedition’s latest discoveries. Membership in theFriends of Nekhen also entitles you to special rates onExpedition publications.

Help the Hierakonpolis Expedition to continue its impor-tant work. Your contribution (tax-deductible in the US) willsupport vital research that might not otherwise be possible.Share in the excitement and the sense of commitment by mak-ing a genuine contribution to the search for understanding.Join the Friends of Nekhen.

Name: ______________________________________

Address: ____________________________________

____________________________________________

City: ______________________________________

State/Province: __________ Postcode: ____________

Country: ____________________________________

USA —The Friends of NekhenMiddle East StudiesUniversity of Arkansas202 Old MainFayetteville, AR 72701USA

*If you wish to pay by European bank transfer, please contactfriendsofnekhen@yahoo.com

The Fort needs fixing: Please help!

Special contribution for the

Fort Fund

$/£/€ 99

Don’t leave us holding the Fort.We are very grateful for your past donations, but need to ask foryour help again. We have a lot of bricks to make! In fact, we esti-mate c. 14,000 will be required just to fix the growing gap inthe middle of the exterior west wall, one of our biggest worries.This giant wound is a major threat to the survival of the Fort.A corresponding gap on the interior means that only 1.5m ofbrick is holding it all up — not a lot to balance on! We can onlyfix the interior after the exterior has been stabilized. So we needto raise the ground level, strengthen the foundations, make a lotof good bricks and get busy! We can only do it with your con-tinued support. The Fort still needs fixing: please help.

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Hierakonpolis Highlights 2004/5

Repairing the Fort….see page 24.

Making our mark…see page 24. ‘Near ears’ from HK6…see page 6.

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Flint ram’s head....see page 4.

Ivory cylinder…see page 6.