Flinders Petrie undertook excavation and survey of ancient Egyptian
towns in the Faiyum oasis, south-west of Cairo, in 1888–90. The
work included opening of a pyramid at Illahun and excavation of a
nearby cemetery, excavation and planning of over 2000 chambers of
the city of Kahun, excavation of a Ptolemaic cemetery at Gurob, and
work at the temple site at Medinet Gurob. This facsimile volume
presents brief descriptions of the work with a focus on the
artifacts and inscriptions recovered and recorded with an attempt
to establish a chronology of occupation in the oasis. The entrance
to the pyramid at Illahun, its peculiar structure and exploration
of its various internal passages and chambers are described,
including the sepulchre containing the red granite sarcophagus of
Usertesen II, accompanied by a table of offerings. A series of
nearby tombs produced a wealth of artifacts associated with
burials, wooden coffins and cartonnages, including glazed objects,
amulets, scarabs, beads, silver cowries, carved and inscribed
wooden objects and statuettes. At Kahun the complete surviving plan
of the ancient town revealed a regular layout thought by Petrie to
be the work of a single architect. He identified the acropolis, at
least eight great houses, dwelling houses, rubbish heaps, and
storerooms arranged along numerous narrow ‘workmen’s’ streets
with drainage channels. Much evidence for construction materials
and techniques and house fittings, wall plaster and paint was
recovered. Portable objects included decorated pottery, some of it
imported; pottery trays of offerings; stonework; wooden carvings;
flint sickles and knives; inscribed stelae; a variety of copper
tools; scarabs and clay seals; stone weights and many tools,
including several workshop groups. A family tomb in the cellar
beneath one house contained 12 coffins, each containing several
bodies with grave offerings buried in succession, two baby boxes
and a heap of offerings. At Gurob, the plan of the main temple and
surrounding enclosures, within which were contained most of the
houses, was established and an outline of its history determined.
An unusual practice of burning personal belongings in pits beneath
the houses was identified and the groups of objects and
inscriptions discussed. The nearby cemetery was also investigated
with pit-like tombs producing undecorated coffins but finely
painted cartonnages, badly decomposed papyri and a few funerary
objects. A discussion of the wider urban landscape concludes the
narrative. There are specialist reports on the papyri and stone
implements. This series comprises facsimile re-issues of
typological catalogues produced between 1898 and 1937 by W.M.
Flinders Petrie, and re-issued in facsimile by publishers Aris
& Phillips in the 1970s alongside newly-commissioned titles by
contemporary experts. Petrie’s catalogues remain invaluable
source material today. The Oxbow Classics in Egyptology series now
makes a selection of these important resources available again in
print for a new generation of students and scholars.
General
Imprint: |
Oxbow Books
|
Country of origin: |
United Kingdom |
Series: |
Oxbow Classics in Egyptology, 12 |
Release date: |
June 2023 |
Authors: |
W.M. Flinders Petrie
|
Dimensions: |
297 x 210mm (L x W) |
Pages: |
98 |
ISBN-13: |
979-88-88570-22-7 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
XWV-PSW-JGU-4 |
Barcode: |
9798888570227 |
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