1901.29.25

Collection type

Object

Description

Mudstone [greywacke] tag.

Geographical reference

Egypt

Africa > Northern Africa > Egypt

El Amrah

Person

Field collector David Randall MacIver

PRM source Committee of the Egypt Exploration Fund

Date / Period

Archaeological period: Ancient Egyptian Predynastic

Date collected

By 1901

Acquisition information

Donated: 1901

Materials and processes

Material Slate Stone, Material Mudstone Stone, Material Stone, Process Carved

Object numbers

Accession number: 1901.29.25

Research and responses

Photograph of objects on pl. VII of excavation report (1902). [AS 07/06/2012]

Tomb a88 was considered by the excavators to be one of the richest most interesting graves at the site, as described on p. 36-37 of the excavation report: "a88 was a grave of Class 3, interesting for the remarkable outfit of small objects of personal use placed with the woman who was buried with it. These are shown in pl. vii. 2, arranged in exactly the relative positions which they occupied in the grave. The woman was lying on her right side, her two arms were sharply bent and the hands brought up almost to the face. The two slate objects at the top of the picture were just in front of the lower jaw; the ivories, limestone pegs, and ivory tags which follow lay just above the left hand, and along the left arm almost to the elbow. It is very difficult to suggest any explanation of the meaning of this outfit. Possibly it formed the complete paraphernalia of a witch-doctor. Individually all the articles belonging to it are well known and frequently occur in other graves, but the combination seen in the present case is quite peculiar (S.D. 36-39)."

These objects were originally identified in the 19th century as 'slate' palettes, a geological identification that became synonymous with palettes. This, however, is incorrect. Rather the material used for these artefacts was mudstone (also referred to with the broader term greywacke and sometimes siltstone - all related stones but with different grain sizes) from the Wadi Hammamat in the Eastern Desert . [As 24/04/2009]

Associated publications

Randall MacIver, D. and Mace, A. (1902) El Amrah and Abydos 1899-1901. London: Egypt Exploration Fund. [AS 07/06/2012] These objects are also discussed on pages 521, 523, 530 and 542 of Hendrickx, S. and Eyckerman, M. (2011) 'Tusks and tags: between the hippopotamus and the Naqada plant'. In Friedman, R. and Fiske, P. (eds) Egypt at its Origins 3. Leuven: Peeters Publishers (OLA 205), 497-570. [AS 07/06/2012]

Search terms: Tool, Death, Religion, Palette, Grave Good