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8/18/2019 Functional Analysis of Ancient Egyptian Chipped Stone Tools
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Board of Trustees, Boston University
News and Short ContributionsAuthor(s): Emma Lou Davis, John S. Henderson, Thomas R. Hester, W. D. Kingery, W. H.Gourdin, John Tomenchuk, Steve Tomenchuk, R. Ross Holloway, Norman HammondSource: Journal of Field Archaeology, Vol. 3, No. 3 (1976), pp. 341-357Published by: Boston UniversityStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/529442 .
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8/18/2019 Functional Analysis of Ancient Egyptian Chipped Stone Tools
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346
Newsand
Short
Contributions
carefully
squared
blocks.
Surprisingly,here
is no ap-
parentpattern
n the
distribution
of the
dressedstone,
and
there are
no surface
indications
that the
mounds
supported
tructures.Wedid
not
excavate n the
central
zone, but we
did clean and
record
proEllesxposed
by
huaqueros' its in
three of the
mounds.One
was a solid
cobble construction; he others contained a combina-
tion
of trash
fill and
stone
construction,but they
were
too badly
destroyed
o permit
dentification f theirin-
ternal
structures.
We
excavated hree test
pits in the
northern
ector of
the site,
where
stream cuts
revealedstratified
cultural
deposits
extending to a
depth of
more than 4
m.
Analysisof the
excavated
material s
now in
progress;
the
preliminary
ndicationsare
that LaSierra s
basical-
[y a Late
Classic
site (ca.
650-900 A.C.).
The lower
excavation evels
probably
represent n earlier
Early o
Middle
Classic, ca.
200-650 A.C.)
occupation.
Radio-
carbonassays
on a series
of
charcoalsamples
from the
excavations houldrefine hedating.
Judgingby
the variety
of polychrome
pottery
from
the
excavations, La
Sierra
had
wide-ranging
xternal
connections:
withCopan
andthe
Maya area to the
west
and north
and with
the Ulua
Valley,
Lake Yojoa, the
Comayagua
basin,and
probably till
more
distantareas
to
the east and
south. The
constructions
n the
central
part of
La Sierra
present an
intriguing
possibility.
Similar
massive mound
complexes
on the
island of
Cozumel a
late exchange
center
have been
inter-
preted as
storage
facilitiesfor
goods in
transit.5At La
Sierra, he
platforms ould
easilyhave
served o
protect
perishablegoods from the river, which periodically
floodslower
partsof the
site.
We
excavated two test
trenchesand
made a
topo-
graphic
map at El
Regadillo,a
small site some
3.5 km.
west of La
Sierra. El
Regadillo
appearsto be
a single-
period site
contemporarywith
the earlier
occupationof
La
Sierra.The
flaked
stone from
the
excavationscon-
sists
mainly of
several
varieties of
crypto-crystalline
quartz
which exists in
outcrops on
the hill
above the
site. El
Regadillomay
have been
a supplier
of these
local
raw
materials orother
settlements n
thevalley.
Analysesof the
data fromthe 1975
season
are nowin
progress.In
futureEleld
easons we
plan intensive
n-
vestigationsof Naco and La Sierra.At both sites, the
first
priority
will be
completingaccurate
maps
which
can be
used in systematic
programs
of
intensive urface
survey and
excavation
to
investigatefunctional
and
5. JeremyA.
Sabloff and
David A. Freidel,
'A Model
of a Pre-
ColumbianTrading
Center,"
Ancient
Civilizationnd Trade
Albu-
querque
1975) 369-408;
JeremyA. Sabloff
and William
L. Rathje,
"The Riseof a Maya
Merchant
Class,"SAm
233:4 1975)
72-82.
chronological
variation
within the sites.
We hope
to
identifycraft
production ones,
residential
reas,
public
sectors, and
perhaps
storagefacilities
and even
foreign
barrios.
We shall
also proceed
with the
surveyof
the
rest of
the
valley, with test
excavations n
a series
of
sites, to
produce
additionaldata
for the
chronologica
sequence,settlementpatternanalysis,and other basic
studies.
JOHN
S.
HENDERSON
CORNELL
UNIVERSITY
Functional
Analysis of
Ancient
Egyptian
ChippedStone
Tools:
The Potential
for Future
Research
Introduction
The
analysis of
wear
patternson
ancient stone
tools
has
become one of the
primary
research
echniques
or
archaeologists eeking
nformationon
the precise
unc-
tion of
prehistoric mplements.l
The
evidenceof
use
comes
in many
forms, such
as dullingof the
tool edge,
use-removalof tiny flakesalong the edge, scratchesor
striations, and other
marks
associatedwith
tool func-
tion. In
some instances,
certainkinds
of wear
can be
detected with
the naked
eye; most
wear pattern
research,
however,
has been
done with
microscopes
capable
of high
magnification.2 he
data
provided by
patternsof
use-wearcan be
combined
withother
kinds
of
information
obtained from
the tool,
including the
angleformed
by thetool
workingedge
(theedge
angle),
morphological
attributes,
breakage
patterns, ex-
perimental
use of
tool
replicas, and
ethnographic
1. See T. R. Hester and R. F. Heizer, "Bibliography of Archaeology
1:
Experiments, Lithic
Technology
and
Petrography,"AddisonWesley
Module n
Anthropology9 (1973).
Experiments
using
Egyptian tools
have been
reported by J.
Swauger and B. L.
Wallace,
"An Experiment
in Skinning
with Egyptian
Paleolithic
and Neolithic
Stone Imple-
ments,"
Pennsylvania
rchaeologist
5 (1964) 1-7.
2.
See L. H.
Keeley,
"Technique and
Methodology in
Microwear
Studies: A
Critical Review," WA7
(1974)
323-336; R. E.
Tringham et
al.,
'sExperimentationin the
Formation of Edge
Damage: A
New Ap-
proach to
Lithic
Analysis," JFA 1 (1974)
171-196, and S.
A. Semenov,
Prehistoric echnology
London 1964).
8/18/2019 Functional Analysis of Ancient Egyptian Chipped Stone Tools
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Journal
of Field
Archaeology/Vol.
,
1976
347
analogy.
With
these
data, we
can
often infer,
on
other
than
subjective
grounds,
the
actual function
of the
prehistoric
stone
tool
and the
behavioral
patterns
associated
with
tool use.
This
avenue
of anthropologi-
cal
investigation
s still in
a nascent
stage
and will
no
doubt
be greatly
refined
andexpanded
ncoming
years.
During
two
research
rips
to Egypt,
I
had the occa-
sion
briefly
to examine
a number
of chipped
stone
tools,
from
Predynastic
and
Dynastic
times,
in the
Egyptian
Museum
(Cairo).3
t occurred
o me, as
I am
sure it
has to
many
others,
that these
materials
could
yield
a wealth
of functional
and behavioral
data
if sub-
jected
to
wear-pattern
nalysis.
At the
time
of my
visits
in Egypt,
there
was neither
the
opportunity
nor the
facilities
to carry
out such
research.
I have,
however,
conducted
a test
study
with
a
sample
of Egyptian
chipped
stone
artifacts
assembled
rom
the collections
of the
Lowie
Museum
of Anthropology
at The
Univer-
sity of California, Berkeley.The wear-patterndata
recorded
during
his
study,
andthe inferences
based
on
these
data,
arereported
here.
Most
of
the artifacts
examined
are
from mortuary
contexts
at
the site
of
Naga-ed-Der,
dating
from
Predynastic
imes
into the
first
andsecond
dynasties
of
the Old
Kingdom.4
The
bulk
of the specimens
are
from
various
burials
nCemetery
N7000.
Artifact
Analyses
Unifacial
Series
A
group of
eight
unifacially
worked
flintswere
ex-
amined.
One specimen
is a large
"end
scraper"
FIG.
I,a), made
on
a large
flakeand
unifacially
rimmed
at
the distal
end,
forming
a convex
"scraping"
dge.
This
particular
pecimen
was
found
in the badly
plundered
Tomb
N7538 (Cemetery
7000)
and
dates from
the
Predynastic
ra.
The
specimen
was
partof
a cluster
of
flint tools,
including
a "tailed
scraper"
described
ater)
and
a small
blade.5
The
entire
ength
of the
convex
dis-
tal edge
of
this large
uniface
exhibited
dulling;
he edge
angle
of the
distal
edge
was 70°.
In two
areas,
marked
3. The
major
objective
of the
research
trips
(supported
by the
National
Geographic
Society)
was a study
of the
Colossi
of Memnon
(directed
by
R. F. Heizer);
ee R.
F. Heizer
et al.,
"The Colossi
of
Memnon
Revisited,"
cience
182
1973)1219-1225.
4. G.
A. Reisner,
The Early
Dynastic
Cemeteries
of
Naga-ed-Der,
Part /
(Leipzig
1909);
A. C. Mace,
The Early
Dynastic
Cemeteries
of
IVaga-ed-Der,
Part 11 (Leipzig
1909);A. M.
Lythgoe,
The
Predynastic
Cemetery
N7000,
Naga-ed-Der,
Part
/V (Berkeley
1965).
5. Lythgoe,
op.
cit. (in
note 4)
Fig. 158,
h, i.
O 1 2
X 4 5
I
, | ,
, 1z
Figure
1.
Unifaces.
a, large
end scraper
Tomb
N7538);
areasmarked
A and
B exhibit
heavyedge
dulling;
b end
scrapermade
on blade
(Tomb
7185); ross
section
llustrates
he
alternately
eveled
ateral
edges.
A and B in Figure l,a, dulling
was heavy.6
A glossy
sheen
accompanies
he heavy
dulling
on
the specimen,
and
dulling
extends
onto
the faces
of
the flake
scars
at
the
distal
end. Since
the
artifact
was
recovered
rom
a
tomb
context,
one
cannot
attribute
he
extensive
gloss
or polish
and
the widespread
dulling
to
weathering
or
other
natural
processes.
The combination
of wear
patterns
on the
artifact
suggests
that
the
tool
might
have
been
used in
skin-working
or meat-processing
tasks,
or
in the
working
of some
other
pliable
material
into
which the
edge
was
repeatedly
mbedded.
Dulling
wear
also
occurs
along
a portion
of
one lateral
edge.
This
edge is
bifacially
rimmed,
perhaps
representative
of the resharpeningof a previouslydulled working
edge.7
The
artifact s
quitelarge
(12.5
cm.
long and
7.8
cm.
wide)
and could
have
been
hand-held
or
use as
a
scraping
and/or
cutting
ool.
Five
other
unifacial
artifacts
can
be technically
described
as "end
scrapers
made
on
blades."
All
are
from
Cemetery
7000
(FIG.
,b; FIG
2). These
are the
"tailed
scrapers"
f Reisner8
nd
the
"flint
knife"form
of
Quibell.9
All
havebeen
unifacially
laked
at thedistal
end.
One specimen
from
Tomb
7579
according
o
the
Lowie
catalog)
exhibits
heavydulling
along
the
bit
or
working
edge,
a
second
(from
Tomb 7538)
has both
dulling
and step-flaking
(tiny
flakes
detached
during
6. A definition
of "heavy
dulling"
s provided
n
T. R.
Hester,
D.
Gilbow,
and A. Albee,
"A
Functional
Analysis
of'Clear
Fork'
Tools
from
he Rio Grande
Plain,
Texas,"
AmAnt
38 (1973)
90-96.
7. The
technique
of beveling
n the
resharpening
f a
dulled
cutting
edge s
described
n detailby
J. B. Sollberger,
A Technological
tudy
of Beveled
Knives,"
Plains
Anthropologist
16
(1971)
209-218.
8.
Reisner,
p. cit.
(in note 4).
9.
J. E. Quibell,
"Archaic
Objects,"Catalogue
Ceneral des
Antiquites
Egyptiennes
du
Musee
du Caire(
1905).
8/18/2019 Functional Analysis of Ancient Egyptian Chipped Stone Tools
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348 NewsandShort Contributions
quite steep and has resulted n bevelededges with edg
angles of 60°-75°. While such trimmingmay have bee
done to help shape the artifact, here are some traceso
wear on the edges. I suggestthat the beveling s simpl
the resultof resharpening worncuttingedge."
Anotherunifacial ool is made on a largeblade,trun
cated at one end. There is extensive, nvasive rimmin
or retouch along one lateraledge. We can describe h
piece technologically s a "side scraper."This termwel
suits the tool, as there is heavy step-flakingalong th
trimmededge, indicativeof the tool's use as a scrapin
implement.'2 t is listed in the catalog of the Lowi
Museumas specimen6-3664
FIG. 3,a).
Bifacial Series
A number of specimens in the Lowie sample ar
bifacially flaked flint artifacts. They representa wid
varietyof forms.
One biface
(FIG. 3,b) iS
asymmetricaln outline, with
one edge convex and the other straight.The main "cut
ting" edge appears o have been the convex one as it is
roughlybeveled from resharpening.'3 he straightedg
is lightly to moderatelydulled along most of its length
with high polish and abrasion of flake facets for 1-
mm. away from the edge.'4 The heaviest wear, in the
form of dulling and abrasion, occurs at the tip of th
specimen.The artifact was found in Tomb N7579 ac
cording to the Lowie catalog; two "end scrapers"wer
also apparently rom this samecontext.
Several of the bifaces are quite large. One lunat
specimen (31.7 cm. in length) is described as "cere
monial" by Reisner.'sIt is made of tan-pinkish her
There is some light dulling,which is not necessarily h
result of use, near one edge, with the remainingedge
showingno signs of wear.There s, however,bevelinga
a 45° angle along the convex edge of the biface; n thi
case, the bevelingmay not represent esharpening, u
perhaps platform preparation for flake removal o
some other aspect of the manufacturing proces
Lythgoe describes wo other large bifaceswhich I hav
not personally xamined.'fiOne, from Tomb 7491, is 26
cm. long, with "one end roughlyworked or a handle.
11. This is an opinion shared by Quibell, op. cit. (in note 9) 252
Pl. S 1.
12. Hester,Gilbow,and Albee,op. cit. (in note 6) 94-95.
13. See Quibell,op. cit. (in note 9) Pl. 51, for illustrations f bevelin
resulting rom resharpening f edges on EgyptianPredynastic ton
tools.
14. See Semenov,op. cit. (in note 2) 106, for a discussionof ston
tool wearresulting rommeat-cuttingasks.
15. Reisner,op. cit. (in note 4).
16. Lythgoe,op. cit. (in note 4) 310, 381-383.
, \1- W
\
1 t
1 2
3
4
s
a
Figure2.
Unifaces.
a - c. end scrapersmadeon blades; has heavy
dullingon bit (Tomb7579);b, step-fracturingresent long bit
(Tomb7579); , note light dullingon bit and heavydullingalong
lateral dge(Tomb7185).
I -l
-
-
1
a
X |
2 3 4 5
Figure 3. Unifaces and Bifaces. a, uniface made on truncated blade
(Lowie Museum 6-3664); b, asymmetrical biface, with beveling along
left edge and dulling and abrasion at distal tip (Lowie Museum 6-
4257); c, "fish tail" biface; specimen has wear along lateral edges; EIsh
tail end has been broken and reworked (see text; Lowie Museum 6-
3 102).
use), another Tomb 7185) has a lightly dulled bit edge
and heavy dulling on the distal portion of the lateral
edge adjacent o the bit, and a fourth example(Tomb
7579), shows no evidence of use. The Elfthspecimen
(FIG. I,b),
from Tomb 7185 (Predynastic),has
a
distal
workingedge that has seen heavy, sustaineduse. There
is markedstep-flaking undercutting he workingedge)
and the edge itself has been crushed. Such wear may
have resulted from wood-working,perhaps using the
tool in an "adzing" ashion.'°
These Elvespecimens also exhibit alternate dorsal-
ventraltrimmingof the lateral edges. This trimming s
10. See Hester, Gilbow, and Albee, op. cit. (in note 6) 94.
8/18/2019 Functional Analysis of Ancient Egyptian Chipped Stone Tools
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Journal f FieldA
rchaeology/Vol.3, 1976 349
It was found "in
the right hand, clasped n the
fingers"
of an adult female, "well on in
years."'7It appears o
have been ceremonially broken
near mid-section.
Another arge
biface describedby Lythgoecomes
from
Tomb 7583. It
is 23 cm. long, and is describedas "two
halves of a
broken flint spearhead,one end roughly
worked as a handle. The other end finished to a fine
fish-teethedge
on all sides."'8It was found
associated
with an adult
male. The placementof the biface in the
grave suggests
that it, too, was held in or near the
hands; however, the limbs of the
skeleton had been
removedby
plunderers.
I also
examinedsix of the well-known, errated"fish
tailed knives" (the "fish tailed lance heads" of
A1-
dred'9), all
from Naga-ed-Der. These tools were
ap-
parently hafted, with the pointed
(normally"distal")
end inserted nto a haft and
the''filsh ail" portionex-
posed.20Lythgoenotes the
discoveryof one specimen n
Tomb N7625 associated with a wooden handle. The
pointedend had
been inserted4-4.5cm. in the haft.
The
particularpecimenwas found near
he left forearmand
elbow of an
adultmale skeleton.21
These bifacesare here, as in other
collections, ypiEled
by tiny, sharp
serrationson the edges of the "fishtail,"
with heavy, ntentionaldulling to
facilitatehafting,one
assumes)on the
pointed portion.One specimen
Tomb
N7120; Lowie
6-3102) appears o have seen use.
There
is dulling on both the ''fiIsh ail"
and pointed portions,
and indeed, the serrations have
been worn away.
Moreover,one cornerof the "fish
tail" has beenbroken
and subsequently eworked
FIG.
3,c).
Most of the "fish tail" bifaces,however, eem to have
been destined
for ceremonialuse and disposal.
Many
have been intentionallybroken by
direct blows at the
near-center of the blade, with the fracture
lines
radiating
outward.22Lythgoe notes the following
cir-
cumstances n
which several of the "fish tail"
bifaces
were found: n
Tomb N7014, the base of the bifacewas
in a ceramic aucercontaining
piecesof malachiteanda
lump of resin; the tip lay
outside; in Tomb 7271, a
brokenspecimenoccurred,with
the "fish tail" end un-
17. Ibid.,310; ig. 138,
.
18. Ibid.,381-383; ig. 171,c.
19. C. Aldred,
Egypt to the End of the Old Kingdom(New York 1966)
25. For other
descriptions f this artifact orm,see Quibell,op. cit.
(in
note
9?
and C. T. Currelly,"Stone
Implements,"Catalogue
General
des Antiquites Egyptiennes du Musee du Caire
(1913).
20. Currelly, p. cit. (in note 19)P1.XLVII, llustrates hafted
exam-
ple.
21. Lythgoe,op. cit. (in note 4) 409; FIg. 84.
h.
22. Quibell, op. cit. (in note 9) Pl. 52,
illustrates a number of
specimens roken n this manner.
der a shallow
bowl in one partof the grave, and the
tip
lyingnear the
skeleton.23
One notesthat among the
''filsh ail" bifacesat Naga-
ed-Der, all
are made of darkgray chert with light
tan
mottling.This obviously
represents preference n the
part of the flint-working raftsmen or craftsman?)
who
produced hespecimens.
Crescent-shapedlints
Lunate or
crescenticchippedstone tools have
been
describedby
variousauthoritiesas having been
used to
bore or drill alabastervases or
other stone vessels,or
used for cutting limestone.24 uch implementsare
par-
ticularly
common at the site of Saqqara.25
Various
hieroglyphic epresentations f
stone vase boringequip-
ment indicate
some kind of detachable"drillbit,"
often
of crescentic
orm.2fi
Having
helped to record in great detail the
contem-
porary alabaster vase making technology in Upper
Egypt in 1971
and 1972, I am convinced hat had
such
"crescents"been used to bore
stone vessels, veryheavy
use-wear
(especially heavy edge dulling) would
have
resulted. I examined one such
specimen in the Lowie
collections,
and it showed absolutely no wear.
Those
crescents I examined while in
Egypt also showed no
macroscopicevidence of havingbeen used in such
ar-
duous tasks. I feel certain that the crescentswere
not
vase borers,
although furtherwear pattern
analysis of
these specimens n other
collections is required o test
this assertion.The actual drillbits were most likely
len-
ticular pieces
of sandstone or quartzite,
specimensof
which have been found bearing appropriate wear
marks.27
ModifiedBlades
Thirty blades in the Lowie sample have been
uni-
facially
rimmed ventral o dorsal)and/or truncatedat
the proximaland distal ends.
Many of these resemble
sickle components, and are
especiallysimilar to those
23. Lythgoe,op. cit. (in note 4) 156;FIg.
8.
24. C. M. Firth"A DatableFlintTool,"
Antiquity4 (1930) 104-105.
25. C. M. Firth and J. E. Quibell,
Excavations at Saqqara, The Step
Pyramid, Vol. I
(Cairo 1935); -P Lauerand F. DeBono, "Techniqu
de Faconnage
des Croissantsde Silex Utilises dans
lsEnceintede
Zoser,"Annales
du Service des Antiquites de l'Egypte 50 (1950)
1-18.
26. P. Montet,
Les Scenes de la Vie Prive'edans les Tombeaux
Egyp-
tiens de
l'Ancien Empire (Strasbourg1925);V. G. Childe,
"Rotary
Motion,"
History of Technology, Vol. I (New York and London
1954
193.
27. L. Borchardt"Das Gradbdenkmal
des Konigs Ne-User-Re,"
Deutsche Oriente-Gesellschaft
Wissenshaftliche Veroffent-Lichunge
(1907).
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350 Newsand ShortContributions
One distally runcatedblade n the samplehas a strik-
ing platformwhich is distinctly ipped (overhanging n
the ventral side). The dorsal rim of the platform is
dulled. Such dulling was often done in stone working
technologies as platform preparation, and the over-
hanging or lipped platforms are usually the result of
soft-hammer percussion.31No evidence of use was
found on this specimen
FIG. 4,c).
Concluding omments
In this brief note, I have summarized he resultsof a
test study of wear patterns ound on chipped tone tools
from ancient Egypt. Of course this exercise,using such
a small sample of artifacts, cannot lead to any far-
reachingcommentsor interpretations egarding he ac-
tual function of certain categories of Egyptian stone
tools. However,I hope this study has at least suggested
the potential for wear-pattern esearchwith Egyptian
lithics. Technologicalor functional studies (as well as
almost all other considerations) of Predynastic and
Dynastic stone tools in Egypt have been almost totally
31. For a description f flake attributes esulting rom soft-hamme
,nercussion, ee D. E. Crabtree,An Introduction to Flint- Workin
(Pocatello, Idaho 1975)44, 74-75;see also p. 84 for a discussionof
dullingas a formof platformpreparation.
E D 7
s /- -
b i 0 ' _
O 1 2
3
4
s d e
l l
X
,
|
lem
Figure4. Blade Tools. a, b, bi-truncated lades Lowie Museum6-
544 and 6-2539); pecimen has dullingwearat both truncated nds;
e, sickleblade Lowie Museum -412);d, pointedbladewith trimming
along eft edge and at tip (Lowie Museum6-544); , distally runcated
blade see text; LowieMuseum -544).
found in place on wooden handles in a tomb at Saq-
qara.28Eighteen examples bear no traces of utilitarian
use. The other 12 evidencevaryingdegreesof wear, in-
cluding glossy sheen, minute step-fracturingon the
trimmed (truncated)ends, edge retouch, and dulling.
Interestingly,most of those with wearrevealed vidence
of use on the truncated nds, suggesting hat they might
have been "end scrapers" in functional terms (FIG.
4,a,b).
Two bi-truncated lades exhibiteduse-wearwhich in-
dicates their use as sickle blades
(FIG. 4,c).
Both have
one lateral edge with numerousserrations,dulled and
worn from use, and accompaniedby the characteristic
"sickle polish" or glossy sheen. However, th.eopposite
lateral edges on both specimensare also heavily dulled
and have the glossy sheen. It seems likely that these
edges were originally serrated but were worn down
(with "sickle polish" accruing),and then "reversed" o
that the opposite edge could be used. Several archae-
ologists have described the traits found on "sickle
blades,"29 nd Petrie has done so particularly n refer-
ence to Egypt.30
Six pointed blades ("lancets") were also studied.
These had tiny striking platforms (1 x 1 mm. on the
average)and diffuse bulbs of percussion.Two had the
platforms and bulbs trimmed away, suggesting that
they might have been hafted. However, only one
specimen (Lowie 6-544) bore any trace of use, in the
form of fine edge trimmingalong one side and at the tip
(FIG. 4,d).
28. Examples f well-preservedickles with stone blades)are on dis-
play in the EgyptianMuseum Cairo), and are from the site of Saq-
qara; ee also H. Frankfort,The Birth of Civilization in the Near East
(GardenCity, New York 1956)Pl. 1, E.
29. See J. Witthoft,"GlazedPolishon FlintTools,"AmAnt 32 (1967)
( I967) 383-388.
30. See W. M. F. Petrie,Tools and Weapons(London 1917)46.
Figure 5. Biface. Large biface typical of those used in ceremonial
oxen butchering in Old Kingdom times. Beveling resulting from
resharpening technology is to be found along the convex (lower) edge
(length of specimen, 15.3 cm.; Lowie Museum 6-1861).
-
- -
-
-
-
a
cml 11 21 31 41 51
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Journal f FieldArchaeology/Vol.3, 1976
351
ignored since the
early publications of Quibell32and
Currelly.33 oth Quibell and Currellymade
numerous
statementsabout the presenceof wear on stone tools in
the collections of the Egyptian Museum.
Currelly, or
example,noted the
recurrence f beveling which he in-
terpretedquite correctly as evidence of
resharpening)
on the large, handled lint bifacesused in oxen butcher-
ing duringOld
Kingdom imes
FIG.
5).34
There are large
samples of Egyptian stone tools in
museum collections around the world. A
program of
systematic
wear-patternanalysis, coupled with repli-
cative experimentsand a review of
pertinent ancient
Egyptian texts and
tomb reliefs, could provide the
archaeologistwith
substantive nformationon the day-
to-day use of these tools. Review of tomb
association
data might also
provide, as I indicated earlier in this
paper,the specific inkageof certain ool
formseither o
male or female use. I
believe such studieswould be a
significantcontribution o the
anthropological nalysis
of life in ancientEgypt.
THOMASR. HESTER
THE UNIVERSITYOF TEXASAT SAN ANTONIO
32. Quibell,op. cit. (in note
4).
33. Currelly, p. cit. (in note 4).
34. Additionaldescriptionof resharpeningechniques
an be found
in T. R. Hester,"Notes on
Stone KnifeSharpening echnology n the
EgyptianOld Kingdom,"manuscript; nd F. L1.GriffithBeniHasan,
PartIII (London 1896).
Examination f FurnaceLinings
fromRothenberg ite #590 in Wadi Zaghra
Rothenbergsite #590 in the SE Sinai was
visited in
1905 by C. T.
Currelly,' who found neolithic arrow-
headsand
metallurgical rtifacts.B. Rothenberg arried
out a preliminary urvey n 1972 and an excavation n
1973.2The site is
describedas an EarlyBronze Age II
site in whichmetallurgical emainswere
discovered, n-
cluding rough slag adhering to furnace
walls and
remains of smelting furnaces. The furnaces were
describedas built of
medium-sized tones,and chemical
1. C. T. Currelly, n W. M.
FlindersPetrie,Researchesn Sinai (New
York 1906)239-240,pl.
170-171.
2. B. Rothenberg, inai
Explorations 967-1972,MuseumHaartzAn-
nual, Tel-Aviv 14 (1972) 35-36;B. Rothenberg,H. G. Bachman, nd
A. Lupu, "Two EmergencyExcavations n Sinai,"
private report
( 1974).
Figure
1. Scanning electron micrograph of refractory
illustrating
boundary between unaltered
sandstone structure on right and altered
structure on left (58x).
analysis showed the slag to be of a fayalite type, with
lessthan 1% oppercontent.
Description f the Samples
Samples 561A, 561C, and
561D were sent to us from
this site by B. Rothenberg,
and were describedas fur-
nace
linings. In each sample, a layer of
refractory
materialapproximately 0 mm. thick was coated
on one
sideby a black slag layer
which variedfrom 1 to 5 mm.
thick.
SampleExamination
Microscopic examinationindicated that the
refrac-
torymaterialmore than
5-15 mm. from the slag surface
consists of a rather poorly consolidated
sandstone in
which
angularquartzgrainsare bonded in a
matrixof
clay, feldspar,and mica. Up
to a depth of 5 to 15mm.
from
the surface there is severe alteration of
this
material, he formation of sphericalbubbles in a
hard
glass-quartzconglomerate.In the slag layer
there are
frequentquartz grain
inclusions and local areas of in-
tense
reddishcolorationcorresponding o copper
oxide.
No pellets of copper were observed,but thereare fine
particles of copper, in the size range 5-10,
microns
present, with irregular surfaces suggesting that the
temperatureat the
refractory nterfacewas not above
the melting point of copper
at the time theseparticles
wereformed.
Scanningelectron
micrographs f a polishedsurface
are shown in Figure 1.
At the right-handside the
irregular structure of angular quartz grains
of the
sandstone is apparent,
together with a fairly sharp