K.M. Ciałowicz - Gazelles and Ostriches from Tell-el Farkha.pdf - ARCHEOLOGIA EGIPTU I BLISKIEGO WSCHODU - grappa25

studies in ancient art and civilization 12

Kraków 2008

Krzysztof M. Ciałowicz

Kraków

Gazelles and ostriches

from tell el-farKha

A few years ago S. Hendrickx published two articles regarding animal scenes

in Predynastic and Early Dynastic art. The irst one was dedicated to bird rep-

resentations on pottery 1 , while the second one concerns representations of bo-

vines 2 . The author included comprehensive annexes comprising a register of

objects with representations of animals of his interest in both articles.

In his opinion birds represented on D class pottery are ostriches rather than

lamingos - and undoubtedly this idea is correct. Bovine representations in ear-

ly Egyptian art are in many cases equally unquestionable and relatively com-

mon, especially during the Late Predynastic period. In some cases, however,

either the appearance of the animal or the shape of its horns not only render a

certain identiication impossible, but also allow to make a statement, that the

representation in question is rather of gazelles, or broadly hartebeest 3 . On some

objects bovines and gazelles were depicted together, examples of those include

the Narmer mace head, the Hieraconpolis painting or the Oxford palette. An

ostrich is also represented on the two latter objects.

It is worth to consider some objects discovered during excavations in Tell

el-Farkha in this context. The site, consisting of three koms (West, Central

and East) situated on the outskirts of the Ghazala village, since a few years

1 S. Hendrickx, Autruches et lamants – les oiseaux représentés sur la céramique prédynas-

tique de la catégorie Decorated , Cahiers Caribéens d’Egyptologie 1(2000), p. 21-52.

2 S. Hendrickx, Bovines in Egyptian Predynastic and Early Dynastic Iconography , [in:] f.a.

hassan , Droughts, Food and Culture. Ecological Change and Food Security in Africa’s Later

Prehistory , New York 2002, p. 275-318.

3 S. Hendrickx, Bovines… , p. 279.

Krzysztof M. Ciałowicz

has been providing some spectacular

discoveries 4 . During the irst seasons of

research conducted at that time by an

Italian team 5 , M. Chłodnicki discovered

a vessel (Fig. 1) used as a lower pot in

a house they had rented. That cylindrical

vessel is undoubtedly ancient, and by its

shape and a single rope pattern under

the rim we may date it to the Naqada

IIIB/IIIC1 period. A depiction of a her-

bivorous animal with a large head, long

horns and tail was engraved on the ves-

sel. The rite is very schematic and it is

dificult to decisively determine what

species the animal belongs to. It may

either be a depiction of a bovine or a

gazelle, however, if horn arrangement is

taken into consideration (see below), the

second option seems more plausible.

A small (1,5 cm in length) serpen-

tinite amulet depicting a reclining her-

bivore (Fig. 2) was discovered in 2003

in a settlement on the Central Kom 6 .

Attention is drawn to a relatively long

neck and a manner in which the tucked

legs of the animal are depicted, characteristic of herbivore representations

in Pre- and Early Dynastic art. The silhouette is schematic and a majority of

details were not emphasised. Nevertheless, the form of the animal is legible

enough to identify it as a depiction of a gazelle.

4 See eg. M. Chłodnicki, K.M. Ciałowicz, Tell el-Farkha , Polish Archaeology in the Mediter-

ranean (PAM) X-XVII, Warsaw; K.M. Ciałowicz , Ivory and Gold. Beginnings of the Egyptian

Art , Catalogue of the exhibition, Kraków-Poznań 2007.

5 See e.g. M. Chłodnicki, R. Fattovich, S. Salvatori , The archaeological mission of the

C.S.R.L. – Venice to the Eastern Delta: A preliminary report of the 1987-1988 ield seasons,

CRIPEL 14, 1992, pp. 46-53; M. Chłodnicki, R. Fattovich, S. Salvatori , Italian Excavations in

the Nile Delta: fresh data and new hypothesis on the 4 th millennium cultural development of

Egyptian prehistory , RdA 15, 1991, pp. 5-33.

6 M. Chłodnicki, K.M. Ciałowicz, Tell el-Farkha , Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean

XV, Warsaw 2004 p. 105; M. Chłodnicki, K.M. Ciałowicz et al., Polish excavations at Tell

el-Farkha (Ghazala)in the Nile Delta. Preliminary report 2002-2003 , Archeologia LV, 2004,

pp. 47-74.

Fig.1. Naqada vessel depicting a gazelle

(?). Tell el-Farkha. Storeroom in Mendes.

Phot. Robert Słaboński

Gazelles and ostriches from Tell el-Farkha

A half of a cylindrical seal,

chipped from the other part along

a vertical axis, was discovered

in the same layer (Fig 3). The

seal (2,1 cm in length) is made

of marlstone. The carving of the

depiction was deep (Fig. 4). In

the centre of the preserved part

a long-legged bird with short

wings, a long neck and a small

beak was represented. This man-

ner of depiction allows us to as-

sume that the author intended to

portray an ostrich. A hind part

(leg and tail) of an ungulate is

depicted in front of the bird,

while behind the bird an unidentiied fragment of another igure is visible.

Both above described objects were discovered in a layer dated to Naqada IIIB/

C1. A seal impression with a fragmentally preserved depiction of two herbi-

vores, probably gazelles, also originates from that context (Fig. 5).

In 2006 discoveries were made in Tell el-Farha that were not only sensa-

tional, but also very important from a scientiic point of view. Two igures por-

traying standing naked men (57 and 30 cm in height), probably a ruler and his

successor, were found on the East Kom. Both igures consisted of a probably

wooden core (not preserved) covered in gold foil that survived almost intact,

allowing a reconstruction of both igures 7 . The igures were found together with

two lint knives (including one of the ripple lake type) and necklace beads,

which probably adorned the larger igure. The beads (Fig. 6 8 ) were made of

carneol (56 pieces) and ostrich egg-shells (326 pieces). The entire group was

discovered in a layer dated to Naqada IIIB. We are not able to precisely estima-

te, however, how long before the group was hidden had the individual objects

been made. It seems that they are indeed much older and originate at least from

between the beginning of Naqada IIIA and the half of Naqada IIIB 9 .

The second spectacular discovery in the 2006 season was made on the West

Kom. In the western part of the so called administrative-cultic centre, dated to

Fig.2. Gazelle-shaped amulet. Serpentinite. Tell

el-Farkha Central Kom. Storeroom in Mendes

Phot. Robert Słaboński.

7 M. Chłodnicki, K.M. Ciałowicz, Golden igures from Tell el-Farkha , [in:] J. Śliwa (ed),

Studies in Ancient Art and Civilization 10 , Kraków 2007, pp. 7-21.

8 A picture of the reconstructed necklace. In: Chłodnicki, Ciałowicz, Golden igures… , ig. 10

9 Chłodnicki, Ciałowicz, Golden igures … , pp. 20-21.

Krzysztof M. Ciałowicz

the end of Dynasty 0 and the beginning of

Dynasty I, a room was discovered that cer-

tainly served a cultic purpose. Among other

objects a small jar (23 cm in height) covered

by a bowl (Fig. 7) was discovered there. In-

side the jar 62 votive objects were found 10 .

Human representations are dominant among

them. Animal depictions are relatively scar-

ce and there are neither ostriches nor gazelles

among them. The vessel itself was decorated

with impressed dots and incised, schematic

pictures of two herbivores and a bird. A frag-

ment depicting paws of an unidentiied igu-

re is preserved before the latter. The frieze

probably circled the vessel, so it is dificult

to deinitely establish where it started. Most

zoomorphic representations features birds

and herbivores in separate registers. Among

exceptions from this rule we may count a gi-

raffe depicted among long-legged, probably

marsh birds on the handles of the Brooklyn

and Carnarvon Knives and the Davis Comb 11

as well as the below described scene from the

Hammamiya vessel. In our case we may start

with the depiction of the bird, or rather a frag-

mentally preserved igure in front of him, or a

depiction of a smaller horned animal.

While the dots were certainly made befo-

re the vessel was baked with a stamp of some sort, the animal frieze was carved

later. Hard surface may be responsible for a slight chip on the surface of the ves-

sel that had probably appeared during the time the irst igure was being carved.

Judging by the preserved fragments: two legs, a larger part of the body and one

of the feathers symbolizing a tail the author intended to depict another bird. The

chipped surface made him abandon this intention, which is also proofed by the

10 M. Chłodnicki, K.M. Ciałowicz, Tell el-Farkha 2006 , PAM XVIII (in press); K.M. Ciałowicz,

Excavations of the Western Kom at Tell el-Farkha in 2006 , Recherches Archéologiques de

2004-2006 (in press).

11 K.M. Ciałowicz , La naissance d’un royaume. L’Egypte dès la période prédynastique à la

in de la I ére dynastie , Kraków 2001, pp. 173-176.

Fig.3. Half of a cylindrical seal

depicting an ostrich and a gazelle

(?). Marlstone. Tell el-Farkha Central

Kom. Storeroom in Mendes.

Phot. Robert Słaboński

Gazelles and ostriches from Tell el-Farkha

fact that this part of the picture was very

shallowly carved - other igures were made

with deep rites (ig. 9), probably achieved

by making multiple carvings of the surfa-

ce. It also needs to be stressed that very

little room was left between the above de-

scribed igure and the bird behind it. The

remaining igures were arranged at larger

and roughly equal intervals, so that each

was separately visible on one side of the

vessel. This may be a proof that the artist

intended to portray one bird and two horned

animals and the current appearance of the

frieze was caused by a failure to carve the

irst igure. By accepting this view we also

need to assume that the frieze on our vessel

starts with the depiction of a bird. It has an

oval body, long neck and legs, a small head

with no beak and three quite long feathers

for a tail. It seems to portray an ostrich.

Behind the bird a smaller horned animal is

depicted. The body and neck are symbolized by a horizontal line ending with a

relatively long, upwards curled tail on one side and an oval head with straight

horns on the other. Four lines run from the body downwards, representing legs.

A triangle is carved between the hind legs of the animal, which undoubtedly is

a schematic depiction of udders. Second igure is similar, but without udders.

A female and a male of some horned species are therefore portrayed on the

vessel. We may assume that the animals in question are bovines or gazelles or

antelopes. On the basis of such a schematic drawing it is hard to unambiguously

state what species the animals belong to. Due to the presence of an ostrich we

may assume, however, that the author intended to show a desert scene rather

than a row of domestic animals. In this case we may take either gazelles or wild

bovines into consideration. The latter (just as their domesticated relatives) are

usually depicted with semicircular horns, commonly bent forward 12 . Our depic-

tion features straight horns, and even slightly curved backwards in case of the

irst quadruped. The schematic representation does not allow full certainty, how-

ever we may assume that the intention was to depict gazelles. In this case the

shape of horns may point to oryx or gazelles with lyre-shaped horns, commonly

Fig.4. Cylindrical seal depicting an

ostrich and a gazelle (?).

Drawing by Anna Longa.

12 Hendrickx, Bovines… , p. 279.

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