Model – boat, fragment MOD-0028
By Vanhulle, Dorian
, Nekhen town, Temple, 'Main Deposit'.
1898–1899 : Egypt Exploration Fund excavation.Oxford, Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, AN 1896–1908 E.4663.
Date : Naqada III
This model comes from the 'Main Deposit' at Hierakonpolis, which notably contained Early Dynastic material such as the Narmer Palette, the Narmer Mace-head and the Scorpion Mace-head (Dynasties "0" and 1). The archaic levels in the Temple of Hierakonpolis are extremely difficult to date with precision since the deposits have been used during an extensive period of time and mix materials from different periods.
Material : Ivory (undefined) (Carved)
Preservation : Fragment
Preservation information :
The object consists of the prow of boat. The rest of the model is lost.
Description
Fragment of a boat model showing carved double-stranded rope ties running around the outside of the hull in a pattern identical to the the boat depicted on the Plover Palette (Asselbergh 1961: 336–337, pl. 90.159). The hull is hollowed out and the bottom of the model is rounded. The papyrus bundle is differentiated, which is consistent with what is visible on the Plover palette: the elongation of the prow is made of one or several bundles of reed fixed to a main structure consisting of a wooden hull.
Decoration
The incisions, consisting of strokes and crosses, are probably emulating the ligatures that were fixing the gunwale (most probably a bundle of reeds) to the wooden hull of the boat.
Dimensions (cm)
2.5
2.5
8.4
Additional information
Acknowledgements
We thank Liam McNamara for facilitating the study of this artefact.
References
1993
An Early Dynastic hide-covered model papyrus boat. Revue d'Égyptologie 44
, 84, pl. IV.
