Typologies

Each artefact recorded in Ponda  is given a unique identifying number that consists first of a letter-code that specifies the type or class to which the object belongs.  The letter codes are followed by four digits attributed randomely to artefacts in sequential order. We purposefuly avoid numbering objects according to their archaeological sites, collections, dimensions, or any other criteria, in order to be able to add these corpora as time goes by without any limitation.

 

Ceramic vessels

The ceramic material, the most abundant type of remains found at predynastic sites, is treated slightly differently from the rest. Vessels are sub-divided in nine classes  (following Petrie: 1921)  and each class is attributed a 1-letter code. Ceramic vessels of undermined type as well as imported vessels that do not fit in Petrie's system receive 3-letter codes.

  • Black-topped ware (B-ware)             :      B-

  • Red-polishied ware (P-ware)            :      P-

  • White cross-lined ware (C-ware)      :     C-

  • Decorated ware (D-ware)                  :     D-

  • Late ware (L-ware)                              :     L-

  • Fancy-ware (F-ware)                           :     F-

  • Black-incised ware (N-ware)              :    N-

  • Rough-ware (R-ware)                          :    R-

  • Wavy-handled ware (W-ware)           :    W-

Ceramic, class not defined                          :    CER-

Imported ceramic                                         :    IMP-

Ceramic classification

Non-anthropogenic remains

Faunal remain                                                 :    FAU-

Human remain                                                :    HUM-

Organic material                                             :    ORG-

Fake and forged artefacts

Occasionnaly, artefacts that are considered as fake, reconstructed from parts that did not originally belong together, and that have forged decoration are registered with the 3-letter code FAK- . 

Other types of material culture

Non-ceramic categories all start with a 3-letter code. The list below is provisional; it is based on the list of material from Petrie's excavation at Naqada in 1895, as listed by Elise Baumgartel and the corrections of Joan C. Payne. As more corpora are included in Ponda, changes may be implemented, and additional categories can be created as necessary.


Basket and basket impression                    :     BAS-

Cone                                                                 :    CON-

Figurine and figurine element                     :    FIG-

Gaming piece and gaming set                     :    GAM-

Mineral (lumps, unworked, raugh mat.)    :    MIN-

Model                                                               :    MOD-

Palette                                                              :    PAL-

Pebble                                                              :    PEB-

Personal ornament                                        :    PER-

Shell                                                                  :    SHE-

Spoon                                                               :    SPO-

Stone vessel                                                    :    STO-

String                                                                :    STR-

Tag                                                                    :    TAG-

Textile                                                               :    TXT-

Thong                                                               :    THO-

Tool or weapon                                               :    TOO-

Tusk                                                                   :    TUK-

Vessel (other than ceramic or stone)           :    VES-

Weight                                                               :    WEI-

Miscellenaous                                                  :    MIS-