A. Lucas

Cosmetics, Perfumes and Incense in Ancient Egypt

The two commonest eye-paints were malachite (a green ore of copper) and galena (a dark grey ore of lead), the former being the earlier of the two, but being ultimately largely replaced by the latter, which became the principal eye-paint of the country. Both malachite and galena are found in the graves in several conditions, namely, as fragments of the raw material, as stains on palettes and stones on which this was ground when required for use and in the prepared state (kohl), either as a compact mass of the finely ground material made into a paste (now dry) or more frequently as a powder. Malachite is known from the Badarian and earliest predynastic period-until at least the Nineteenth Dynasty , while galena does not appear before late predynastic times 3 , 5 and continues until the Coptic period. The crude form of both malachite and galena was often placed in the graves in small linen or leather bags. The prepared form has been found contained in shells, in segments of hollow reeds, wrapped in the leaves of plants and in small vases, sometimes reed-shaped. When kohl is found as a mass, as distinct from a powder, this has often manifestly shrunk 8 and has also sometimes acquired markings from the interior of the receptacle, from which it is evident that such preparations were originally in the condition of a paste, which has dried. With what the fine powder was mixed to form the paste has not been determined, though, since fatty matter is absent, the use either of water or gum and water seems probable. The composition of the ancient Egyptian kohl has been described by several writers: for example, by Wiedemann 9 (from analyses by Fischer); by Florence and Lore t 1 0 (who also quote Fischers analyses and in addition give particulars of a few earlier ones and

Mistakes in Chemical Matters Frequently Made in Archaeology

As various inaccuracies in chemical matters frequently occur in archaeological reports, the writer has ventured in the following note to draw attention to some of the more serious of them, in the hope that in time they may be rectified. As the question is not one of who is right, but of what is right, it }).as been thought better to avoid giving references. The matter will be made as little technical as possible.

Glazed Ware in Egypt, India, and Mesopotamia

I. Glazed Ware in Egypt Tim sequence which at present obtains for glazed ware from ancient E.gypt is--first, glazed steatite from the Badarian civilization ;1 second, glazed powdered quartz (faience) from the predynastic period, sequence date Sl,2 a number of variants of which came in later; third, glazed solid quartz, also from the predynastic period, but sequence date 48,2 and fourth, glazed pottery from the Arab period. This sequence, however, is liable to be upset at any time by fresh discoveries, and the natural sequence would seem to be-first, glazed solid quartz, which is the most likely to have been discovered accidentally and to have formed the starting-point for glazed ware (see p. 154); second, glazed quartz powder, the powdering and moulding, or other shaping, of quartz being an ingenious method of avoiding the cutting of such a hard stone; third, glazed steatite, which is merely the substitution of a natural soft stone, that can easily be carved, for a hard stone that can only be cut with difficulty; and fourth, glazed pottery. It seems highly probable, however, that at a very early date attempts were made to glaze pottery, which would have made it not only decorative but also impermeable to liquids, a very desirable property, but any such attempts must have ended in failure, since the only glaze known was an alkaline one, which will not adhere to ordinary clay ware, the lead glaze that will adhere not having been discovered until much later.3 The various kinds of glazed ware enumerated will now be described in order of sequence.

Were the Giza Pyramids Painted

So far as is known to the writer, the only published studies of this subject are one by himseIf, made many years ago, and a more recent one by Professor Andre Pochan, though references to the appearance and colour of the stones are not uncommon. Thus both Jomard (who climbed the pyramid) and Maspero (who apparently did not climb the pyramid, but relied upon Jomards description) both say that the portion of the casing of the pyramid of Chephren, still remaining in place at the apex, is coloured reddish in patches by lichen, the identification of this apparently having been made by the well-known botanist Delile, who accompanied Jomard on his climb up the pyramid. Professor Pochan, who also climbed the pyramid of Chephren, 2nd examined the stones at the apex, states that he saw lichen, but only on the north side, where the colour was blackish, and that the stones in general are of a reddish-brown colour. No proof that the black was indeed lichen is given, and the very dry situation would seem to make the presence of lichen improbable, unless it is growing on the patches of bird excrement that Jomard noticed, which, however, are not likely to be confined to the north side.