Writing, 'Art' and Society: A Contextual Archaeology of the Inscribed Labels of the Late Predynastic-Early Dynastic Egypt (PhD Thesis)

FP......Page 1
Abstract......Page 3
Table of Contents......Page 4
List of Figures......Page 11
Ackwnoledgements......Page 28
1.1 Introduction......Page 30
1.2 The Inscribed Labels in the Past and the Present......Page 31
1.3 Structure of the Thesis......Page 34
1.4 Defining the Dataset......Page 35
1.4.1 Discovery of the Labels......Page 39
1.4.2 Charting Time......Page 41
1.4.3 Relative Dating for Tombs and Labels......Page 44
1.4.4 Absolute Label Dates......Page 46
1.4.5 Locating the Labels......Page 47
1.5 Review of Previous Research......Page 48
1.5.1 The Inscribed Labels and Early Egyptian Society......Page 49
1.5.2 Proposals for the Primary Use of Labels......Page 51
1.5.3 Interpretations of Label Content......Page 52
1.5.4 \'Origins\' and Anachronism......Page 55
1.5.5 Labels as Evidence for Script Formation......Page 56
1.5.6 Labels as Evidence for Chronology......Page 59
1.5.7 \'Text\'-centred Approaches......Page 61
1.5.8 The Question of Historicity......Page 62
1.6 From Dichotomies Towards Integration......Page 64
1.7 Bridging Gaps in Previous Research......Page 67
1.8 Aims and Research Questions......Page 68
1.8.1 Research Question 1: Archaeological context......Page 71
1.8.3 Research Question 3: Graphical content......Page 72
1.8.5 Research Question 5: Broader social context......Page 73
1.9 Summing Up......Page 74
2.1 Introduction......Page 75
2.2 Archaeological Context......Page 78
2.2.1 The Temporal Dimension......Page 79
2.2.3 The Depositional Dimension......Page 80
2.2.4 The Typological Dimension......Page 81
2.2.5 Burial in its Own Rite......Page 82
2.3.1 From Structuralism to Structuration......Page 84
2.3.2 Practice as Participation and Reification......Page 88
2.4 Material Culture, Materials, Materiality......Page 91
2.4.1 The \'Becoming\' of the Image and Experimental Archaeology......Page 95
2.4.2 Language as Analogy......Page 97
2.5 Theoretical Approaches to Graphical Content......Page 98
2.5.2 The Site of the Image......Page 99
2.5.3 Audiencing......Page 101
2.5.4 A Social Semiological Framework for Interpreting Graphical Meanings......Page 102
2.6 Summing Up......Page 105
3.1 Introduction......Page 108
3.2.1 Published Sources......Page 109
3.2.2 First-hand Observation......Page 110
3.2.3 Problematising the Data......Page 112
3.3 The Databases......Page 113
3.3.1 Microsoft Access......Page 114
3.3.2 ATLAS. ti......Page 115
3.4 Analysing Archaeological Context......Page 118
3.5 Analysing Material and Form......Page 119
3.6 Analysing Graphical Content......Page 122
3.7 Summing Up......Page 124
4.1 Introduction......Page 125
4.3 Details of Label Archaeological Contexts......Page 126
4.4 Naqada......Page 127
4.4.1 Naqada Mastaba......Page 128
4.5 Abydos, Umm el-Qa\'ab......Page 129
4.5.1.2 Tomb U-j......Page 131
4.5.1.5 Tomb U-qq......Page 133
4.5.2 The Relationshipo f CemeteriesU and B Label Finds......Page 134
4.5.3.1 Tomb B50 (Owner unclear)......Page 135
4.5.3.2 Tomb B 17B 18 (Narmer......Page 136
4.5.4 `Royal\' Tombs Cemetery......Page 137
4.5.4.1 Tomb Complex O (Djer)......Page 138
4.5.4.4 Tomb Complex T (Den)......Page 139
4.5.4.5 Tomb Complex X (Anedjib)......Page 141
4.5.4.7 Tomb Q (Qa\'a)......Page 142
4.6 North Cemetery, Abydos......Page 145
4.7.1 North Saqqara......Page 146
4.7.1.2 Tomb No. S3035 (Djer> Den> Semerkhet?)......Page 147
4.7.1.3 Tomb No. S3504 (Djet > Den > Qa\'a)......Page 148
4.7.2.1 Tomb 59 (Den(?))......Page 150
4.8 Helwan......Page 151
4.8.3 Tomb 635 H. 9......Page 152
4.10.1 Giza Tomb V, Grave 2......Page 153
4.13.1 The NIIIAI Labels in Context......Page 154
4.13.2 The NIIIC-early D Labels in Context......Page 156
4.13.3 Funerary and/or Mortuary Use of Labels?......Page 161
4.14 Summing Up......Page 163
5.1 Introduction......Page 164
5.2 Materials and Materiality......Page 165
5.3 Label Materials......Page 166
5.3.3 Hippopotamus Ivory......Page 167
5.3.4 Stone......Page 168
5.3.5 Wood......Page 169
5.4.1 Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Label Materials......Page 170
5.5 Preservation......Page 171
5.5.1 The Substrate......Page 172
5.5.2 The Constrate......Page 174
5.6 Materials Becoming Plaques: Making and shaping......Page 175
5.6.1 The Perforation......Page 176
5.7 Plaques Becoming Labels......Page 178
5.7.1 Incision......Page 179
5.7.1.1 Incision with Paste Infill......Page 180
5.7.4 Technique Summary......Page 181
5.8.1 Substrate Colour......Page 182
5.8.2 Constrate Colour......Page 183
5.9 Single vs. Double Sided Labels......Page 184
5.10 Materials and Techniques Across Time-Space......Page 185
5.11 The \'Becoming\' of Material Visual Culture and Experimental Archaeology......Page 187
5.12 Making, Unmaking and Remaking......Page 190
5.13 Summing Up......Page 192
6.1 Classifying and Categorising Images......Page 194
6.3 Figural VOs......Page 196
6.3.1 Adornment......Page 197
6.3.2 Architecture......Page 199
6.3.3 Body Elements......Page 200
6.3.4 Containers......Page 202
6.3.5 Fauna......Page 203
6.3.6 Figures......Page 205
6.3.7 Flora......Page 206
6.3.8 Furniture......Page 207
6.3.9 Implements......Page 208
6.3.10 Landscape......Page 210
6.3.11 Support......Page 211
6.3.12 Transport......Page 212
6.4 Non-Figural VOs......Page 213
6.4.1 Circular......Page 214
6.4.2 Curvilinear......Page 215
6.4.4 Complex Linear Shapes......Page 216
6.4.5 Structuring Elements (SEs)......Page 217
6.4.6 Rectangles......Page 218
6.4.7 Frames......Page 219
6.4.8 Strokes and Notches......Page 221
6.4.9 Triangles......Page 222
6.5 Summing Up......Page 223
7.1 Introduction......Page 226
7.2.1 Mode......Page 227
7.2.2 Orientation......Page 228
7.2.3 View......Page 229
7.2.4 Direction......Page 230
7.3 Image Associations......Page 231
7.3.1 Contiguity......Page 232
7.3.3 Bounded......Page 233
7.3.4 Partially Bounding/Bounded......Page 234
7.3.5 Overlap......Page 235
7.3.7 Alignment......Page 236
7.4.1 Presence/Absencoef ConstituentE lements......Page 237
7.4.2 Configuration......Page 238
7.5 Clusters......Page 239
7.5.1 Presence/Absencoef ConstituentE lements......Page 240
7.5.2 Organisation......Page 241
7.5.3 Ordering and Direction of Constituent Elements......Page 242
7.6 Summing Up: CVOs and Clusters......Page 243
7.7.1 Distribution of SVOs and CEs: NIIIA1......Page 245
7.7.2 Distribution of SVOs and CEs: NIIIC-early D......Page 246
7.7.3 Distribution of CVOs and Clusters: Both phases......Page 247
7.8.1 Using Horizontal Lines and Edges......Page 248
7.8.3 Label Format Types......Page 249
7.9 Summing Up: Format......Page 251
7.10. 1 Distribution Within the Horizontal Format......Page 252
7.10.2 Distribution Within the Vertical Format......Page 253
7.10.4 Distribution Within the Tabular Format......Page 254
7.11 Discussion: Composition and the construction of a label typology......Page 256
8.1 Introduction......Page 259
8.2 Comparative Case Study 1: NIIIA1 Jar Inscriptions......Page 260
8.2.1 Archaeological Context......Page 261
8.2.2 Materials and Techniques......Page 263
8.3 Comparative Case Study 2: NIIIC-early D Funerary Stelae......Page 264
8.3.1 Archaeological Context......Page 267
8.3.2 Materials and Techniques......Page 269
8.4 Comparing and Contrasting Graphical Repertoires......Page 271
8.4.1 Selected Detailed Comparisons......Page 272
8.5.1 Mode......Page 275
8.5.2 Orientation and Direction......Page 276
8.5.3 View......Page 277
8.5.4 Graphical Association......Page 278
8.5.5 Sequence, Repetition and Alignment......Page 279
8.5.6 Format......Page 280
8.5.7 Scale and Use of Space......Page 281
8.6 Jar, Stelae and Label Imagery in Practice......Page 283
8.7.1 Numerical Signs......Page 291
8.7.2 Finding the Individual......Page 294
8.8 Summing Up......Page 298
9.1 Overview......Page 300
9.2 The Relationship Between the NIIIA1 and NIIIC-early D Labels......Page 302
9.3 Mechanical Functions......Page 303
9.4 Semantic Relationships......Page 305
9.5 Whose Personal Identity?......Page 307
9.6 Slippery Signs: Writing or Picture?......Page 308
9.7 Labels in Their Wider Social Context......Page 309
9.8 Concluding Remarks......Page 313
REFERENCES......Page 315