Fish-Tail Knife
56.20.44
Information
Flint knife or spearhead, often referred to as a Peseshkef knife by Egyptologists. Ripple flaked with finely serrated forked end resembling a fishtail. The pointed end would have been hafted to a handle. An article by Ann Macy Roth in 'The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology' vol. 78 discusses the possible ritual nature of such a tool.
Marked in pencil 1676 neqada. Marked in ink 1676. Excavated by Flinders Petrie at Naqada tomb number 1676 during the winter of 1894-5 for the Egyptian Research Account.
See 'The Flint Implements of Naqada' by F. C. J. Spurrell in Petrie and Quibell, 'Naqada and Ballas' (London, 1896) pp. 55-59, pl. LXXIII, no. 66 (grave 1676).
See, A M Roth, 'The psS-kf and the "opening of the mouth" ceremony', JEA 78 (1992), pp. 113-147, fig. 4 [a].