Ointment Jar

Cylinder beaker form vase with external flat rim. Well made. From Eastern Ridge (?) grave 748 (as is another stone jar 1977.109.75). The shape of the vessel roughly corresponds with Petrie's Sequence Date 80. Compare with Ali el-Khouli, 'Egyptian Stone Vessels Predynastic Period to Dynasty III' (Mainz, 1978) nos. 1007-1010, p. 137; and Barbara Aston, 'Ancient Egyptian Stone Vessels Materials and Forms' (Heidelberg, 1994), no. 37. From tomb 748 A'09 described by John Garstang as "2 coffin burials" with "undisturbed tomb-group". A photographs shows an extended skeleton in what remains of a wooden coffin. Small alabaster vessels (World Museum 1977.109.75 and 1977.109.128) and small ceramic vessels are placed within the coffin at the feet of the body, with a mirror immediately to the left of the head. The skull of a bovid lies next to the coffin. CONDITION NOTE 1998: Chips to rims, some running cracks from top rim, discoloured on base, surface dirt, label adhered to top rim.