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346 NewsandShortContributions
carefullysquared blocks. Surprisingly,there is no apparent patternin the distributionof the dressedstone,
and there are no surface indicationsthat the mounds
supportedstructures.We did not excavatein the central
zone, but we did clean and recordproEllesexposed by
huaqueros'pits in threeof the mounds.One was a solid
cobble construction;the others contained a combination of trash fill and stone construction,but they were
too badly destroyedto permitidentificationof their internalstructures.
We excavatedthreetest pits in the northernsector of
the site, where stream cuts revealedstratifiedcultural
deposits extending to a depth of more than 4 m.
Analysis of the excavatedmaterialis now in progress;
the preliminaryindicationsare that La Sierrais basical[y a Late Classic site (ca. 650-900 A.C.). The lower
excavationlevels probablyrepresentan earlier(Earlyto
Middle Classic, ca. 200-650 A.C.) occupation. Radiocarbon assays on a series of charcoalsamplesfrom the
excavationsshouldrefinethe dating.
Judging by the variety of polychromepottery from
the excavations, La Sierra had wide-rangingexternal
connections:with Copan and the Maya area to the west
and north and with the Ulua Valley, Lake Yojoa, the
Comayaguabasin,and probablystill more distantareas
to the east and south. The constructionsin the central
part of La Sierra present an intriguing possibility.
Similar massive mound complexes on the island of
Cozumel a late exchange center have been interpreted as storage facilities for goods in transit.5At La
Sierra,the platformscould easily have servedto protect
perishable goods from the river, which periodically
floods lowerpartsof the site.
We excavated two test trenches and made a topographicmap at El Regadillo,a small site some 3.5 km.
west of La Sierra.El Regadilloappearsto be a singleperiodsite contemporarywith the earlieroccupationof
La Sierra.The flaked stone from the excavationsconsists mainly of several varieties of crypto-crystalline
quartz which exists in outcrops on the hill above the
site. El Regadillo may have been a supplier of these
local rawmaterialsfor othersettlementsin the valley.
Analysesof the data from the 1975season are now in
progress. In future Eleldseasons we plan intensiveinvestigationsof Naco and La Sierra.At both sites, the
first priority will be completingaccuratemaps which
can be used in systematicprogramsof intensivesurface
survey and excavation to investigate functional and
5. JeremyA. Sabloff and David A. Freidel, 'A Model of a PreColumbianTradingCenter,"AncientCivilizationand Trade(Albuquerque 1975) 369-408;JeremyA. Sabloff and William L. Rathje,
"The Riseof a MayaMerchantClass,"SAm233:4(1975)72-82.
ArtifactAnalyses
Unifacial Series
A group of eight unifaciallyworked flints were examined. One specimen is a large "end scraper"(FIG.
I,a), made on a large flake and unifaciallytrimmedat
the distal end, forminga convex "scraping"edge. This
particularspecimenwas found in the badly plundered
Tomb N7538 (Cemetery 7000) and dates from the
Predynasticera. The specimenwas part of a clusterof
flint tools, includinga "tailedscraper"(describedlater)
and a small blade.5The entirelengthof the convex distal edge of this large unifaceexhibiteddulling;the edge
angle of the distal edge was 70. In two areas, marked
3. The major objective of the research trips (supported by the
NationalGeographicSociety)was a studyof the Colossiof Memnon
(directedby R. F. Heizer);see R. F. Heizeret al., "The Colossi of
MemnonRevisited,"Science 182( 1973)1219-1225.
4. G. A. Reisner, The Early Dynastic Cemeteries of Naga-ed-Der,
Part / (Leipzig 1909);A. C. Mace, The Early Dynastic Cemeteries of
IVaga-ed-Der,Part 11 (Leipzig1909);A. M. Lythgoe,The Predynastic
Cemetery N7000, Naga-ed-Der, Part /V (Berkeley1965).
5. Lythgoe,op. cit. (in note4) Fig. 158,h, i.
X
,
4
,
5
1z
f
348 NewsandShortContributions
\1-!
I -l-
1
a
10. See Hester, Gilbow, and Albee, op. cit. (in note 6) 94.
der a shallow bowl in one part of the grave, and the tip
lyingnearthe skeleton.23
One notes that among the ''filshtail" bifacesat Nagaed-Der, all are made of dark gray chert with light tan
mottling.This obviously representsa preferenceon the
part of the flint-workingcraftsmen(or craftsman?)who
producedthe specimens.
Crescent-shaped
Flints
Lunate or crescenticchipped stone tools have been
describedby variousauthoritiesas havingbeen used to
bore or drill alabastervases or other stone vessels, or
used for cutting limestone.24Such implementsare particularly common at the site of Saqqara.25Various
hieroglyphicrepresentationsof stone vase boringequipment indicatesome kind of detachable"drillbit," often
of crescenticform.2fi
Having helped to record in great detail the contemporary alabaster vase making technology in Upper
Egypt in 1971and 1972, I am convincedthat had such
"crescents"been used to bore stone vessels,very heavy
use-wear (especially heavy edge dulling) would have
resulted. I examined one such specimen in the Lowie
collections, and it showed absolutely no wear. Those
crescents I examined while in Egypt also showed no
macroscopicevidence of having been used in such arduous tasks. I feel certain that the crescentswere not
vase borers, although furtherwear pattern analysis of
these specimensin other collections is requiredto test
this assertion.The actual drill bits weremost likely lenticular pieces of sandstone or quartzite,specimensof
which have been found bearing appropriate wear
marks.27
ModifiedBlades
Thirty blades in the Lowie sample have been unifaciallytrimmed(ventralto dorsal)and/or truncatedat
the proximaland distal ends. Many of these resemble
sickle components,and are especiallysimilar to those
23. Lythgoe,op. cit. (in note 4) 156;FIg.68.
19. C. Aldred,Egypt to the End of the Old Kingdom (New York 1966)
25. For otherdescriptionsof this artifactform,see Quibell,op. cit. (in
note 9?and C. T. Currelly,"Stone Implements,"Catalogue General
des Antiquites Egyptiennes du Musee du Caire (1913).
20. Currelly,op. cit. (in note 19)P1.XLVII,illustratesa haftedexample.
21. Lythgoe,op. cit. (in note 4) 409;FIg.184.h.
22. Quibell, op. cit. (in note 9) Pl. 52, illustratesa number of
specimensbrokenin this manner.
26. P. Montet,Les Scenes de la Vie Prive'edans les Tombeaux Egyptiens de l'Ancien Empire (Strasbourg1925);V. G. Childe, "Rotary
Motion,"History of Technology, Vol. I (New York and London 1954)
193.
27. L. Borchardt"Das Gradbdenkmaldes Konigs Ne-User-Re,"
Deutsche Oriente-Gesellschaft Wissenshaftliche Veroffent-Lichungen
(1907).
350 NewsandShortContributions
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Figure4. Blade Tools. a, b, bi-truncatedblades(LowieMuseum6544 and 6-2539);specimena has dullingwearat both truncatedends;
e, sickleblade(LowieMuseum6-412);d, pointedbladewith trimming
alongleft edgeand at tip (LowieMuseum6-544);e, distallytruncated
blade(see text;LowieMuseum6-544).
Two bi-truncatedbladesexhibiteduse-wearwhich indicates their use as sickle blades (FIG. 4,c). Both have
one lateral edge with numerousserrations,dulled and
worn from use, and accompaniedby the characteristic
"sickle polish" or glossy sheen. However, th.eopposite
lateral edges on both specimensare also heavily dulled
and have the glossy sheen. It seems likely that these
edges were originally serrated but were worn down
(with "sicklepolish" accruing),and then "reversed"so
that the opposite edge could be used. Several archaeologists have described the traits found on "sickle
blades,"29and Petrie has done so particularlyin reference to Egypt.30
Six pointed blades ("lancets") were also studied.
These had tiny striking platforms(1 x 1 mm. on the
average)and diffuse bulbs of percussion.Two had the
platforms and bulbs trimmed away, suggesting that
they might have been hafted. However, only one
specimen (Lowie 6-544) bore any trace of use, in the
form of fine edge trimmingalong one side and at the tip
ConcludingComments
In this brief note, I have summarizedthe resultsof a
test studyof wearpatternsfound on chippedstone tools
from ancient Egypt. Of coursethis exercise,using such
a small sample of artifacts, cannot lead to any farreachingcommentsor interpretationsregardingthe actual function of certain categories of Egyptian stone
tools. However,I hope this study has at least suggested
the potential for wear-patternresearchwith Egyptian
lithics. Technologicalor functionalstudies (as well as
almost all other considerations)of Predynasticand
Dynastic stone tools in Egypthave been almost totally
31. For a descriptionof flake attributesresultingfrom soft-hammer
,nercussion,see D. E. Crabtree,An Introduction to Flint- Working
(Pocatello, Idaho 1975)44, 74-75;see also p. 84 for a discussionof
dullingas a formof platformpreparation.
cml 11 21 31 41 51
(FIG. 4,d).
28. Examplesof well-preservedsickles(with stone blades)are on display in the EgyptianMuseum(Cairo),and are from the site of Saqqara;see also H. Frankfort,The Birth of Civilization in the Near East
(GardenCity, New York 1956)Pl. 1, E.
29. See J. Witthoft,"GlazedPolishon FlintTools,"AmAnt 32 (1967)
( I967) 383-388.
30. See W. M. F. Petrie,Tools and Weapons(London 1917)46.
THOMASR. HESTER
THE UNIVERSITYOF TEXASAT SAN ANTONIO
Examinationof FurnaceLinings
fromRothenbergSite #590 in WadiZaghra
Rothenbergsite #590 in the SE Sinai was visited in
1905 by C. T. Currelly,'who found neolithic arrowheadsand metallurgicalartifacts.B. Rothenbergcarried
out a preliminarysurveyin 1972 and an excavationin
1973.2The site is describedas an Early BronzeAge II
site in which metallurgicalremainswere discovered,including rough slag adhering to furnace walls and
remains of smelting furnaces. The furnaces were
describedas built of medium-sizedstones, and chemical
1. C. T. Currelly,in W. M. FlindersPetrie,Researchesin Sinai(New
York 1906)239-240,pl. 170-171.
2. B. Rothenberg,SinaiExplorations1967-1972,MuseumHaartzAnnual, Tel-Aviv 14 (1972)35-36;B. Rothenberg,H. G. Bachman,and
A. Lupu, "Two EmergencyExcavationsin Sinai," private report
( 1974).
SampleExamination
Microscopic examination indicated that the refractory materialmore than 5-15 mm. from the slag surface
consists of a rather poorly consolidated sandstone in
which angularquartzgrains are bonded in a matrixof
clay, feldspar,and mica. Up to a depth of 5 to 15 mm.
from the surface there is severe alteration of this
material,the formationof sphericalbubbles in a hard
glass-quartzconglomerate.In the slag layer there are
frequentquartz grain inclusionsand local areas of intense reddishcolorationcorrespondingto copperoxide.
No pellets of copper were observed,but there are fine
particles of copper, in the size range 5-10, microns
present, with irregular surfaces suggesting that the
temperatureat the refractoryinterfacewas not above
the melting point of copper at the time these particles
wereformed.
Scanningelectron micrographsof a polished surface
are shown in Figure 1. At the right-hand side the
irregular structure of angular quartz grains of the
sandstone is apparent, together with a fairly sharp