A Sumerian Palace and the "A" cemetery at Kish, Mesopotamia

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HOUSEHOLD AND TOILET ARTICLES SPINDLES AND SPINDLE-WHORLS Plates XL, No. 3, LVIII, Figs. 1-3, LIX, Figs. 15-18 The spindle illustrated in Plates XL, No. 3 and LVIII, Fig. 1, is made of copper. It was found in burial 11 with two curious rods (Figs. 2 and 3). As this burial had been disturbed, the original position of these three objects could not be determined. The spindle measures 2.85 cm in length, the shaft being 3 mm in diameter near the whorl. The hook had been anciently broken off, but the fact that there had been a hook is proved by the spindle found last season in burial 21. The whorl is a thin piece of copper, 4.10 cm in diameter and slightly domed. In order to provide the necessary weight, the hollow in the whorl was doubtless filled up with some composition, which became detached when the burial was disturbed. The purpose of the two copper rods found with the spindle is difficult to understand. Fig. 2 is 20.10 cm long, and is surmounted by a flat nail-like head, 15 mm in diameter. The staff is 4 mm in diameter immediately below the head, and gradually thickens to 7 mm in diameter at the end. The head was attached by splitting the top of the pin and bending the two portions over at the top of the head. Fig. 3, of slightly different design, is 21 cm long and 5.50 mm square at both ends and round at the middle, where its diameter is 4.50 millimetres. The head which is attached in the same way as in Fig. 2 is 16 mm in diameter. That these two objects were used in connection with spinning seems probable, and they may have been employed as distaffs (Reg. Nos. 2454, 2455; Field). Several isolated spindle-whorls have been found. Fig. 15 of Plate LIX is a spindle-whorl of baked clay which has been poorly and roughly glazed. It was found 175 cm below the surface, and probably once belonged to a grave (Reg. No. 1832; Field). Fig. 16, from grave 49, is made of a white paste covered with a glaze that was originally green or blue in color (Reg. No. 1856; Field). Fig. 17, a finely-made whorl, is of steatite. It was found in one of the small rooms on the summit of the mound, which are probably of the grave period. It is 27.50 mm in diameter and 10 mm high (Reg. No. 2123; Field). Fig. 18 lay in front of the face of the occupant of burial 55. It is made of shell, and is divided into three parts by rough triangles, apices downward, which are decorated with parallel lines. Small pieces of lapis lazuli were formerly inlaid in the intervals between the triangles. The spindle itself was probably made of wood, and has accordingly disappeared (Reg. No. 1955; Field). TOILET CASES Plates XLIII, No. 1 and LIX, Figs. 28B-30 Toilet cases were found in eleven burials of both sexes. Their position in those burials which were undisturbed (burials 63, 82, 92, 93, 104, 135) was close to the pelvis—a sufficient proof that they were either carried in the girdle or on a 168
THE "A" CEMETERY, KISH (Continued) 169 cord suspended from the girdle. Two specimens were found in grave 92, which suggests that two people were buried there; but, though the bones in this grave were very difficult to trace owing to decay, there was no indication of a second body. Owing to corrosion it is impossible to examine any of the contents of these cases properly, for none of them can be withdrawn. Fortunately, however, sets of tools which had accidentally fallen from their cases anciently were obtained from several parts of the mound. Two such sets of tools are shown in Plates XLIII, No. 1 and LIX, Fig. 28B. Toilet cases contain either three (burials 47, 57, 65, 92A, 93, 104, 128, 135) or four (burials 40, 69, 82, 92B) implements strung on a wire ring, the heads of the tools and the ring projecting from the top of the conical case. The sets from burials 57 and 82 seem, however, to contain only two instruments; namely, a pair of tweezers and an ear-pick in the first case and an ear-pick and a point in the second. When three instruments are found in a case, these generally comprise an ear-pick, a plain point, and a pair of tweezers; when four, a small knife is added. One of the cases is ornamented with silver bands secured by means of small rivets (the second in Plate XLIII, No. 1). In another specimen from burial 65, which no longer has a silver edging, the holes by which it was attached still remain. In every case but one, the containers for these instruments are made of thin copper rolled into a conical form with the edges slightly overlapping. Sometimes, but rarely, the upper edge of the container is turned over to stiffen it. In grave 135 the instruments with their case are entirely of silver; they are shown with other objects found with them in Plate XLIII, No. 9. Each of the three or four instruments in a case is secured to a ring formed from a piece of wire with the ends twisted on each other. Each instrument hangs from this ring by a twisted loop, so that it is easily moved on the ring. There appears to have been nothing to prevent the instruments from falling out of the case, beyond jamming them in rather tightly. Neither is there any indication of how these cases were carried, unless the small holes which exist at the top of the rims of most of the specimens were used to sew the case to a garment or to a belt. Very similar toilet cases are used by natives of the Punjab at the present day. These modern examples are slimg on a ring, and consist of tooth-pick, ear- pick, and tweezers. They are worn on a string around the neck, either in a case or without. Similar sets to those found at Kish have also been found at Bismya, in the so-called Semitic quarter.'''* Petrie'^" suggests that these instruments were used to extract thorns, the knife being used to open the wound, the point to press below the thorn and raise it, and the tweezers to extract it. In most of the examples from Kish an ear-pick is added. HAIR-PINS Plates XL, Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5 and LVIII Hair-pins were found in plenty during this season's work, and definite proof was obtained that they were worn by both sexes. This fact is important because it proves that the male Sumerian of the period of the graves wore long hair, an asser-
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LIBRARY >A. \^ Class\\ 4^
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PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AME
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68 CONTENTS Lipped Flat-based Potte
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LIST OF PLATES XXL Plan of Palace "
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PREFACE This volume contains the fi
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A SUMERIAN PALACE AND THE ''A" CEME
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INTRODUCTION 77 Only three burials
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TOPOGRAPHY OF KISH AND HARSAGKALAMM
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THE SUMERIAN PALACE AT MOUND "A," K
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— THE SUMERIAN PALACE AT MOUND "A
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Page 61 and 62: THE SUMERIAN PALACE AT MOUND "A," K
Page 73 and 74: THE "A" CEMETERY, KISH (Continued)
Page 83 and 84: POTTERY This chapter deals with the
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Page 121 and 122: PERSONAL ORNAMENTS MEDALLIONS Plate
Page 143 and 144: STONE VESSELS Plates XXXVIII, No. 1
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A Sumerian Palace and the "A" cemetery at Kish, Mesopotamia

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