‘Dug-out’ coffins. Nos. 37 and 58 (see [Pl. LXI]. 58) are exceedingly rough, and cut out of tree trunks. One of them had its lid bound to its shell with rope. From a scarab ([Pl. LXXII]. 37) found in coffin 37 these ‘Dug-outs’ seem to belong to the beginning of the Second Theban Empire, though similar specimens found in some of the tombs recorded above were of a slightly earlier date.
Rîshi coffins. Nos. 2, 10, 11, 12, 60, 66, and 70 are a type peculiar to the Theban Necropolis, and only a limited number of these coffins have been discovered. They are named Rîshi[45] from the design painted upon them being composed of two large wings of many-coloured feathers that envelop the mummy form; for examples of those found here, see [Pl. LXII]. 1.[46] They belong to the Intermediate Period. With the seven specimens discovered in this cache there were only a few beads, a cowroid seal ([Pl. LXXII]. 11), a bronze mirror, and a wooden head-rest ([Pl. LXX]. 70); and, with the exception of the cowroid seal which might be as late as the Early XVIIIth Dynasty, these objects do not seem later than the end of the Intermediate Period.
The richest interment of this type, in personal objects, was the one found by Prof. Petrie,[47] and the antiquities here were all characteristic of the time between the Middle Kingdom and the New Empire.
If one compares the facial type of these coffins, more especially the profiles, of all the examples known, it will be noticed (as Erskine Nicol pointed out to me) that they have a distinct and uniform character. And it is not without interest to note that the expression and peculiarity of face strongly resembles the so-called Hyksos heads discovered by Prof. Naville at Bubastis.[48]
Plain anthropoid coffins, Nos. 5, 29, 38, and 47 ([Pl. LXI]. 29). Only one coffin of this series contained any material that was of use for dating. This coffin, No. 47 (p. 79), with the mummy of a woman, had a scarab of the Hyksos Period, a cowroid in glass, and a glazed scaraboid bead of the Second Theban Empire (see [Pl. LXXII]. 47). The two latter objects plainly show that the burial cannot be anterior to the Early XVIIIth Dynasty.
Semi-decorated anthropoid coffins, Nos. 6 and 68 ([Pl. LXI]. 6). These two specimens form a small group of their own. They are of very coarse workmanship, in design resembling those of the New Kingdom, but in the face they have a likeness to the Rîshi type. They bear no names or inscriptions, and the only objects beside the mummies found in them were a few bead-bangles ([Pl. LXXIII]. 6), which give but little help towards their date. One is inclined to believe that they are coffins of the poorer people of the Early New Empire.
Decorated anthropoid coffins of the New Kingdom, Nos. 23, 24, 73, and 74 (Pls. LXII. 73, LXIII. 74). These coffins are painted white and embellished with a light and simple decoration. The finest specimen of the series was No. 23 (p. 74), but unfortunately it was found in very bad preservation, the rock ceiling of the tomb having fallen upon it. Coffin No. 24 (p. 74) contained, besides other antiquities, two scarabs of a much earlier period than the date of the coffin; one was of the XIIIth Dynasty and bears the name of a ‘Herald’ Ren-senb, the other is of the Intermediate Period and bears an enigmatical inscription ([Pl. LXXII]. 24). In coffin No. 73 (p. 84) was a small pot containing a kind of pomatum, which shows the use of such small pottery vessels so frequently found with burials of this cache. Coffin No. 74 (p. 85, [Pl. LXIII]) was of particular interest, it having depicted upon its sides, in place of the usual representations of the gods, scenes of burial ceremonies; and among the formulae written upon it occurs a variant form of the sign for Horus.[49]
A fifth coffin, No. 18 ([Pl. LXII]. 18), of simple blue decoration upon a white ground, might be placed in the same category, though perhaps it is of a slightly earlier date than the above four.
Two viscera boxes, Nos. 19 and 20, found at the feet of coffins 23 and 24, probably belong to them. One of the boxes, No. 20 (p. 73, [Pl. LXI]. 20), bore the name Ta-nezem, which occurred on coffin No. 24. At the feet of coffins 73 and 74 was another viscera box, No. 72.
Children’s coffins. These numerous small coffins were of exceedingly rough workmanship, without any decoration, and were of the following types: (1) Rectangular ([Pl. LXI]. 61, 80), (2) ‘dug-out’ rectangular ([Pl. LXI]. 41), (3) ‘dug-out’ anthropoid (No. 40), and (4) a type peculiar to itself ([Pl. LXI]. 42). No doubt their parents were among the many adult burials found in this cache, but we have nothing to tell us to which they belong. One of these small coffins, No. 84, had a small necklace ([Pl. LXXIII]. 84) like that found in 1910 in the Middle Empire tomb No. 24 (p. 53, [Pl. XLV]. H). Another, No. 31, contained (resting upon the shins of a mummy of a small child) a basket with the different kinds of necklaces represented in [Pl. LXXIII] under No. 31.[50] On one of these necklaces a bead, cowroid in shape, bore the prenomen of Thothmes I. These necklaces did not appear to belong to the child, as a number of stone chippings were found mingled with them, which would suggest their having been gathered up from the ground and thrown into the coffin.