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CONTINUED
FROM PAGE 1
FISH TAIL BIFACES
EGYPT
PREDYNASTIC
NAQADA CULTURE
RITUAL OBJECTS
4,400 TO 3,050 YEARS AGO
EST.
PAGE 2 OF 2
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CLICK ON
PICTURE FOR LARGER IMAGE
FISH TAIL BIFACE
PREDYNASTIC--NAQADA CULTURE
EGYPT
BUFFALO MUSEUM OF
SCIENCE COLLECTION
This Fish Tail biface is a fairly complete example, except for a
nick or two and a break on both tips of the "wings". But
it's not nearly so well made as the two previous examples. In fact
this one may have been made from a broken Gerzean knife. There is a
remnant of an area of obvious surface polish near the upper left
"wing" in the left side view. Polishing the surface was part of
the manufacturing process used to make Gerzean knives. Polishing
doesn't seem to have been a standard technique in the manufacture of
Fish Tail bifaces. But a small percentage do have evidence of
polishing. This example has
the earlier style "U" shaped blade that probably dates to
Predynastic Egypt (A.J.
Arkell 1975 p.46).
It measures 4
inches (10.2cm) long, 2 5/8 inches (6.6cm) wide and 3/16 of an inch
(5mm) thick. |
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The
best examples of the flintknappers skill that has survived intact has
come from the tombs. In fact the largest bifaces ever found in Egypt
were found in tomb 1226 on the necropolis site of Helwan located 20
miles from Cairo near the ruins of Memphis. The 10,000 tombs that were
excavated there contained the nobles of court and the upper class
servants of royalty. Two very large ceremonial knives were discovered in tomb 1226
that measured about 19 1/2 inches (50cm) long. These are the largest so
far recorded to date. They are made of a
colorful stone and have curving blades that are approximately 3 inches
(7.6cm) wide.
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CLICK ON RIGHT
SIDE PICTURE FOR VERY LARGE IMAGE (56 SEC.)
FISH TAIL BIFACES
PREDYNASTIC--NAQADA CULTURE
EGYPT
LEN & JANIE
WEIDNER AND PRIVATE COLLECTIONS
These pictures of the "working ends" of two Fish Tail
bifaces show the two different basic styles. The one of the left
with the "U" shaped "blade" is recognized as an
earlier example than the one on the right with the "V"
shaped "blade". In 1975 A.J. Arkell writes "The
peculiar fish-tail knife continued to be made (longer than Gerzean
knives), although the shape changed in a characteristic manner from
a U to a V division of the "tail-fin" blade". |
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A large percentage of
Fish Tail bifaces have also been found in tombs. Dr. Michael A. Hoffman
wrote a description of them for me in the late 1980's: "Fish Tail
bifaces are well known from Predynastic tombs and have occasionally been
uncovered in settlement sites at Hierakonpolis. They are shaped like
elongated triangles with deeply concave bases, are thin finely retouched
objects and many of the earlier specimens display minute
denticulation".
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FISH TAIL BIFACE
PREDYNASTIC--NAQADA CULTURE
EGYPT
ILLUSTRATION FROM
1904,
"Flint Implements of the Fayum, Egypt---Annual Report of The
Smithsonian Institution" by Heywood WalterSeton-Karr
This is a drawing of the nearly complete example of a later form of
a Fish Tail biface that Heywood Walter Seton-Karr describes in a
"1904 Smithsonian Report" article called "Flint Implements of the
Fayum". He describes this particular artifact as "No. 259
was picked up under a large rock by a Berber boy. M. Maspero says
that these are now regarded as sacrificial knives, and they are so
labeled in the Cairo Museum. The serrations pointing forward to keep
the handle in place, are especially to be noted". But rather
than hafting it in the "V" as he describes we now know
that it would have been hafted on the single pointed end. |
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Fish Tail bifaces
have been considered to be some type of ritual object ever since the
first examples were discovered and described. But it has only been
recently that their specific purpose in ancient Predynastic culture has
become known. Dr. Mike Hoffman writes---- "Originally thought to be
spear points, discovery of a hafted specimen showed that the concave end
faced outward while the pointed end was embedded in the handle. It is
now believed that Fish Tails were used in the religious rite of
symbolically opening the mouth of the dead just prior to burial so that
the deceased's soul could receive sustenance in the tomb. A Fifth
Dynasty papyrus (ca. 2400 B.C.) from Abusir refers to similar objects by
the Old Egyptian term "Peshish Kef".
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CLICK ON
PICTURE FOR VERY VERY LARGE IMAGE (67 Sec.)
FISH TAIL BIFACES
PREDYNASTIC--NAQADA CULTURE
EGYPT
PRIVATE COLLECTION
This picture shows a very close-up image of a small area near the
edge of a Fish Tail biface. The arrow is pointing to a thinning
technique that
was used once-in-awhile by ancient flintknappers in different areas
of the world, especially by those who had copper tools. The person who
made this Fish Tail biface removed part of a small
"stack". The impact area is located at the end of the
arrow. It would have been done by indirect percussion flaking. A
little like using a hammer and chisel. The ancient flintknapper who
made this piece was very skilled and maybe even a
"perfectionist". |
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Fish Tail bifaces or
"Peshish Kef's" are unique in all the world. It would be
interesting to know how these strange ritual items came into use, or
when the first one was made. We can theorize that the first one may have
been made of something other than stone. Maybe it was carved out of wood
or ivory then it was decided that all the future examples would be made
by flint-smiths. What we do know is that these objects represent some of
the most skillfully made bifaces that have ever been found in any Stone
Age culture anywhere in the world. They stand out as examples of
important ritual objects from the past but they are also superbly
crafted items that will impress people for countless years in the
future.
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"REFERENCES"
1904,
"Flint Implements of the Fayum, Egypt---Annual Report of The
Smithsonian Institution" by Heywood Walter ---------Seton-Karr,
pp747-751.
1969,
"The Excavations At Helwan", by Zaki Y. Saad,
pp. 43, 128 &129.
1975, "The Prehistory of the Nile Valley", by A. J. Arkell, p.
46.
1984, "Egypt Before The Pharaohs", by Michael A. Hoffman, pp.
182-189.
1988, "The First Egyptians", by Michael A. Hoffman, pp. 33-46.
Personal communications with Michael A. Hoffman, PhD.---1985-1989.
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