Eva Christiana Köhler Book order

The volume presents graves 51 to 100 of the 218 graves hitherto documented at Helwan-Operation 4, which forms part of a large necropolis of more than 10,000 graves south of Cairo and was excavated by the Universities of Sydney and later Vienna in 1997-2012. Separate chapters deal with the remains of 50 individuals from 47 graves, nearly 15,000 pottery fragments, other small finds, animal bones, and - for the first time and starting with grave 1 - all botanical residues. The book ends with a comprehensive catalogue of the graves including all features and some 900 small finds. The grave group presented here comprises a considerable number of well preserved small graves and six particularly large graves of phase Naqada III D [dynasty 2] which produced good depositional data including funeral and ritual procedures, although all graves had [even repeatedly] been disturbed in antiquity. Two early pet graves were remarkable, too. The botanical remains illustrate a preference for coffins made of acacia and cedar and a surprisingly wide variety of species, particularly in beer and wine jars. Additionally, there was evidence for the use, reuse, and alteration of space in the cemetery.

The volume presents grave 1 to 50 of the 218 graves hitherto documented at Helwan-Operation 4, which forms part of a large necropolis of more than 10,000 graves south of Cairo and was excavated by Australians in 1997-2004. It is a pure presentation of material in shape of a catalogue so that dating is of a preliminary nature. An introduction to the site, excavation methods, preservation, and post-excavation processing are followed by contributions on graves, other features, human remains, pottery, other artefacts, faunal remains, and first conclusions. The larger and richer a grave was the more prone it was to disturbance. The graves reach from 2,900 to 2,600 B. C. and were often reused secondarily. They were dug into the hard ground either as an open pit [type I] or a subterranean chamber [type II] and completed by mud bricks and stones with or without mortar and plaster, timber, and mats. There were more than 1,200 artefacts such as pottery and stone vessels, seals, lids, tools, jewellery etc. The over 200 deceased belonged to all ages, both sexes, and different classes, mainly poorer ones. They were deposited without embalming in a crouched position in cloths, mats, mud or timber coffins.

This volume presents the archaeological and epigraphic documentation of 41 Early Dynastic and early Old Kingdom relief slabs from Helwan, addressing the need for complete publication and comprehensive information essential for systematic study, chronological order, and interpretation. The work is crucial for understanding the art, archaeology, language, funerary beliefs, and society of early Egypt. Chapter 1 outlines the history of discovery and shifts in interpretation. Chapter 2 examines the archaeological contexts regarding deposition and chronology. Chapter 3 discusses the materials, manufacturing processes, shapes, and styles of the reliefs. In Chapter 4, the focus is on the representations, their internal structure, iconography, interpretations, and comparisons with contemporary works. A precise relative chronological framework is established through correspondence analysis. Chapter 5 offers commentary and discussion on the inscriptions. Chapters 6 and 7 provide a comprehensive interpretation of the material. The volume concludes with a catalogue featuring descriptions, translations, line drawings, and photographs of each piece, ensuring a thorough resource for future research and understanding of this significant archaeological corpus.