Ancient Egyptian silex dagger

erlikhan · 2nd January 2006, 10:39 AM

Pictures of silex Egyptian dagger from Louvre Museum and its description from their site. For you just to watch with envy. Dates to 3250 B.C. Does anyone know a complete older pre-metal period dagger except primitive stone age tools? How many dollars are your price estimations if ever gets auctioned??

Dagger from Gebel el-Arak

This unique dagger from the late predynastic period consists of a light silex blade, sculpted using a highly sophisticated technique, and an ivory handle featuring carved bas-relief scenes. It is one of the oldest known examples of bas-relief sculpture. The themes come from Nilotic as well as Mesopotamian traditions: animals, the hunt, lions overwhelmed by a figure, boats, and human combats.

Description

A luxury object

Everything is this weapon illustrates luxury and technical expertise. The blade, made of extremely high-quality, light ocher slate, reflects an accomplished mastery of stone-cutting techniques. Parallel strips were removed on one side to form a regular pattern. The other side of the blade is simply polished. Small areas were reworked to form a sharp serrated edge. Egyptian craftsmen used this meticulous technique for a short period only, between 3500 and 3200 BC. This is the most accomplished example of the silex tool making technique. Analyses of the handle determined that it is made of a hippopotamus tooth. Only a small number of ivory dagger handles of this type, decorated with relief carving, exist. These were exceptional works, reserved to an elite.

Men and animals

The blade is set into a carved hippopotamus tooth and has a central knob with a hole for attaching a cord. On one side is a bearded figure wearing a cap, standing between and subduing two lions. Below are two domesticated dogs and wild animals; a hunter seems to be catching an antelope. The other side depicts combats arranged in several registers. At the top are quasi-nude men wearing penal sheaths, in hand-to-hand combat. At the bottom, dead bodies are strewn between two different types of boats, both in use in Egypt during the Naqada period.

A key work

Animal life, hunting, and boating on the Nile are ancient themes that had already appeared on ceramics and paintings during the Naqada Period. The bas-relief carving that appeared at this time on large contemporaneous palettes depicted more dynamic and less static scenes than images on earlier traditional ceramic pieces. Furthermore, the battle theme appeared toward the end of this period, which is why researchers have tried to find a narrative link to historical events. Today they are interpreted more as referential images, a catalogue of themes that were important to the ruling class during a period when the Egyptian state was taking shape.
As if often the case, certain motifs are variations of those from the contemporaneous Mesopotamian culture, such as the bearded figure of the priest king (AO5718, AO5719) and the "Master of Animals" animal trainer. Direct or indirect contacts certainly existed between the two civilizations. The design of superimposed registers and the conventions used to represent the human figure were used throughout the entire pharaonic period. This object illustrates the shift from the late predynastic period to the birth of the pharaonic civilization.

VANDOO · 2nd January 2006, 03:32 PM

A MOST INTERESTING ITEM, EVEN IF IT WAS NEWLY MADE THE WORKMANSHIP WOULD BE IMPRESSIVE, SO CONSIDERING ITS AGE IT IS EVEN MORE IMPRESSIVE. THE BLADE IS FACINATING IN THAT IT LOOKS LIKE A WELL FLAKED STONE BLADE ON ONE SIDE AND IS GROUND SMOOTH ON THE OTHER SIDE. IF THE SLATE WAS NOT FLAKED BUT CUT TO LOOK THAT WAY IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT AND TIME CONSUMING WORK INDEED.

THE EGYPTIANS HUNTED HIPPO FOR SPORT, I SAW SOME DEPICTIONS OF A HUNT IN THE MUSEUM IN CAIRO, IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS AND A WAY TO PROVE YOUR BRAVERY. THANKS FOR SHARING THIS

erlikhan · 3rd January 2006, 09:19 AM

Hunt with this kind of knife?Must be difficult even to cut a chicken with it. Which museum I dont remember, but I had seen a one to one size modern rebuilding of an pharaoh and he was something like 1.50 mts,with a thin body of a 13 yrs old girl! And he can be considered as the most well fed sample of his people. Unbelievable. Not only to hunt hippo even just to move huge stone blocks to build pyramids . 2500 yrs later Assyrians were hunting lions in Northern Iraq to prove bravery but they had at least long iron spears, arrows ,horse and chariots .

VANDOO · 3rd January 2006, 03:42 PM

I SUSPECT SUCH A KNIFE WOULD BE ONLY FOR WEAR IN COURT AND WAS PROBABLY NEVER USED AS THERE WOULD BE PLENTY OF SLAVES ABOUT TO CUT OR PREPARE ANY FOOD. THE REASON FOR BRINGING UP HIPPO HUNTING DURING ANCIENT TIMES WAS TO NOTE THAT THE HIGH RANKING EGYPTIANS CONSIDERED IT A SORT OF NOBLE SPORT AT THE TIME. THAT WOULD EXPLAIN THE AVALABILITY OF HIPPO IVORY AND ALSO THE POSSIBILITY OF IT BEING MADE FROM SOMEONES HUNTING TROPHY. THE CARVINGS COULD ALSO DEPICT EVENTS FROM THAT PERSONS LIFE A SORT OF MINI BIOGRAPHY.

THE HIPPO HUNTING WAS DONE FROM RAFTS, THEY WERE HARPOONED AND SPEARED UNTIL THEY COULD BE PULLED OUT OF THE WATER WITH THE ROPES BY A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE. I IMAGINE IT GOT VERY EXCITING WHEN A MAD 3 TON HIPPO CAME CHARGEING UP OUT OF THE WATER TO SEE WHO WAS PULLING ON THE ROPE. PHAROS AND KING TUT PARTICIPATED ACCORDING TO WHAT WAS IN THE MUSEUM. THE HIPPO IS A VERY DANGEROUS BEAST AND IF ANGERED WILL ATTACK ALMOST ANYTHING. I HAVE HEARD THAT THEY STILL KILL QUITE A FEW PEOPLE TODAY,MOSTLY BECAUSE THEY COME OUT AT NIGHT AND EAT THE CROPS AND THE PEOPLE TRY TO DRIVE THEM AWAY AND ARE KILLED.

2nd January 2006, 10:39 AM	#1
erlikhan Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Istanbul Posts: 452	Ancient Egyptian silex dagger Pictures of silex Egyptian dagger from Louvre Museum and its description from their site. For you just to watch with envy. Dates to 3250 B.C. Does anyone know a complete older pre-metal period dagger except primitive stone age tools? How many dollars are your price estimations if ever gets auctioned?? Dagger from Gebel el-Arak This unique dagger from the late predynastic period consists of a light silex blade, sculpted using a highly sophisticated technique, and an ivory handle featuring carved bas-relief scenes. It is one of the oldest known examples of bas-relief sculpture. The themes come from Nilotic as well as Mesopotamian traditions: animals, the hunt, lions overwhelmed by a figure, boats, and human combats. Description A luxury object Everything is this weapon illustrates luxury and technical expertise. The blade, made of extremely high-quality, light ocher slate, reflects an accomplished mastery of stone-cutting techniques. Parallel strips were removed on one side to form a regular pattern. The other side of the blade is simply polished. Small areas were reworked to form a sharp serrated edge. Egyptian craftsmen used this meticulous technique for a short period only, between 3500 and 3200 BC. This is the most accomplished example of the silex tool making technique. Analyses of the handle determined that it is made of a hippopotamus tooth. Only a small number of ivory dagger handles of this type, decorated with relief carving, exist. These were exceptional works, reserved to an elite. Men and animals The blade is set into a carved hippopotamus tooth and has a central knob with a hole for attaching a cord. On one side is a bearded figure wearing a cap, standing between and subduing two lions. Below are two domesticated dogs and wild animals; a hunter seems to be catching an antelope. The other side depicts combats arranged in several registers. At the top are quasi-nude men wearing penal sheaths, in hand-to-hand combat. At the bottom, dead bodies are strewn between two different types of boats, both in use in Egypt during the Naqada period. A key work Animal life, hunting, and boating on the Nile are ancient themes that had already appeared on ceramics and paintings during the Naqada Period. The bas-relief carving that appeared at this time on large contemporaneous palettes depicted more dynamic and less static scenes than images on earlier traditional ceramic pieces. Furthermore, the battle theme appeared toward the end of this period, which is why researchers have tried to find a narrative link to historical events. Today they are interpreted more as referential images, a catalogue of themes that were important to the ruling class during a period when the Egyptian state was taking shape. As if often the case, certain motifs are variations of those from the contemporaneous Mesopotamian culture, such as the bearded figure of the priest king (AO5718, AO5719) and the "Master of Animals" animal trainer. Direct or indirect contacts certainly existed between the two civilizations. The design of superimposed registers and the conventions used to represent the human figure were used throughout the entire pharaonic period. This object illustrates the shift from the late predynastic period to the birth of the pharaonic civilization. Attached Images

3rd January 2006, 03:42 PM	#4
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	I SUSPECT SUCH A KNIFE WOULD BE ONLY FOR WEAR IN COURT AND WAS PROBABLY NEVER USED AS THERE WOULD BE PLENTY OF SLAVES ABOUT TO CUT OR PREPARE ANY FOOD. THE REASON FOR BRINGING UP HIPPO HUNTING DURING ANCIENT TIMES WAS TO NOTE THAT THE HIGH RANKING EGYPTIANS CONSIDERED IT A SORT OF NOBLE SPORT AT THE TIME. THAT WOULD EXPLAIN THE AVALABILITY OF HIPPO IVORY AND ALSO THE POSSIBILITY OF IT BEING MADE FROM SOMEONES HUNTING TROPHY. THE CARVINGS COULD ALSO DEPICT EVENTS FROM THAT PERSONS LIFE A SORT OF MINI BIOGRAPHY. THE HIPPO HUNTING WAS DONE FROM RAFTS, THEY WERE HARPOONED AND SPEARED UNTIL THEY COULD BE PULLED OUT OF THE WATER WITH THE ROPES BY A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE. I IMAGINE IT GOT VERY EXCITING WHEN A MAD 3 TON HIPPO CAME CHARGEING UP OUT OF THE WATER TO SEE WHO WAS PULLING ON THE ROPE. PHAROS AND KING TUT PARTICIPATED ACCORDING TO WHAT WAS IN THE MUSEUM. THE HIPPO IS A VERY DANGEROUS BEAST AND IF ANGERED WILL ATTACK ALMOST ANYTHING. I HAVE HEARD THAT THEY STILL KILL QUITE A FEW PEOPLE TODAY,MOSTLY BECAUSE THEY COME OUT AT NIGHT AND EAT THE CROPS AND THE PEOPLE TRY TO DRIVE THEM AWAY AND ARE KILLED. Last edited by VANDOO; 3rd January 2006 at 08:42 PM.

2nd January 2006, 03:32 PM	#2
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	A MOST INTERESTING ITEM, EVEN IF IT WAS NEWLY MADE THE WORKMANSHIP WOULD BE IMPRESSIVE, SO CONSIDERING ITS AGE IT IS EVEN MORE IMPRESSIVE. THE BLADE IS FACINATING IN THAT IT LOOKS LIKE A WELL FLAKED STONE BLADE ON ONE SIDE AND IS GROUND SMOOTH ON THE OTHER SIDE. IF THE SLATE WAS NOT FLAKED BUT CUT TO LOOK THAT WAY IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT AND TIME CONSUMING WORK INDEED. THE EGYPTIANS HUNTED HIPPO FOR SPORT, I SAW SOME DEPICTIONS OF A HUNT IN THE MUSEUM IN CAIRO, IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS AND A WAY TO PROVE YOUR BRAVERY. THANKS FOR SHARING THIS

3rd January 2006, 09:19 AM	#3
erlikhan Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Istanbul Posts: 452	Hunt with this kind of knife?Must be difficult even to cut a chicken with it. Which museum I dont remember, but I had seen a one to one size modern rebuilding of an pharaoh and he was something like 1.50 mts,with a thin body of a 13 yrs old girl! And he can be considered as the most well fed sample of his people. Unbelievable. Not only to hunt hippo even just to move huge stone blocks to build pyramids . 2500 yrs later Assyrians were hunting lions in Northern Iraq to prove bravery but they had at least long iron spears, arrows ,horse and chariots .