Bamboula (…“Seal impressions…”) Benson 1955Jack L. Benson

Cylinder seal impression on pithos

Sh 579 Two fragments from rim of a large vat. The rim has been gently thickened and squared and provides a large flat surface on top. Clay: pinkish brown throughout; dark gray-green to light gray-pink on the exterior surface. Full of fairly large dark sand particles with small white grits; apparently straw burnet. The surface is quite coarse and rough with many pocks, chips within cavity. Probably handmade.

Impressed while damp on top of rim in quite low, flat relief in a continuous frieze by a cylindrical seal, the height of which was approximately 2.5 cm. and the circumference approximately 12.6 cm., giving a diameter of the representation consists of a large tree (or plant), a bird with long tail flying right, a smaller simpler tree (or plant) and a similar bird flying left. The first tree has seven leaves, the second, four. The design of the leaves is plain, like a palm chips, suggesting a rubber tree. The birds are shown from above with wings spread out behind, but with head in profile; the tails stream long and graceful. The eyes of the birds are given as 2 concentric circles and the feathers of the upper wing of the right bird are indicated by parallel incisions; but in general the rendering is extremely simple [illegible]

H (of smaller frag) 9 cm. L. 11.4 cm. W. of border 1.9 cm W.(of rim): 3.6 cm.

T38 No. 20 This was a Bronze Age tomb disturbed by a Geometric intrusive burial and [illegible] probably frequent flooding. A complete analysis of the situation will, of course, have to await publication of the Tomb. The Bronze Age use of the Tomb is inferentially late in the L C I period. The local contexts of Sh 579 and its position in the lowest levels suggest that it [illegible] belonged [illegible] to the Bronze Age period. However, the general confusion in the Tomb prevents this from being absolutely assured.

[margin left: 6.3 12.6]

[margin left: 2 PMIV 609 i]