Thomas Hikade - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Books by Thomas Hikade

Papers by Thomas Hikade

"An unusual ripple-flaked knife from Abydos" in: B. van den Bercken (ed.), Studies in Honour of Willem van Haarlem, 2021, pp. 39-46, 2021

Records of the Australian Museum, 2019

A stone quarry at Wadi el-Sheikh is recognized as an important source of flint in ancient Egypt. ... more A stone quarry at Wadi el-Sheikh is recognized as an important source of flint in ancient Egypt. In 1896-1897 a substantial sample of stone artefacts, from fifteen separate workshops, was collected and placed in various museums across the world. This material remains virtually unknown, including two assemblages kept in Australia, which are analyzed in this study. It is evidenced that both workshops produced predominantly flint knives and a smaller number of cleavers for distribution away from the quarry, in an earlier part of the third millennium Before the Common Era (BCE) often referred to as the Early Dynastic Period (c. 3150-2686 BCE) and Old Kingdom (c. 2686-2181 BCE). There is a strong indication that the workshops represent a tiny portion of a large supply network. Two types of tools, a pick and a hoe, are recognized as digging implements associated with a quarry, but are also present on sites in Egypt where excavation took place.

Excavations to the at Hierakonpolis Locality HK29B, located c. 40 m north of the well-known compl... more Excavations to the at Hierakonpolis Locality HK29B, located c. 40 m north of the well-known complex at HK29A, suggest the presence of one of the first monumental cultic compounds in Egypt. At HK29B, the remains of a palisade were uncovered in a trench running north-west to south-east for a length of almost 50 m. Dozens of larger postholes were discovered north of the palisade, which could once have held large posts rising 6-7 m above ground, standards or perhaps even large wooden statues. At present, seems possible to distinguish two major building phases: an older one consisting of large postholes set individually and a younger one represented by the palisade trench. During the younger phase, the builders used smaller timbers and this may indicate the over-exploitation of larger trees by the latter part of the 4 th millennium BC. To the north, a columned hall measuring least 20 x 8 m was uncovered at HK25. In conjunction with its construction, the pharaonic cultic practice of laying a foundation of clean white sand under a sacred structure may be observed. Furthermore, it seems highly likely that this ritual also included a foundation deposit of highly valued bifacial stone tools, mace heads, and enigmatic flint rings, which was found beneath the building. These stone objects, dating to Naqada I-IIA, were burnt, suggesting that the foundation ceremony also included ritual burning. At HK29B and HK25, the ceramic and lithic assemblages overwhelmingly date to the Naqada IID period, with some material dating from the Naqada IIB-IIC and IIIA periods. As HK29B and HK25 are clearly along the same alignment as HK29A, it appears that they were all once part of the same monumental sacred precinct at Hierakonpolis.

The recent excavations by the University of British Columbia at the settlement site of Hierakonpo... more The recent excavations by the University of British Columbia at the settlement site of Hierakonpolis were funded by a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and conducted from 28.11.-28.12.2005 and from 16.11.-18.12.2006 1 .

E xcavation and study were continued at several locations throughout the desert site of Hierakonp... more E xcavation and study were continued at several locations throughout the desert site of Hierakonpolis from 1 January to 1 April 2008. 1 A brief summary of the results is provided below (see for locations). 1) HK25 and HK29B: Work was resumed under the supervision of Thomas Hikade in order to discover the full extent of the large columned hall at HK25 and the palisade wall at HK29B, both dating to the latter half of the Naqada II period. The continuation of the palisade w all was not found, but at least two phases of construction were distinguished. 2) HK29A: The south side of the predynastic temple was explored for architectural traces of the main shrine under the direction of Renee Friedman. Excavations revealed two rows of medium sized postholes which line up with the large posts thought to mark the fa<;ade of the shrine. Remains of an earlier predynastic house were also uncovered. 3) HK6: Excavations to the north, south and west of the large and elite Tomb 23 revealed three new wood columned structures and evidence for at least three building phases, indicating that all of the structures should be considered predynastic funerary temples. Evidence for ritual activity in the Third Dynasty suggests that these buildings continued to be respected and venerate almost 1000 years after they were built. Pits containing the burials of a baboon, nine dogs and six cats were also discovered. 4) The animal bones from the excavations of HK25, HK29A, HK29B and HK6 were examined by archaeo-zoologists Wim Van Neer and Veerle Linseele. 5) At HKllC Squares B4-B5, excavations were resumed by Masahiro Baba in order to collect further information on predynastic pottery production and its association with food production. Excavations uncovered two more ceramic vats containing food residue and a wall surrounding them 6) Preliminary investigation of the location and movement of the Nile in ancient times was undertaken by fluvial geomorphologists Judith Bunbury and Angus Graham. One borehole, over 9m deep, was made in the flood plain near the Kom at Nel<hen and its geological and archaeological contents were examined. 7) The Secor:d Dynasty enclosure of Khasekhemwy (the Fort): Conservation work continued in the interior and at the northeast corner. The uneven ground surface on the interior of the enclosure was made level. The east wall of the building within the enclosure was explored. A large area of damage in the interior west w2l1 was braced with temporary supports to stabilize the structure until final repairs can be made.

In 1798 when Napoleon's troops landed in Egypt they were accompanied by 167 scientists whose task... more In 1798 when Napoleon's troops landed in Egypt they were accompanied by 167 scientists whose task was to document not only the geography, flora, and fauna of modern-day Egypt but also the remains of Ancient Egypt. With the publication of the Déscription de l'Égypte almost 20 years later, the foundation stone for Egyptology was laid. The expedition by the German Egyptologist Richard Lepsius in 1842–46 to Egypt and Nubia yielded further knowledge about Ancient Egypt. During the first half of the nineteenth century, however, field work in Egypt was still primarily the search for curiosities and treasures and lacked scientific method. It was not until 1881 when W. M. F. Petrie set out to survey the Great Pyramids at Giza and subsequently excavated dozens of sites throughout Egypt with a clear concept and methodology of excavating that Egyptian archaeology truly began. It is the connection of archaeological material and the evidence from thousands of inscribed objects from Ancient Egypt that makes modern Egyptology such an intriguing subject. Today there are more than 300 foreign missions working in Egypt and many countries even have their own national research centers and institutions in Cairo.

Ancient Egypt possessed two types of borders: a physical border and an ideological one. The first... more Ancient Egypt possessed two types of borders: a physical border and an ideological one. The first is defined by the desert to the east and west, the Mediterranean to the north, and the rapids of the First Cataract in the south. The role of the king was to expand the border, strengthen it and defend it against the chaos that might threaten Egypt from the other side of the border. The second border, the ideological border, can be detected in the way Egyptian society defined itself and how it portrayed foreigners. Apart from the ideological side there was the day-to-day experience of the Egyptian king, officials and to a lesser extent the wider population. The crown and court had to deal with foreigners and their customs in trade and diplomacy. With these contacts, naturally, the Egyptian ideology was faced with reality. These two sides can be labelled as topos, i.e. ideological expectations, and mimesis, actual responses to these expectations. The paper will examine this dualism using the expeditions to the western Sinai in the late 3rd and 2nd millennium BC.

"An unusual ripple-flaked knife from Abydos" in: B. van den Bercken (ed.), Studies in Honour of Willem van Haarlem, 2021, pp. 39-46, 2021

Records of the Australian Museum, 2019

A stone quarry at Wadi el-Sheikh is recognized as an important source of flint in ancient Egypt. ... more A stone quarry at Wadi el-Sheikh is recognized as an important source of flint in ancient Egypt. In 1896-1897 a substantial sample of stone artefacts, from fifteen separate workshops, was collected and placed in various museums across the world. This material remains virtually unknown, including two assemblages kept in Australia, which are analyzed in this study. It is evidenced that both workshops produced predominantly flint knives and a smaller number of cleavers for distribution away from the quarry, in an earlier part of the third millennium Before the Common Era (BCE) often referred to as the Early Dynastic Period (c. 3150-2686 BCE) and Old Kingdom (c. 2686-2181 BCE). There is a strong indication that the workshops represent a tiny portion of a large supply network. Two types of tools, a pick and a hoe, are recognized as digging implements associated with a quarry, but are also present on sites in Egypt where excavation took place.

Excavations to the at Hierakonpolis Locality HK29B, located c. 40 m north of the well-known compl... more Excavations to the at Hierakonpolis Locality HK29B, located c. 40 m north of the well-known complex at HK29A, suggest the presence of one of the first monumental cultic compounds in Egypt. At HK29B, the remains of a palisade were uncovered in a trench running north-west to south-east for a length of almost 50 m. Dozens of larger postholes were discovered north of the palisade, which could once have held large posts rising 6-7 m above ground, standards or perhaps even large wooden statues. At present, seems possible to distinguish two major building phases: an older one consisting of large postholes set individually and a younger one represented by the palisade trench. During the younger phase, the builders used smaller timbers and this may indicate the over-exploitation of larger trees by the latter part of the 4 th millennium BC. To the north, a columned hall measuring least 20 x 8 m was uncovered at HK25. In conjunction with its construction, the pharaonic cultic practice of laying a foundation of clean white sand under a sacred structure may be observed. Furthermore, it seems highly likely that this ritual also included a foundation deposit of highly valued bifacial stone tools, mace heads, and enigmatic flint rings, which was found beneath the building. These stone objects, dating to Naqada I-IIA, were burnt, suggesting that the foundation ceremony also included ritual burning. At HK29B and HK25, the ceramic and lithic assemblages overwhelmingly date to the Naqada IID period, with some material dating from the Naqada IIB-IIC and IIIA periods. As HK29B and HK25 are clearly along the same alignment as HK29A, it appears that they were all once part of the same monumental sacred precinct at Hierakonpolis.

The recent excavations by the University of British Columbia at the settlement site of Hierakonpo... more The recent excavations by the University of British Columbia at the settlement site of Hierakonpolis were funded by a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and conducted from 28.11.-28.12.2005 and from 16.11.-18.12.2006 1 .

E xcavation and study were continued at several locations throughout the desert site of Hierakonp... more E xcavation and study were continued at several locations throughout the desert site of Hierakonpolis from 1 January to 1 April 2008. 1 A brief summary of the results is provided below (see for locations). 1) HK25 and HK29B: Work was resumed under the supervision of Thomas Hikade in order to discover the full extent of the large columned hall at HK25 and the palisade wall at HK29B, both dating to the latter half of the Naqada II period. The continuation of the palisade w all was not found, but at least two phases of construction were distinguished. 2) HK29A: The south side of the predynastic temple was explored for architectural traces of the main shrine under the direction of Renee Friedman. Excavations revealed two rows of medium sized postholes which line up with the large posts thought to mark the fa<;ade of the shrine. Remains of an earlier predynastic house were also uncovered. 3) HK6: Excavations to the north, south and west of the large and elite Tomb 23 revealed three new wood columned structures and evidence for at least three building phases, indicating that all of the structures should be considered predynastic funerary temples. Evidence for ritual activity in the Third Dynasty suggests that these buildings continued to be respected and venerate almost 1000 years after they were built. Pits containing the burials of a baboon, nine dogs and six cats were also discovered. 4) The animal bones from the excavations of HK25, HK29A, HK29B and HK6 were examined by archaeo-zoologists Wim Van Neer and Veerle Linseele. 5) At HKllC Squares B4-B5, excavations were resumed by Masahiro Baba in order to collect further information on predynastic pottery production and its association with food production. Excavations uncovered two more ceramic vats containing food residue and a wall surrounding them 6) Preliminary investigation of the location and movement of the Nile in ancient times was undertaken by fluvial geomorphologists Judith Bunbury and Angus Graham. One borehole, over 9m deep, was made in the flood plain near the Kom at Nel<hen and its geological and archaeological contents were examined. 7) The Secor:d Dynasty enclosure of Khasekhemwy (the Fort): Conservation work continued in the interior and at the northeast corner. The uneven ground surface on the interior of the enclosure was made level. The east wall of the building within the enclosure was explored. A large area of damage in the interior west w2l1 was braced with temporary supports to stabilize the structure until final repairs can be made.

In 1798 when Napoleon's troops landed in Egypt they were accompanied by 167 scientists whose task... more In 1798 when Napoleon's troops landed in Egypt they were accompanied by 167 scientists whose task was to document not only the geography, flora, and fauna of modern-day Egypt but also the remains of Ancient Egypt. With the publication of the Déscription de l'Égypte almost 20 years later, the foundation stone for Egyptology was laid. The expedition by the German Egyptologist Richard Lepsius in 1842–46 to Egypt and Nubia yielded further knowledge about Ancient Egypt. During the first half of the nineteenth century, however, field work in Egypt was still primarily the search for curiosities and treasures and lacked scientific method. It was not until 1881 when W. M. F. Petrie set out to survey the Great Pyramids at Giza and subsequently excavated dozens of sites throughout Egypt with a clear concept and methodology of excavating that Egyptian archaeology truly began. It is the connection of archaeological material and the evidence from thousands of inscribed objects from Ancient Egypt that makes modern Egyptology such an intriguing subject. Today there are more than 300 foreign missions working in Egypt and many countries even have their own national research centers and institutions in Cairo.

Ancient Egypt possessed two types of borders: a physical border and an ideological one. The first... more Ancient Egypt possessed two types of borders: a physical border and an ideological one. The first is defined by the desert to the east and west, the Mediterranean to the north, and the rapids of the First Cataract in the south. The role of the king was to expand the border, strengthen it and defend it against the chaos that might threaten Egypt from the other side of the border. The second border, the ideological border, can be detected in the way Egyptian society defined itself and how it portrayed foreigners. Apart from the ideological side there was the day-to-day experience of the Egyptian king, officials and to a lesser extent the wider population. The crown and court had to deal with foreigners and their customs in trade and diplomacy. With these contacts, naturally, the Egyptian ideology was faced with reality. These two sides can be labelled as topos, i.e. ideological expectations, and mimesis, actual responses to these expectations. The paper will examine this dualism using the expeditions to the western Sinai in the late 3rd and 2nd millennium BC.

Lithic assemblages sometimes show a great variety in the quality of their stone tools. On the isl... more Lithic assemblages sometimes show a great variety in the quality of their stone tools. On the island of Elephantine near Aswan, for example, we can identify two separate lithic industries based on the use of two different raw materials. 1 One is an industry involving local Nile pebbles, the other is an industry consisting of implements made elsewhere from good quality flint, which is usually embedded in limestone formations and has been mined and delivered to the island. When regions such as Aswan or the Delta lacked the latter resource, the local population had be satisfied with Nile and wadi pebbles or even had to rely completely on the supply of stone tools from specialised production centres.