An Ancient Analogy : Pot Baked Bread in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. - article ; n°2 ; vol.16, pg 21-35

Chazan M., Lehner M.

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Paléorient - Année 1990 - Volume 16 - Numéro 2 - Pages 21-35
Cet article rend compte en les évaluant des similitudes existant entre les écuelles grossières mésopotamiennes de la Période d'Uruk et le moule à pain (bedja) de l'Ancien Empire égyptien. Formes, pâtes, techniques de fabrication, contexte archéologique, évolution, sont comparés; puis vient l'examen du pictogramme égyptien utilisé pour désigner le bedja. Sont enfin considérées les implications que peut avoir l'identification de l'écuelle grossière mésopotamienne avec le moule à pain égyptien pour notre connaissance de la formation de l'Etat dans le Proche Orient ancien.
This article evaluates the similarities between the Mesopotamian Bevel Rim Bowl dated to the Uruk Period and the Old Kingdom Egyptian bread mold (bedja). We compare the two vessels in terms of form, ware, manufacture, archaeological context, and evolution and then examine the explicit Egyptian pictorial evidence for the use of the bedja. The implications of the identification of the Bevel Rim Bowl as a bread mold for our understanding of state formation in the ancient Near East are considered.
15 pages
Source : Persée ; Ministère de la jeunesse, de l’éducation nationale et de la recherche, Direction de l’enseignement supérieur, Sous-direction des bibliothèques et de la documentation.

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• Publié par: PALEORIENT
• Publié le: 01 janvier 1990
• Nombre de lectures: 28
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Michael Chazan
Mark Lehner
An Ancient Analogy : Pot Baked Bread in Ancient Egypt and
Mesopotamia.
In: Paléorient. 1990, Vol. 16 N°2. pp. 21-35.
Résumé
Cet article rend compte en les évaluant des similitudes existant entre les écuelles grossières mésopotamiennes de la Période
d'Uruk et le moule à pain (bedja) de l'Ancien Empire égyptien. Formes, pâtes, techniques de fabrication, contexte archéologique,
évolution, sont comparés; puis vient l'examen du pictogramme égyptien utilisé pour désigner le bedja. Sont enfin considérées les
implications que peut avoir l'identification de l'écuelle grossière mésopotamienne avec le moule à pain égyptien pour notre
connaissance de la formation de l'Etat dans le Proche Orient ancien.
Abstract
This article evaluates the similarities between the Mesopotamian Bevel Rim Bowl dated to the Uruk Period and the Old Kingdom
Egyptian bread mold (bedja). We compare the two vessels in terms of form, ware, manufacture, archaeological context, and
evolution and then examine the explicit Egyptian pictorial evidence for the use of the bedja. The implications of the identification
of the Bevel Rim Bowl as a bread mold for our understanding of state formation in the ancient Near East are considered.
Citer ce document / Cite this document :
Chazan Michael, Lehner Mark. An Ancient Analogy : Pot Baked Bread in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. In: Paléorient. 1990,
Vol. 16 N°2. pp. 21-35.
doi : 10.3406/paleo.1990.4530
http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/paleo_0153-9345_1990_num_16_2_4530vol 16/2 - 1990 PALÉORIENT,
AN ANCIENT ANALOGY :
POT BAKED BREAD IN ANCIENT EGYPT
AND MESOPOTAMIA
M. CHAZAN and M. LEHNER
ABSTRACT. - This article evaluates the similarities between the Mesopotamian Bevel Rim Bowl dated to the Uruk Period and
the Old Kingdom Egyptian bread mold (bedja). We compare the two vessels in terms of form, ware, manufacture, archaeological
context, and evolution and then examine the explicit Egyptian pictorial evidence for the use of the bedja. The implications of the
identification of the Bevel Rim Bowl as a bread mold for our understanding of state formation in the ancient Near East are
considered.
RÉSUMÉ. - Cet article rend compte en les évaluant des similitudes existant entre les écuelles grossières mésopotamiennes de la
Période d'Uruk et le moule à pain (bedja) de l'Ancien Empire égyptien. Formes, pâtes, techniques de fabrication, contexte arché
ologique, évolution, sont comparés; puis vient Г examen du pictogramme égyptien utilisé pour désigner le bedja. Sont enfin con
sidérées les implications que peut avoir V identification de Г écuelle grossière mésopotamienne avec le moule à pain égyptien pour
notre connaissance de la formation de Г Etat dans le Proche Orient ancien.
The Bevel Rim Bowl has been called the type duced. However, as will be discussed more fully
below, it is not clear that producing Bevel Rim fossil of the Uruk Period (ca. 4,000-3,100 B.C.) in
Mesopotamia. The large quantities of Bevel Rim Bowls would have been any more economical than
Bowls found in Uruk contexts indicate that the Bevel throwing finer wares on a wheel. 4) The argument
Rim Bowl is an index to a basic and pervasive that Bevel Rim Bowls were ration vessels because
economic function. The debate over what that func they developed into Conical Cups is flawed in that
tion was has produced a vast, although rather diffuse, nobody has clearly demonstrated why Conical Cups
should be considered as ration vessels except in that body of literature (1). The interpretation of H. Nis sen
and G. Johnson (2) which identifies the Bevel Rim they replace Bevel Rim Bowls (5). 5) As indicated
Bowls as ration vessels specifically for the distribu by Beale (6), there is a certain absurdity to the
tion of raw grain has found widespread acceptance scenario of thousands of workmen carrying off a
and plays an important role in the reconstruction of supply of grain each day in eminently spillable Bevel
Uruk social organization. Rim Bowls.
Recently, Schmidt and Miliard (7) suggested that Several problems have been recognized with the Bevel Rim Bowl was a bread mold, largely on Bevel Rim Bowls as ration vessels. 1) The tri-modal the basis of similarities between the Bevel Rim Bowl standardization of Bevel Rim Bowl volumes found and the Egyptian Old Kingdom (ca. 3,100-
by Johnson has not been found by other workers (3). 2,181 B.C.) bread mold. The function of the EgyptThe most thorough refutation came from Beale who ian bread mold, termed bd3 or bedja, is vividly reanalyzed Johnson's own figures and consistently illustrated in tomb scenes, figurines and models. Mil- came up with normal distributions, which, although lard further supports his identification by showing indicating a defined range, revealed no standardized the similarity between the Cuneiform for bread, sizes. 2) Although there are a few ration texts from ninda, and the shape of a Bevel Rim Bowl. the Late Uruk and Jamdet Nasr periods, the propos There is a similar correlation between the Egyptition that Bevel Rim Bowls were ration vessels is ian hieroglyph for bread, /, and the form of the Old inspired by the later Third Millennium ration systems Kingdom Bread mold. The significance of these lexi(4), a period when the Bevel Rim Bowl was no cal correlations is underscored by the cuneiform and longer produced. 3) Nissen and Johnson have argued hieroglyphic signs for beer which are in the shape that the coarse ware and slab construction which of a jar. characterize the Bevel Rim Bowls made it a di
As the identification of the Bevel Rim Bowl as sposable vessel which could be rapidly mass pro-
bread molds rests largely on the analogy with bedja
bowls it is necessary to present a detailed compari- (1) For a summary see LE BRUN, 1980.
(2) NISSEN, 1970, 1988; JOHNSON, 1973.
(3) ALDEN, 1973; SURENHAGEN, 1974-1975; MILLER, (5) NISSEN, 1970; NICHOLAS, 1987.
1981; BEALE, 1978. (6) BEALE, 1978.
(4) GELB, 1965. (7) SCHMIDT, 1982; MILLARD, 1988.
21 :
Like the Bevel Rim Bowl, the bedja bowls PROTO-SUMERIAN
(fig. 3 : 2-7) have flaring sides and have been called
by the Germans Glockenform (10). The bedja bowls
are considerably larger, thicker, and heavier than the
Bevel Rim Bowl. The heights of the vessels range
from 13 to 23 cm and the diameters of the vessels KAS BEER
range from 18 to 25 cm (11). Due to the thickness
of the base, the depth is considerably less than the
exterior height. The depths of the vessels range from
7 to 14 cm. Walls are extremely thick (1.2 to 2.8 cm).
A complete bedja bowl is a massive plot, weighing
NINDA BREAD from 3.3 to 6.5 kg. The base can be either convex
or flat and is extremely rough and badly pitted with Illustration non autorisée à la diffusion
folds and crevasses. The vessels with convex bases
often show a pronounced inflection at the juncture
of the wall and base. The interior is cone shaped
EGYPTIAN and, in marked contrast to the exterior, is "charact
eristically lined with a thin coat of very fine-grained
clay, carefully smoothed so as to eliminate any i
rregularities of the inner surface" (12). The rim of the
hnkt BEER vessel is often bevelled (13). Bedja bowls sometimes
carry simple marks made with a finger when the clay
was moist. When on the interior, these depressed
signs would have shown as raised relief on the bread
which they molded (14).
BREAD
WARE
FIG. 1. - Ideographic signs for beer and bread in Proto-Su-
merian and Old Kindgom Egyptian Scripts. (Proto-Sumerian The ware of the Bevel Rim Bowl is distinctive from Friber 1984 : 116; Green 1987. Egyptian from Gardiner
within the Uruk assemblage because of the large 1969.)
amount of organic temper. Pétrographie analyses we
carried out on thirteen Bevel Rim Bowl sherds from
son of these two vessels. The sections below com Jebel Aruda, Farukhabad, and Umm Q'seir showed
pare the Bevel Rim Bowl and the bedja bowl in values of 15 % to 25 % for voids left by burned out
terms of form, ware, manufacture, archaeological organics, primarily cut grass. Aside from organic
context, and evolution. burn outs, Bevel Rim Bowl ware is characterized by
a moderate mineral fraction (3-5 %), primarily of
quartz. Occasionally small pebbles and sherd frag
ments are included in the ware. FORM
The ware of the bedja bowls fits within the
general category Nile silt C-- Nile silt clay contain
The German Glockentôpfe, «bell pot», describes ing coarse sand and straw (15). Material from the
well the form of the Bevel Rim Bowl (fig. 2 : 3-5). 1988-89 excavations of the Giza Plateau Mapping
The base of the vessel is slightly rounded and the Project allow a more precise definition of bread mold
walls are sharply splayed. The inside bottom of the ware. The ware of the bread molds is uniform, varybowl is often impressed with a fist mark and the rim ing only in density of inclusions and size of the core. is bevelled. The interior is lined with a clay slip or The color of the ware varies but generally is 10R wet finish finer than the rest of the vessel. The rim 4-5/8. Density of inclusions is 10-50 %