Hierarchical Structure and Social Function in Mortuary Consumption of Stone Vessels in Early Dynastic Egypt

Keita TAKENOUCHI

doi:10.5356/jorient.59.2_133

Hierarchical Structure and Social Function in Mortuary Consumption of Stone Vessels in Early Dynastic Egypt

Bulletin of the Society for Near Eastern Studies in Japan ◽

10.5356/jorient.59.2_133 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 59 (2) ◽

pp. 133-147

Author(s):

Keita TAKENOUCHI

Keyword(s):

Hierarchical Structure ◽

Social Function ◽

Early Dynastic

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Mortuary Consumption and the Social Function of Stone Vessels in Early Dynastic Egypt

The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology ◽

10.1177/03075133211050650 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 030751332110506

Author(s):

Keita Takenouchi

Keyword(s):

Hierarchical Structure ◽

Social Function ◽

High Status ◽

Political Strategy ◽

Horizontal Integration ◽

Social Functions ◽

Local Elites ◽

Early Dynastic ◽

The Social ◽

Administrative Institution

This study examines the social functions of stone vessels in Early Dynastic society through a comparison between tomb architecture and the assemblage of stone vessels. The results demonstrated that the more valuable vessels, consisting of special wares and greenish stone vessels, were mostly restricted to high-status tombs in the Memphite and Abydos regions. This hierarchical structure places the king’s and highest officials’ tombs at the top of the hierarchy. Rulers probably distributed stone vessels to elites as part of their political strategy under the administrative institution and system developed since IIIC2. Furthermore, there are formal sets of stone vessels in elite tombs at provincial sites that are close to the vessel assemblage of the ritual list inscribed on funerary slabs during IIID. This suggests that stone vessels were likely brought to provincial areas to promote the offering ritual to local elites in this period. Thus, stone vessels functioned as a political medium for vertical and horizontal integration.

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Relationships between hierarchical structure and properties in macromolecular systems

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100126950 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 45 ◽

pp. 440-443

Author(s):

E. Baer

Keyword(s):

Uniaxial Tension ◽

Hierarchical Structure ◽

Inorganic Material ◽

Hierarchical Structures ◽

Bone Collagen ◽

Structure And Properties ◽

Connective Tissues ◽

Scale Level ◽

Fibrous Protein ◽

Macromolecular Systems

The most advanced macromolecular materials are found in plants and animals, and certainly the connective tissues in mammals are amongst the most advanced macromolecular composites known to mankind. The efficient use of collagen, a fibrous protein, in the design of both soft and hard connective tissues is worthy of comment. Very crudely, in bone collagen serves as a highly efficient binder for the inorganic hydroxyappatite which stiffens the structure. The interactions between the organic fiber of collagen and the inorganic material seem to occur at the nano (scale) level of organization. Epitatic crystallization of the inorganic phase on the fibers has been reported to give a highly anisotropic, stress responsive, structure. Soft connective tissues also have sophisticated oriented hierarchical structures. The collagen fibers are “glued” together by a highly hydrated gel-like proteoglycan matrix. One of the simplest structures of this type is tendon which functions primarily in uniaxial tension as a reinforced elastomeric cable between muscle and bone.

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