Use of Coivry -shells for Currency, Amulets, etc. 129 



species, C. annulus is also recorded from Koptos 9 and 

 Nagadeh, probably of pre- or proto-dynastic date ; 10 it is 

 also associated with other objects, such as papyrus charm 

 pendants, uzat eyes, etc., strung on knotted cords found 

 at Kafr Ammar (xxiii xxvth dynasty). 11 Reisner in 

 "The Archaeological Survey of Nubia (i 907-8) " 12 gives a 

 figure of a small cowry, rubbed down on the back, which 

 is probably C. annulus ; it is recorded as occurring in the 

 C-group, New Empire, and later graves. Cypraa moneta 

 occurs in the list of shells found in graves at El Amrah 

 (Pre-dynastic). 13 Other species of cowries discovered in 

 Egyptian graves are as follows : Cyprcea cam-tea? "Pan- 

 Graves " at Balabish ; 14 C. arabica, Koptos ; C. carneola, 

 Ballas ; C. erosa, Ballas ; C. caurica, Ballas ? ; C.pantJierina, 

 Nagadeh ; 13 C. arabica var reticulata Toukh, Upper Egypt. 1 * 



These discoveries of cowries in Ancient Egyptian 

 graves are of great interest as being the earliest evidence 

 of a special appreciation of these shells. That they were 

 worn as amulets by the Egyptians cannot be doubted 

 from the fact that so many are perforated for suspension. 



The discovery of so many specimens of the smaller 



Flinders Petrie, "Six Temples at Thebes, 1896," London, 1897, 

 chap, x., p. 30. 



10 Idem. " Amulets," 1914, p. 27, pi. xiv., f. io7b. 



11 Ibid., p. 29, pi. xvii.,f. I3ib, 1310. ; pi. xviii.,f. 1316, I3if. ; pl.xix., 



12 Vol. i., Archceol. Rept., Cairo, 1910, pi. 66, f. 7 and pi. 70, f. i. 

 The C-group belongs to a period corresponding to the Middle Kingdom in 

 Egypt. 



13 D. Randall-Maciver & A. C. Mace, " El Amrah and Abydos 1899- 

 1901," London, 1902, p. 49. 



14 G. A. Wainwright, " The Excavations at Balabish, " Journ. of Egypt. 

 ArcJucoL, ii., Oct., 1915, pi. xxv., f . 2 (named from photograph). "Pan- 

 Graves" are Nubian interments in Egypt and may belong to the period from 

 2000 B.C. onwards. 



15 These five recorded by Flinders Petrie (fide Lortet & Gaillard, op. 

 dt., pp. 310-3H). 



16 De Morgan (fide Lortet & Gaillard, op. cit., p. 310). 



