A ma'taf is the peculiar device used for transporting sand by Egyptian workmen from excavation area to refuse midden. It is a bucket-like carrier made of old rubber tires and somewhat inexpertly hinged together. Some pour sand out of the bottom, making the transportation nearly useless, and almost all let out at least a trickle of sand on its path from trench to pile.
All in all they are useful. They are only used in Egyptian archaeology, as far as I can tell. I have theorized that a story of their evolution would double as a chronicle of the history of Egyptology. If ever I choose to write that particular story, this is the title I will use.
*That rubber thing beside Darryl is a ma'taf.
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can you post a picture?
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