DOI Artikel:
Griffith, Francis Ll.: Progress of Egyptology: archaeology, hieroglyphic studies, etc.
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.11174#0030
Archaeology, Hieroglyphic Studies, Etc.
17
has attended subsequent excavations there; for several years past,
however, the Arabs have offered to reveal the secret of new royal
tombs to wealthy tourists, and now the new Director of the Depart-
ment of Antiquities has had the good fortune to discover two royal
sepulchres, the earliest, and in some respects the most interesting of all
yet known in the valley. The first tomb found is that of Thothnies III. ;
it lies in the angle between Nos. 11 (Rameses III.) and 15 (Sety II.)
Its existence was made known on February 12th. As in other cases,
the entrance passage is barred by a deep pit occupying the whole width
at a little distance from the mouth. The passage opens into a large
painted chamber, with roof supported by two square pillars, and having in
the corner a stairway leading down into an oval chamber which measures
about 50 x 30 ft., with roof supported on two massive pillars. The
walls are covered with texts, inscribed on a ground coloured to imitate
papyrus. At the end stands the empty sarcophagus of sandstone
stained red. The mummy of Thothnies III. was among those found at
Deir el Bahri, and every portable thing of value had long since been
removed; but wooden statues, broken jars of offerings, and other
objects were left, especially in four small rooms, two of which opened out
on each side of the sarcophagus chamber. In one of these were two
mummies of women, in their coffins. The paintings in this tomb are of
importance for the mythology, and, according to M. Loret, one scene
represents the mother, three wives, and a daughter of the king. Wiede-
mann, however, Or. Litt. Zeit. p. 257, shows that the supposed mother is
merely the goddess Isis.
The second tomb is that of Amenhetep II. It lies not far from the
last, but on the other side of the valley, almost opposite to that of
Rameses III., and between Nos. 12 and 13. This was found on March
9th. It is on much the same plan as the tomb of Thothmes III., but the
sarcophagus chamber, which is in brilliant preservation, is rectangular,
with six pillars supporting the roof. The sarcophagus stands on a block
of alabaster sunk below the level of the floor. Though all valuables
had gone, the spoil remaining for the antiquary was great beyond
expectation. The mummy of the king, wreathed with garlands, still
lay in the sarcophagus. The floors were heaped with relics in wood,
stone, pottery, and glass. In the outer chamber were four wooden
barks, on one of which lay an unwrapped mummy, the skull and breast
of which are pierced with holes. This was at first thought to have
been the victim of a human sacrifice, but though such sacrifices are
certainly suggested by some of the sculptures of that time, yet accord-
C
17
has attended subsequent excavations there; for several years past,
however, the Arabs have offered to reveal the secret of new royal
tombs to wealthy tourists, and now the new Director of the Depart-
ment of Antiquities has had the good fortune to discover two royal
sepulchres, the earliest, and in some respects the most interesting of all
yet known in the valley. The first tomb found is that of Thothnies III. ;
it lies in the angle between Nos. 11 (Rameses III.) and 15 (Sety II.)
Its existence was made known on February 12th. As in other cases,
the entrance passage is barred by a deep pit occupying the whole width
at a little distance from the mouth. The passage opens into a large
painted chamber, with roof supported by two square pillars, and having in
the corner a stairway leading down into an oval chamber which measures
about 50 x 30 ft., with roof supported on two massive pillars. The
walls are covered with texts, inscribed on a ground coloured to imitate
papyrus. At the end stands the empty sarcophagus of sandstone
stained red. The mummy of Thothnies III. was among those found at
Deir el Bahri, and every portable thing of value had long since been
removed; but wooden statues, broken jars of offerings, and other
objects were left, especially in four small rooms, two of which opened out
on each side of the sarcophagus chamber. In one of these were two
mummies of women, in their coffins. The paintings in this tomb are of
importance for the mythology, and, according to M. Loret, one scene
represents the mother, three wives, and a daughter of the king. Wiede-
mann, however, Or. Litt. Zeit. p. 257, shows that the supposed mother is
merely the goddess Isis.
The second tomb is that of Amenhetep II. It lies not far from the
last, but on the other side of the valley, almost opposite to that of
Rameses III., and between Nos. 12 and 13. This was found on March
9th. It is on much the same plan as the tomb of Thothmes III., but the
sarcophagus chamber, which is in brilliant preservation, is rectangular,
with six pillars supporting the roof. The sarcophagus stands on a block
of alabaster sunk below the level of the floor. Though all valuables
had gone, the spoil remaining for the antiquary was great beyond
expectation. The mummy of the king, wreathed with garlands, still
lay in the sarcophagus. The floors were heaped with relics in wood,
stone, pottery, and glass. In the outer chamber were four wooden
barks, on one of which lay an unwrapped mummy, the skull and breast
of which are pierced with holes. This was at first thought to have
been the victim of a human sacrifice, but though such sacrifices are
certainly suggested by some of the sculptures of that time, yet accord-
C