DOI Artikel:
Naville, Edouard; Hall, H. R.: Egypt Exploration Fund: excavations at Deir El-Bahari
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12055#0017
Excavations at Deie El-Baiiaki.
5
of the enclosing wall of the ambulatory, dedicated to certain priestesses of
Hathor who were members of the king's harim and were buried in rock-
cut shaft-tombs on the platform behind the shrines. The coloured high-
reliefs of these shrines are of very fine and remarkable work, and have
given us a totally new idea of the art of the Xlth Dynasty. The pries-
tesses, or princesses, are represented in relief in various scenes ; offerings
are being made to them, and the holy cows and calves of Hathor are also
represented. Parts of the fronts of several of the shrines are elaborately
carved, painted, and grained to represent shrines of ebony and red wood.
The imitation of the wood-carving technique in stone is remarkable.
Between the enclosure wall of this colonnade or passage round the
pyramid and the edge of the platform is an outer colonnade, of square
pillars, like those in the lower colonnades flanking the ramp. This outer
upper colonnade was found last year; the actual pillars themselves no
longer exist, but their shape and size are evident from the traces left by
them on the pavement. In this outer colonnade, or open peristyle, which
looks out on to the north court, between the Xlth Dynasty temple and
that of Hatshepsu, several more priestesses were buried. Two of their
graves were found last year. All these tombs consist of a pit, about 12
to 15 feet deep, leading to a small rectangular chamber in which had
originally stood a limestone sarcophagus. These sarcophagi, three of
which were found intact, were not always monolithic, but made of several
pieces lowered separately into the tomb and put together when the
mummy was buried. They were taken out of the tomb in the same way
(see the illustration on p. 9).
One of these, being nninscribed and unornamented, was not worth
removal from the tomb. A second, of the priestess Henhenet, has also
been left in position. Another, which was made in six separate pieces, is
most beautifully sculptured, but not quite finished, since it is evident that
colour was intended to be added to the engraving. The princess for whom
it was made, Kauit by name, is seen in the representations on its sides
living what was supposed to be her life in the other world (pi. iii, fig. 5).
Offerings are being made to her, while an attendant dresses her hair and
artistically inserts a hairpin into the coiffure. A priest milks a cow for
her, and afterwards brings her the cup, saying, " This is for thee, drink
what I give." (On a finely-sculptured and coloured slab (pi. iv, fig. 7)
from the shrine of another princess, named Sadhe, a priest or courtier
brings the deceased lady a bowl of beer, saying, "Beer for thy ghost! ")
This is the first time that a sarcophagus has been found sculptured with
scenes of this kind. This beautiful and unique monument, the finest of its
5
of the enclosing wall of the ambulatory, dedicated to certain priestesses of
Hathor who were members of the king's harim and were buried in rock-
cut shaft-tombs on the platform behind the shrines. The coloured high-
reliefs of these shrines are of very fine and remarkable work, and have
given us a totally new idea of the art of the Xlth Dynasty. The pries-
tesses, or princesses, are represented in relief in various scenes ; offerings
are being made to them, and the holy cows and calves of Hathor are also
represented. Parts of the fronts of several of the shrines are elaborately
carved, painted, and grained to represent shrines of ebony and red wood.
The imitation of the wood-carving technique in stone is remarkable.
Between the enclosure wall of this colonnade or passage round the
pyramid and the edge of the platform is an outer colonnade, of square
pillars, like those in the lower colonnades flanking the ramp. This outer
upper colonnade was found last year; the actual pillars themselves no
longer exist, but their shape and size are evident from the traces left by
them on the pavement. In this outer colonnade, or open peristyle, which
looks out on to the north court, between the Xlth Dynasty temple and
that of Hatshepsu, several more priestesses were buried. Two of their
graves were found last year. All these tombs consist of a pit, about 12
to 15 feet deep, leading to a small rectangular chamber in which had
originally stood a limestone sarcophagus. These sarcophagi, three of
which were found intact, were not always monolithic, but made of several
pieces lowered separately into the tomb and put together when the
mummy was buried. They were taken out of the tomb in the same way
(see the illustration on p. 9).
One of these, being nninscribed and unornamented, was not worth
removal from the tomb. A second, of the priestess Henhenet, has also
been left in position. Another, which was made in six separate pieces, is
most beautifully sculptured, but not quite finished, since it is evident that
colour was intended to be added to the engraving. The princess for whom
it was made, Kauit by name, is seen in the representations on its sides
living what was supposed to be her life in the other world (pi. iii, fig. 5).
Offerings are being made to her, while an attendant dresses her hair and
artistically inserts a hairpin into the coiffure. A priest milks a cow for
her, and afterwards brings her the cup, saying, " This is for thee, drink
what I give." (On a finely-sculptured and coloured slab (pi. iv, fig. 7)
from the shrine of another princess, named Sadhe, a priest or courtier
brings the deceased lady a bowl of beer, saying, "Beer for thy ghost! ")
This is the first time that a sarcophagus has been found sculptured with
scenes of this kind. This beautiful and unique monument, the finest of its