DOI Artikel:
Griffith, Francis Ll.: Progress of Egyptology: archaeology, hieroglyphic studies, etc.
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12424#0031
Archaeology, Hieroglyphic Studies, Etc.
17
of two or three previously unknown ruins, a fortress and temple at
Anaybeh being the most important of these ; and (vi.) the finding of the
cartouches of four unknown kings of the Middle Kingdom. As the
Egyptian Government was discussing the desirability of raising the level
of the Barrage at Aswan and thereby flooding the-country up to E.L. 113
(i.e. not far short of Korosko), my report dealt largely with the question
of the damage which the water might cause to the monuments. When it
was decided that the Barrage should be raised, a large sum of money was
voted for the work of excavating, copying, and repairing the antiquities;
and perhaps I may be permitted to say here that the interests of the
Department of Antiquities are being, and will be, most sympathetically
and generously considered by the other Departments concerned in the
raising of the Barrage.
"An Egyptian inspector, Mahmud Effendi Piushdy, has now been
appointed for the district from Aswan to the Sudan frontier. He has been
my secretary for some years; and I am able to say that much may be
expected of him. I hope soon to organise a camel-patrol for this district,
which will continuously pass from place to place with great rapidity. The
district from Aswan to Luxor is still in the charge of our much-respected
inspector, Malimud Effendi Muhammed, who, I am sorry to say, will soon
retire. Eor the Luxor and Gurneh districts a new inspector, Gabriel
Effendi Elias, has been appointed, who, I hope, will be successful in his
difficult work. Erom Luxor to the northern frontier of my district at
El Amrah, Youssef Effendi Ahmed is still in charge. The ghaffirs, or
watchmen, in these districts have been slightly increased in number; and
I think I may say that they are now a very satisfactory body of men.
There have been practically no robberies this year. Some fine prehistoric
objects were on sale at some of the dealers'; but I cannot trace where they
came from, and it is probable that the cemetery is not in my district. I
heard of and checked a small illegal excavation at- Quft and another near
Nag Hamadi; and a few persons were fined or senL to prison in various
parts of my district for meddling with ancient burials. But no serious or
deliberate robbery has occurred.
" The work of this year may be mentioned in the order of locality from
south to north. At Aswan I spent some time in re-numbering the
hundreds of rock inscriptions, which were in some danger of being
quarried away by mistake. Several watchmen have now been placed on
the spot, and I do not think that there need be any fear of the overlooking
of these now clearly marked inscriptions by the quarrymen. At Gebel
Silsileh quarries have been opened for the purpose of obtaining sandstone
c
17
of two or three previously unknown ruins, a fortress and temple at
Anaybeh being the most important of these ; and (vi.) the finding of the
cartouches of four unknown kings of the Middle Kingdom. As the
Egyptian Government was discussing the desirability of raising the level
of the Barrage at Aswan and thereby flooding the-country up to E.L. 113
(i.e. not far short of Korosko), my report dealt largely with the question
of the damage which the water might cause to the monuments. When it
was decided that the Barrage should be raised, a large sum of money was
voted for the work of excavating, copying, and repairing the antiquities;
and perhaps I may be permitted to say here that the interests of the
Department of Antiquities are being, and will be, most sympathetically
and generously considered by the other Departments concerned in the
raising of the Barrage.
"An Egyptian inspector, Mahmud Effendi Piushdy, has now been
appointed for the district from Aswan to the Sudan frontier. He has been
my secretary for some years; and I am able to say that much may be
expected of him. I hope soon to organise a camel-patrol for this district,
which will continuously pass from place to place with great rapidity. The
district from Aswan to Luxor is still in the charge of our much-respected
inspector, Malimud Effendi Muhammed, who, I am sorry to say, will soon
retire. Eor the Luxor and Gurneh districts a new inspector, Gabriel
Effendi Elias, has been appointed, who, I hope, will be successful in his
difficult work. Erom Luxor to the northern frontier of my district at
El Amrah, Youssef Effendi Ahmed is still in charge. The ghaffirs, or
watchmen, in these districts have been slightly increased in number; and
I think I may say that they are now a very satisfactory body of men.
There have been practically no robberies this year. Some fine prehistoric
objects were on sale at some of the dealers'; but I cannot trace where they
came from, and it is probable that the cemetery is not in my district. I
heard of and checked a small illegal excavation at- Quft and another near
Nag Hamadi; and a few persons were fined or senL to prison in various
parts of my district for meddling with ancient burials. But no serious or
deliberate robbery has occurred.
" The work of this year may be mentioned in the order of locality from
south to north. At Aswan I spent some time in re-numbering the
hundreds of rock inscriptions, which were in some danger of being
quarried away by mistake. Several watchmen have now been placed on
the spot, and I do not think that there need be any fear of the overlooking
of these now clearly marked inscriptions by the quarrymen. At Gebel
Silsileh quarries have been opened for the purpose of obtaining sandstone
c