DOI Artikel:
Griffith, Francis Ll.: Progress of Egyptology: archaeology, hieroglyphic studies, etc.
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12423#0025
Archaeology, Hieroglyphic Studies, Etc.
15
to trace the boundaries and to define positions for future work. The main
divisions were as follow:—
" Temple of Ptah.—The temenos wall has been found on all four sides,
almost exactly on the lines that I anticipated from the form of the ground ;
but owing to saturation by rains some weeks of search were needed to fix the
place of the walls. The area was only cleared on part of the western side.
There the pylon and first court, built by Barneses II., were studied care-
fully, over the ground partly searched before in official work. The
positions and nature of the colossi were traced ; much pyramid casing of
limestone and granite was found re-used, a whole gateway of red granite
from the Sun-temple at Abusir was found and removed to Cairo Museum,
and a full plan of the structure was made, showing it to be very different
from what has been represented. Beneath the work of Barneses were found
forty steles of the XVIIIth Dynasty, and fragments of about a hundred
and fifty more ; probably many remain still under the sand. Pieces of
sculptured tombs of the Vth Dynasty from Saqqara were also found
re-used.
" On the south of the gateway other buildings of Kameses II. and
of Shabaka were uncovered and planned. On the north the pond by the
village was dammed across, and half of it excavated with pumping to eight
feet under low water level. Thus a large sand bed was found, and there
is little doubt that the temple of the pyramid times stood here, as it is
from this site that the statues of the pyramid kings have been removed
in recent times.
" Temple of Merenptah and Foreign Quarter.-—-Part of the ruins were
noted as having much early Greek pottery strewn over them. In this
region a great lintel of a gateway of Merenptah had lately been found,
standing in place. Accordingly an area behind this gateway has been
cleared, down to two feet under water. Thus half of the courtyard of a
temple has been found, and another doorway of Merenptah leading further
back into the temple, which remains to be opened next year. This seems
to be the temple of Proteus described by Herodotus. All the indications
agree:—(1) It is in the foreign quarter, south of the entrance to the Ptah
temenos; (2) It was built in the generation of the Trojan war as stated ;
(3) The only tablets of Hathor were found here, agreeing to this being the
shrine of the foreign Aphrodite. Much early Mediterranean pottery, a
small " island figure " of alabaster, and other foreign traces were lying in
the courtyard.
" The Gra3co-Egyptians who lived here appear to have had a fashion of
modelling terra-cotta heads, representing the various foreign races who
15
to trace the boundaries and to define positions for future work. The main
divisions were as follow:—
" Temple of Ptah.—The temenos wall has been found on all four sides,
almost exactly on the lines that I anticipated from the form of the ground ;
but owing to saturation by rains some weeks of search were needed to fix the
place of the walls. The area was only cleared on part of the western side.
There the pylon and first court, built by Barneses II., were studied care-
fully, over the ground partly searched before in official work. The
positions and nature of the colossi were traced ; much pyramid casing of
limestone and granite was found re-used, a whole gateway of red granite
from the Sun-temple at Abusir was found and removed to Cairo Museum,
and a full plan of the structure was made, showing it to be very different
from what has been represented. Beneath the work of Barneses were found
forty steles of the XVIIIth Dynasty, and fragments of about a hundred
and fifty more ; probably many remain still under the sand. Pieces of
sculptured tombs of the Vth Dynasty from Saqqara were also found
re-used.
" On the south of the gateway other buildings of Kameses II. and
of Shabaka were uncovered and planned. On the north the pond by the
village was dammed across, and half of it excavated with pumping to eight
feet under low water level. Thus a large sand bed was found, and there
is little doubt that the temple of the pyramid times stood here, as it is
from this site that the statues of the pyramid kings have been removed
in recent times.
" Temple of Merenptah and Foreign Quarter.-—-Part of the ruins were
noted as having much early Greek pottery strewn over them. In this
region a great lintel of a gateway of Merenptah had lately been found,
standing in place. Accordingly an area behind this gateway has been
cleared, down to two feet under water. Thus half of the courtyard of a
temple has been found, and another doorway of Merenptah leading further
back into the temple, which remains to be opened next year. This seems
to be the temple of Proteus described by Herodotus. All the indications
agree:—(1) It is in the foreign quarter, south of the entrance to the Ptah
temenos; (2) It was built in the generation of the Trojan war as stated ;
(3) The only tablets of Hathor were found here, agreeing to this being the
shrine of the foreign Aphrodite. Much early Mediterranean pottery, a
small " island figure " of alabaster, and other foreign traces were lying in
the courtyard.
" The Gra3co-Egyptians who lived here appear to have had a fashion of
modelling terra-cotta heads, representing the various foreign races who