DOI Artikel:
Blackman, Aylward M.; M. Johnson, J. de: Egypt Exploration Fund, [3]: the graeco-roman branch
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12422#0025
The Geaeco-Boman Beanch.
11
On one was found a green glaze plaque bearing the naine of Thothmes III.
At their heads were two baskets,* and some dôm-fruits in a pot, ail in
original position. Thèse objects and the pottery found in the débris of the
chamber are typical New-Kingdoin material. There were fragments of
more bodies and mats mixed up with the débris. Tins appears to explain
M. Naville's similar finds referred to in Aimas el-Medîneh, p. 12. Finding
Mayâna unfavourable for the purposes of our expédition, we went further
north, and worked a few days in another cemetery. This proved to be
Middle-Kingdom, and one grave produced two wooden boats with crews,
two wooden figures of women carrying baskets and birds, a granary
(rotten) and a kitchen and bakehouse consisting of several groups of figures
on one board.
l'ushing still further north, accompanied by a gang of workmen,
Mr. Blackman finally located the Ptolemaic cemetery of Ehnâsiya el-
Medîna, which lay a little north of Sidmant. We commencée! work there
on November 19th. This cemetery covered a large area, corresponding
with the importance of that city in Graeco-Boman times. Unfortunately
the ground in which it is located is low-lying and close to the "hôd" of
the Bahr Yusuf. The usual type of grave was a deep pit or well with
one or two side chambers. In many cases the interments were mummies
in papyrus cartonnages, but quite rotten. In one such tomb, the shaft of
which was 9 mètres deep, 30 papyrus mummies were found, but the
papyrus was so rotten that it crumbled to powder at a touch. However, in
■one part of the cemetery a patch of shallow graves was discovered, and we
secured f'rom it about twenty papyrus cartonnages in fair condition, which
fîlled three and a half cases. Thèse papyri were for the most part Greek.
The type of grave in this case was a shallow oblong pit with one or two
side-chambers. Close to this group of tombs lies the early Ptolemaic or
late Dynastie cemetery, in which we opened just a few graves. Some of
them produced fine mummiform coffins painted with figures of deities ;
and from one came an Osirid statuette brilliantly gilt and painted. This
statuette and the accompanying coffin were carefully preserved with
. paraffin-wax. Just to the north of this part of the cemetery was a large
group of graves from which we obtained some very fine linen and stucco
cartonnages. The coffins in which tliey were found were of the same
character as those containing papyrus mummies, though they were often
better made and rather more carefully painted.
* They were found one inside the other. The smaller closely resemblcs a basket
published by Cailliaud, Voyage d l'Oasis de Thèbes, vol. II., Pl. XLII. 3. Both
baskets were oval and had lids.
11
On one was found a green glaze plaque bearing the naine of Thothmes III.
At their heads were two baskets,* and some dôm-fruits in a pot, ail in
original position. Thèse objects and the pottery found in the débris of the
chamber are typical New-Kingdoin material. There were fragments of
more bodies and mats mixed up with the débris. Tins appears to explain
M. Naville's similar finds referred to in Aimas el-Medîneh, p. 12. Finding
Mayâna unfavourable for the purposes of our expédition, we went further
north, and worked a few days in another cemetery. This proved to be
Middle-Kingdom, and one grave produced two wooden boats with crews,
two wooden figures of women carrying baskets and birds, a granary
(rotten) and a kitchen and bakehouse consisting of several groups of figures
on one board.
l'ushing still further north, accompanied by a gang of workmen,
Mr. Blackman finally located the Ptolemaic cemetery of Ehnâsiya el-
Medîna, which lay a little north of Sidmant. We commencée! work there
on November 19th. This cemetery covered a large area, corresponding
with the importance of that city in Graeco-Boman times. Unfortunately
the ground in which it is located is low-lying and close to the "hôd" of
the Bahr Yusuf. The usual type of grave was a deep pit or well with
one or two side chambers. In many cases the interments were mummies
in papyrus cartonnages, but quite rotten. In one such tomb, the shaft of
which was 9 mètres deep, 30 papyrus mummies were found, but the
papyrus was so rotten that it crumbled to powder at a touch. However, in
■one part of the cemetery a patch of shallow graves was discovered, and we
secured f'rom it about twenty papyrus cartonnages in fair condition, which
fîlled three and a half cases. Thèse papyri were for the most part Greek.
The type of grave in this case was a shallow oblong pit with one or two
side-chambers. Close to this group of tombs lies the early Ptolemaic or
late Dynastie cemetery, in which we opened just a few graves. Some of
them produced fine mummiform coffins painted with figures of deities ;
and from one came an Osirid statuette brilliantly gilt and painted. This
statuette and the accompanying coffin were carefully preserved with
. paraffin-wax. Just to the north of this part of the cemetery was a large
group of graves from which we obtained some very fine linen and stucco
cartonnages. The coffins in which tliey were found were of the same
character as those containing papyrus mummies, though they were often
better made and rather more carefully painted.
* They were found one inside the other. The smaller closely resemblcs a basket
published by Cailliaud, Voyage d l'Oasis de Thèbes, vol. II., Pl. XLII. 3. Both
baskets were oval and had lids.