DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4191#0011
PKEVIOUS WOEK AT THE TOMB.
father Kay.1 Teliutihetep generally calls him-
self " son of Kay" in his inscriptions, but
none of the scenes in the larger chambers of
the tomb refer to Kay.
The age of the tomb is clearly indicated by
the cartouches engraved on the outer corners of
the facade, according to which Teliutihetep lived
in the reigns of Amenemhat II., Usertsen II.,
and Usertsen III., so that it was probably in
the long reign of the last-named king that this
tomb was completed and the nomarch died.
It is interesting to find amongst the sculptures
the names of the principal workmen employed
upon the excavation and adornment of this
masterpiece of Middle Kingdom workmanship.
The " director of the work " was___n J
~ " Ab-Kau's son Sep," and the artist
employed to decorate it (, [ •¥■ v\
"Amena-ankhu." These men's handiwork was
well worthy to carry clown their fame to
posterity.
2. PREVIOUS WORK AT THE TOMB.
The group of tombs at El Bersheh was
quite unknown to the members of the great
French expedition under Napoleon, as well as
to their predecessors. Its discovery, how-
ever, dates back to 1817, and we owe the first
account of it to two naval officers, Captain
Mangles and Lieutenant Irby.2 These two
travellers, after a voyage up the Nile to the
first cataract, joined an expedition consisting
of Messrs. Bankes, Beechey, and Belzoni, who
were about to proceed into Nubia in order to
effect an entrance through the sand-drifts into
the great temple at Abu Simbel. At that date
travellers in Nubia were beset with many
1 Pronounced Ka-y.
2 Travels in Egypt, Nubia, Syria and Asia Minor during
the years 1817-1818, by the Hon. C. L. Irby and S. Mangles,
London, 1823.
difficulties, owing to the mutual jealousies of
the local governors and the disorganized state
of the country. Labourers could hardly be
obtained, and it was chiefly by their own
exertions that these travellers, half-starved as
they were by the refusal of the people to supply
them with food, at length excavated the door-
way of the great temple; and for the first time
for many centuries man set foot within its
brilliantly decorated halls. Those who had
hoped to find portable treasures within were
doubtless disappointed, but our travellers
sought adventure and discovery. On their
homeward voyage they broke their journey at
several points where they heard of the exis-
tence of important remains. At El Kab they
admired the tomb of Paheri.3 On the 26th
of August, 1817, they reached Raramun, and
guided presumably by Mr. Brine, the English
founder of the sugar factory there, they dis-
covered the tomb of Teliutihetep, and were
much struck by the interesting character of
its paintings.* Messrs. Bankes and Beechey
revisited it at an early opportunity and made
drawings, which probably exist to this day,
but have not yet been traced to their present
owners. A copy of Mr. Bankes' outline of the
colossus has, however, been seen by us amongst
3 Published in the Xlth Memoir of the Egypt Exploration
Fund.
4 "Before we leave Egypt I should inform you that we
discovered an interesting tomb opposite Mr. Brine's, at
Eadimore [Baramun]. The sides were covered with paint-
ings, among which are two groups, of a description very
rarely, if ever, to be met with; one of them represents the
removal of a colossus between thirty and forty feet high,
and seated on a chair ; upwards of a hundred labourers
are employed. The other drawing represents an Egyptian
garden, with exotics in flower-pots, arranged on a terrace,
near which is an arbour, bee-hives, &c. Mr. Bankes and
Mr. Beechey are the only travellers who have visited this
tomb since we discovered it: the former has accurate draw-
ings of all its contents."—Irby and Mangles, Travels,
London, 1821, p. 165. The reference to bee-hives is due
to some misconception, as there is no sign of such amongst
the paintings here or in any other tomb at present known
in Egypt.
B 2
father Kay.1 Teliutihetep generally calls him-
self " son of Kay" in his inscriptions, but
none of the scenes in the larger chambers of
the tomb refer to Kay.
The age of the tomb is clearly indicated by
the cartouches engraved on the outer corners of
the facade, according to which Teliutihetep lived
in the reigns of Amenemhat II., Usertsen II.,
and Usertsen III., so that it was probably in
the long reign of the last-named king that this
tomb was completed and the nomarch died.
It is interesting to find amongst the sculptures
the names of the principal workmen employed
upon the excavation and adornment of this
masterpiece of Middle Kingdom workmanship.
The " director of the work " was___n J
~ " Ab-Kau's son Sep," and the artist
employed to decorate it (, [ •¥■ v\
"Amena-ankhu." These men's handiwork was
well worthy to carry clown their fame to
posterity.
2. PREVIOUS WORK AT THE TOMB.
The group of tombs at El Bersheh was
quite unknown to the members of the great
French expedition under Napoleon, as well as
to their predecessors. Its discovery, how-
ever, dates back to 1817, and we owe the first
account of it to two naval officers, Captain
Mangles and Lieutenant Irby.2 These two
travellers, after a voyage up the Nile to the
first cataract, joined an expedition consisting
of Messrs. Bankes, Beechey, and Belzoni, who
were about to proceed into Nubia in order to
effect an entrance through the sand-drifts into
the great temple at Abu Simbel. At that date
travellers in Nubia were beset with many
1 Pronounced Ka-y.
2 Travels in Egypt, Nubia, Syria and Asia Minor during
the years 1817-1818, by the Hon. C. L. Irby and S. Mangles,
London, 1823.
difficulties, owing to the mutual jealousies of
the local governors and the disorganized state
of the country. Labourers could hardly be
obtained, and it was chiefly by their own
exertions that these travellers, half-starved as
they were by the refusal of the people to supply
them with food, at length excavated the door-
way of the great temple; and for the first time
for many centuries man set foot within its
brilliantly decorated halls. Those who had
hoped to find portable treasures within were
doubtless disappointed, but our travellers
sought adventure and discovery. On their
homeward voyage they broke their journey at
several points where they heard of the exis-
tence of important remains. At El Kab they
admired the tomb of Paheri.3 On the 26th
of August, 1817, they reached Raramun, and
guided presumably by Mr. Brine, the English
founder of the sugar factory there, they dis-
covered the tomb of Teliutihetep, and were
much struck by the interesting character of
its paintings.* Messrs. Bankes and Beechey
revisited it at an early opportunity and made
drawings, which probably exist to this day,
but have not yet been traced to their present
owners. A copy of Mr. Bankes' outline of the
colossus has, however, been seen by us amongst
3 Published in the Xlth Memoir of the Egypt Exploration
Fund.
4 "Before we leave Egypt I should inform you that we
discovered an interesting tomb opposite Mr. Brine's, at
Eadimore [Baramun]. The sides were covered with paint-
ings, among which are two groups, of a description very
rarely, if ever, to be met with; one of them represents the
removal of a colossus between thirty and forty feet high,
and seated on a chair ; upwards of a hundred labourers
are employed. The other drawing represents an Egyptian
garden, with exotics in flower-pots, arranged on a terrace,
near which is an arbour, bee-hives, &c. Mr. Bankes and
Mr. Beechey are the only travellers who have visited this
tomb since we discovered it: the former has accurate draw-
ings of all its contents."—Irby and Mangles, Travels,
London, 1821, p. 165. The reference to bee-hives is due
to some misconception, as there is no sign of such amongst
the paintings here or in any other tomb at present known
in Egypt.
B 2