DOI Artikel:
Naville, Edouard: Egypt Exploration Fund, [7]: Transport of Obelisks, as illustrated by a Bas-Relief in the temple of Deir el Bahari
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.10056#0021
Transport of Obelisks.
9
" the inhabitants of the nome of Aphroditopolis and of all Egypt are
"collected in one place on all sides enlisting the young soldiers/' the
military escort of the expedition which will be seen afterwards parading
on shore.
All the middle part relating the journey to Elephantine and the
loading of the obelisks is lost, for the lines which come next describe
the arrival at Thebes and the landing.
" the descent of the river was made with joy.
" when was taken the cable (?) there was rejoicing.
" (when they arrived) in peace, the king himself (i.e. the queen) preceded."
The last lines describe the rejoicings in the land, and the rewards
bestowed on the queen by the gods. The horizontal text in the lowest
register also states that the whole scene represents the end of the
voyage, when the obelisks, towed by a great number of boats, and
escorted by military and royal barges, arrive at Thebes : " The landing
in peace at Thebes the mighty, there is a festival in the sky, Egypt is
in rejoicing .... is in joy, when they see this monument everlasting
(which the queen) erected to her father (Amon)."
The numerous gaps in the representation compel us to leave a great
deal to conjecture ; however, owing to the minute accuracy of the
Egyptian sculptors, we are able to form an idea of the procedure of
the great flotilla.
Although we see only one obelisk, the inscription tells us that there
were two, and as we shall see later they probably were loaded on the
same boat. The boat itself is called ff553 depet. As for its con-
struction, we can see what it was, since below in one of the inscriptions
the boat is represented as the determinative sign to its name. This sign
has been reproduced in full size (at o). It shows the obelisk lying
under a kind of awning which is supported by four poles, and which,
judging from the large representation, is formed by thick ropes ending
near the deck-house by which the officers are standing.
What was the size of this vessel ? Possibly its dimensions were given
in the part of the inscription which has been lost ; but we can derive
some information as to its probable dimensions from a text which is
nearly contemporaneous. It is the biography of an officer called Anna,
who lived under the three Thothmes, and who enjoyed the favour of
Hatshepsu.' He relates that having to bring two obelisks for the King
Thothmes I., he built a boat of 120 cubits in length and 40 in width,
1 Reeueil, vol. xii. p. 106.
C
9
" the inhabitants of the nome of Aphroditopolis and of all Egypt are
"collected in one place on all sides enlisting the young soldiers/' the
military escort of the expedition which will be seen afterwards parading
on shore.
All the middle part relating the journey to Elephantine and the
loading of the obelisks is lost, for the lines which come next describe
the arrival at Thebes and the landing.
" the descent of the river was made with joy.
" when was taken the cable (?) there was rejoicing.
" (when they arrived) in peace, the king himself (i.e. the queen) preceded."
The last lines describe the rejoicings in the land, and the rewards
bestowed on the queen by the gods. The horizontal text in the lowest
register also states that the whole scene represents the end of the
voyage, when the obelisks, towed by a great number of boats, and
escorted by military and royal barges, arrive at Thebes : " The landing
in peace at Thebes the mighty, there is a festival in the sky, Egypt is
in rejoicing .... is in joy, when they see this monument everlasting
(which the queen) erected to her father (Amon)."
The numerous gaps in the representation compel us to leave a great
deal to conjecture ; however, owing to the minute accuracy of the
Egyptian sculptors, we are able to form an idea of the procedure of
the great flotilla.
Although we see only one obelisk, the inscription tells us that there
were two, and as we shall see later they probably were loaded on the
same boat. The boat itself is called ff553 depet. As for its con-
struction, we can see what it was, since below in one of the inscriptions
the boat is represented as the determinative sign to its name. This sign
has been reproduced in full size (at o). It shows the obelisk lying
under a kind of awning which is supported by four poles, and which,
judging from the large representation, is formed by thick ropes ending
near the deck-house by which the officers are standing.
What was the size of this vessel ? Possibly its dimensions were given
in the part of the inscription which has been lost ; but we can derive
some information as to its probable dimensions from a text which is
nearly contemporaneous. It is the biography of an officer called Anna,
who lived under the three Thothmes, and who enjoyed the favour of
Hatshepsu.' He relates that having to bring two obelisks for the King
Thothmes I., he built a boat of 120 cubits in length and 40 in width,
1 Reeueil, vol. xii. p. 106.
C