DOI Artikel:
Griffith, Francis Ll.: Progress of Egyptology: archaeology, hieroglyphic studies, etc
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12583#0042
26
Peogeess of Egyptology.
Steindobff, Ber. d. Koen. Sachs. Gesell. d. Wiss., 1900, 209, reports
on the results of a most successful journey of exploration, undertaken in
conjunction with Lieut, von GriAnau, the expenses of which were defrayed
hy private subscriptions and by the Leipzig Academy. The chief object of
the expedition was to explore the Oasis of Amnion (Siwah), which, in spite
of its historical interest in connexion with Alexander's pilgrimage, had
hitherto seemed out of the reach of archaeologists competent to examine its
remains. Travellers who visited the oasis were, as a rule, very badly
received by the natives, and their descriptions, sketches and photographs
served mainly to show that the ruins were fast perishing. Steindorff's
expedition is thus the first to present us with trustworthy information
about the temples and their inscriptions. His visit was wonderfully
successful; during a stay of twenty days in the oasis no contretemps
whatever occurred. The only difficulty experienced was in inducing the
natives to excavate, and in consequence of this difficulty excavations were
slight. Of the chief temple, Steindorff fears that in a few years nothing
will be left, but he has copied all that was accessible in it, as in all the
other ruins which he visited in the oasis. The inscriptions give the
names of several Libyan princes hitherto quite unknown, perhaps also the
name of Hacoris of the XXXth Dynasty. Steindorff assigns the older
buildings only to the fourth century b.c., evidently the most flourishing-
period in the history of the place. The examination of the rock-cut tombs
also gave some results, but the natives have done their best to destroy any
paintings that they may contain. Here also there seemed to be nothing
of an earlier date than the fourth century. Though the prospects of future
work in the oasis are not brilliant, there is certainly more information still
concealed there, as for instance, amongst the fallen blocks of the great
temple and in the temple at Aghermi, which is largely blocked by houses.
On the return journey Steindorff visited the Bahriye oasis (Oasis
Minor), and was fortunate in discovering an inscribed tomb of the XlXth
Dynasty and two temples built in the XXVIth Dynasty by a governor
of that oasis.
Before starting on the Siwah expedition, Steindorff with Griinau and
Borchardt, spent ten days at Tell el Amarna, collating the inscriptions of
the great boundary stelae of Akhetaten and of the tombs in the southern
group. They arrived at the conclusion that the so-called tomb of
Akhenaten was not intended for the king himself, but for two children that
predeceased him. After his return from Siwah, Steindorff, who was joined
by Borchardt, Schaefer, and Dr. Thiersch, proceeded up the Nile to
examine the fortifications on the ancient frontier above Wady Halfeh, in
Peogeess of Egyptology.
Steindobff, Ber. d. Koen. Sachs. Gesell. d. Wiss., 1900, 209, reports
on the results of a most successful journey of exploration, undertaken in
conjunction with Lieut, von GriAnau, the expenses of which were defrayed
hy private subscriptions and by the Leipzig Academy. The chief object of
the expedition was to explore the Oasis of Amnion (Siwah), which, in spite
of its historical interest in connexion with Alexander's pilgrimage, had
hitherto seemed out of the reach of archaeologists competent to examine its
remains. Travellers who visited the oasis were, as a rule, very badly
received by the natives, and their descriptions, sketches and photographs
served mainly to show that the ruins were fast perishing. Steindorff's
expedition is thus the first to present us with trustworthy information
about the temples and their inscriptions. His visit was wonderfully
successful; during a stay of twenty days in the oasis no contretemps
whatever occurred. The only difficulty experienced was in inducing the
natives to excavate, and in consequence of this difficulty excavations were
slight. Of the chief temple, Steindorff fears that in a few years nothing
will be left, but he has copied all that was accessible in it, as in all the
other ruins which he visited in the oasis. The inscriptions give the
names of several Libyan princes hitherto quite unknown, perhaps also the
name of Hacoris of the XXXth Dynasty. Steindorff assigns the older
buildings only to the fourth century b.c., evidently the most flourishing-
period in the history of the place. The examination of the rock-cut tombs
also gave some results, but the natives have done their best to destroy any
paintings that they may contain. Here also there seemed to be nothing
of an earlier date than the fourth century. Though the prospects of future
work in the oasis are not brilliant, there is certainly more information still
concealed there, as for instance, amongst the fallen blocks of the great
temple and in the temple at Aghermi, which is largely blocked by houses.
On the return journey Steindorff visited the Bahriye oasis (Oasis
Minor), and was fortunate in discovering an inscribed tomb of the XlXth
Dynasty and two temples built in the XXVIth Dynasty by a governor
of that oasis.
Before starting on the Siwah expedition, Steindorff with Griinau and
Borchardt, spent ten days at Tell el Amarna, collating the inscriptions of
the great boundary stelae of Akhetaten and of the tombs in the southern
group. They arrived at the conclusion that the so-called tomb of
Akhenaten was not intended for the king himself, but for two children that
predeceased him. After his return from Siwah, Steindorff, who was joined
by Borchardt, Schaefer, and Dr. Thiersch, proceeded up the Nile to
examine the fortifications on the ancient frontier above Wady Halfeh, in