DOI Artikel:
Petrie, William M. Flinders: Egypt Exploration Fund: excavations at Ehnasya
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12053#0029
Excavations at Eiinasya.
13
belonging to the XYTth-XYIIth Dynasty, as lias been supposed, both of
these kings are before the Xllth Dynasty.
(2) A temple plan and sculptures of the Xllth Dynasty. This shows
that the temples down to that age were of the primitive type, a shrine and
a large court before it.
(3) A temple plan of the XVIIIth Dynasty, when a hypostyle hall was
built, and more store chambers and treasuries. This was partly rebuilt in
the XlXth Dynasty.
(4) A temple, perhaps of the XXIInd Dynasty, somewhat altered in
plan.
(5) The latest temple of the XXXth Dynasty or perhaps later. The last
sculpture of all being of an Antonine Emperor, found re-used in a Roman
house near by.
These temples were all at different levels, which fact gives the only
means now of distinguishing them, as very little was left except
foundations.
The great find of the year was the gold statuette of Hershef, dedicated
by king Neferkara Pefdubast, of the time of Pankhy the Ethiopian. His
personal name is on Pankhy's stele, but his throne name was lost, and no
objects of his were known. The statuette is of the finest work, and perhaps
the largest gold figure known from Egypt. It is very satisfactory that the
workmen refrained from taking it out of the hard earth, but sent to me to
give notice of it; and Mr. Ayrton took it from the place himself, some feet
below the bottom of Dr. Naville's excavation. It is the most valuable
object found anywhere in Egypt this year ; and it only leaves that country
in exchange against some of the jewellery of the 1st Dynasty, found at
Abydos. The same control over the men is shown by another man giving
up two gold octodrachms of Arsinoe. Hardly a year passes without gold
objects being produced from my workings, because a reasonable share of the
value is given to the workmen; and gold is very rarely produced in
excavations where this is not done. An immense triad of granite, of
Raniessu II, Ptah and Hershef, was another most valuable object, and was
kept in Cairo. The other subjects worked at this place were the Roman
lamps and terracotta figures. These have not been obtained before with
dates; but we cleared many burnt houses, and so recovered the pottery
and the coins which were all in use at the same time together. Thus a
solid basis is laid for the study of these Roman remains in future.
Besides these we purchased a great quantity more found at Ehnasya and
in the neighbouring province of the Fayum, so as to study all the types
more completely. The series of degradation of the various types of lamps
13
belonging to the XYTth-XYIIth Dynasty, as lias been supposed, both of
these kings are before the Xllth Dynasty.
(2) A temple plan and sculptures of the Xllth Dynasty. This shows
that the temples down to that age were of the primitive type, a shrine and
a large court before it.
(3) A temple plan of the XVIIIth Dynasty, when a hypostyle hall was
built, and more store chambers and treasuries. This was partly rebuilt in
the XlXth Dynasty.
(4) A temple, perhaps of the XXIInd Dynasty, somewhat altered in
plan.
(5) The latest temple of the XXXth Dynasty or perhaps later. The last
sculpture of all being of an Antonine Emperor, found re-used in a Roman
house near by.
These temples were all at different levels, which fact gives the only
means now of distinguishing them, as very little was left except
foundations.
The great find of the year was the gold statuette of Hershef, dedicated
by king Neferkara Pefdubast, of the time of Pankhy the Ethiopian. His
personal name is on Pankhy's stele, but his throne name was lost, and no
objects of his were known. The statuette is of the finest work, and perhaps
the largest gold figure known from Egypt. It is very satisfactory that the
workmen refrained from taking it out of the hard earth, but sent to me to
give notice of it; and Mr. Ayrton took it from the place himself, some feet
below the bottom of Dr. Naville's excavation. It is the most valuable
object found anywhere in Egypt this year ; and it only leaves that country
in exchange against some of the jewellery of the 1st Dynasty, found at
Abydos. The same control over the men is shown by another man giving
up two gold octodrachms of Arsinoe. Hardly a year passes without gold
objects being produced from my workings, because a reasonable share of the
value is given to the workmen; and gold is very rarely produced in
excavations where this is not done. An immense triad of granite, of
Raniessu II, Ptah and Hershef, was another most valuable object, and was
kept in Cairo. The other subjects worked at this place were the Roman
lamps and terracotta figures. These have not been obtained before with
dates; but we cleared many burnt houses, and so recovered the pottery
and the coins which were all in use at the same time together. Thus a
solid basis is laid for the study of these Roman remains in future.
Besides these we purchased a great quantity more found at Ehnasya and
in the neighbouring province of the Fayum, so as to study all the types
more completely. The series of degradation of the various types of lamps