DOI article:
Naville, Edouard; Peet, Thomas Eric: Egypt Exploration Fund: excavations at Abydos
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12419#0014
I.-EGYPT EXPLOBATION FUND.
A.—EXCAVATIONS AT ABYDOS.
The excavations of last winter were carried on under Prof. Naville's
direction, by Mr. Peet, Prof. Whittemore, Mr. Droop, and the Hon. E.
Trefusis. Before M. JSTaville's arrival tombs of various epochs were
opened in the neighbourhood of the Shuneh. But at the end of January
tomb-work was stopped, and the whole staff was concentrated on the
Osireion.
The Osireion.
Abydos was famous in antiquity for the worship of Osiris. It was one
of the most ancient cities of the country, and certainly there must have
been a sanctuary of this god at a very early date. It is not certain that
the god was first worshipped there under the name of Osiris. He was
called also Apuatu or Upuatu, whose emblem was a jackal or a dog.
Last year's Eeport describes the necropolis of these animals which is
situated not far from the temple of Kameses II.
Strabo describes the extensive buildings which he saw there. It was
a particularly sacred spot, since the head of the god Osiris was said to be
buried there in a monument called the Temple of Osiris, which is surely
the temple built by Seti I., and enlarged by his son Barneses II. The
sculptures show it to be the funerary temple, the Memnonium of the god,
and it must be connected in some way with the divine sepulchre which
has not yet been found.
Lepsius had already seen part of the temple which was cleared nearly
entirely by Mariette. But Prof. Flinders Petrie, or rather Miss Murray
• his assistant, was the first to make an attempt at digging behind the
temple, within the sacred enclosure, the temenos. There was found a
subterranean hall, cut in the marl of the desert, the walls of which are
covered with texts from the Book of the Dead, and bear the name of
b
A.—EXCAVATIONS AT ABYDOS.
The excavations of last winter were carried on under Prof. Naville's
direction, by Mr. Peet, Prof. Whittemore, Mr. Droop, and the Hon. E.
Trefusis. Before M. JSTaville's arrival tombs of various epochs were
opened in the neighbourhood of the Shuneh. But at the end of January
tomb-work was stopped, and the whole staff was concentrated on the
Osireion.
The Osireion.
Abydos was famous in antiquity for the worship of Osiris. It was one
of the most ancient cities of the country, and certainly there must have
been a sanctuary of this god at a very early date. It is not certain that
the god was first worshipped there under the name of Osiris. He was
called also Apuatu or Upuatu, whose emblem was a jackal or a dog.
Last year's Eeport describes the necropolis of these animals which is
situated not far from the temple of Kameses II.
Strabo describes the extensive buildings which he saw there. It was
a particularly sacred spot, since the head of the god Osiris was said to be
buried there in a monument called the Temple of Osiris, which is surely
the temple built by Seti I., and enlarged by his son Barneses II. The
sculptures show it to be the funerary temple, the Memnonium of the god,
and it must be connected in some way with the divine sepulchre which
has not yet been found.
Lepsius had already seen part of the temple which was cleared nearly
entirely by Mariette. But Prof. Flinders Petrie, or rather Miss Murray
• his assistant, was the first to make an attempt at digging behind the
temple, within the sacred enclosure, the temenos. There was found a
subterranean hall, cut in the marl of the desert, the walls of which are
covered with texts from the Book of the Dead, and bear the name of
b