Excavations at Nuri
3
was transferred to Meroe, the pyramids built there were at first orientated roughly south-
east as a matter of tradition.
III. The topography of the pyramid field at Nuri. At Nuri, the fiat alluvial land
is bordered by low ridges and knolls of sandstone founded on a deep bed of micacious
schist. These ridges and knolls, rising gently to a range of low hills lying a mile or so
out in the desert, are separated by dry wadys cut by rain torrents. Most of the ridges
therefore run towards the river. At one place, however, owing perhaps to some differ-
ence in the rock, two adjacent wadys have diverged, one to the “north” and one to the
“south”, leaving a sort of large island of rock whose main ridges run nearly parallel to
the river. On this island of rock stand the pyramids of Nuri, close to the alluvial plain,
and less than a mile from the river.
The topographical features of the pyramid field are important for the study of the
order in which the pyramids were built. The high ground lies in a rough horse-shoe form
around a basin which drains away to the “south”. The arm of the horse-shoe nearer
the river, I call the main ridge because it bears the most important tomb. Its top main-
tains a level of about +1100 cm. above an arbitrary datum line for over 100 meters of
its length, but slopes down at the ends to the banks of the wadys. The “northern” half
of the main ridge is about 200 meters wide, falling away eastward to the level of the plain.
This extension to the east, I call the “eastern” plateau. The “southern” half of the
main ridge, although never as wide as the “northern” half, was originally somewhat
wider than at present, but its “eastern” side was quarried away during the building of
the pyramids. The high ground on the curve of the horse-shoe, I call the “northern”
ridge. Its top starts from the “northern” end of the main ridge with a slight dip and
then rises to a “north-south” ridge of +1300 cm. just “east” of the “northern” end
of the other arm of the horse-shoe. The “northern” and “southern” slopes of the “north-
ern” ridge are very gentle. The remaining arm of the horse-shoe, I call the “western"
ridge. The total length of the “western” ridge is about 400 meters, but at 230 meters from
the “northern” end the ridge bends back towards the “east”. The “northern” part
of the ridge is a fine flat area nearly 100 meters wide, maintaining a fairly uniform level
of about +1350 cm., or 250 cm. above the main ridge. The “southern” part, on the
other hand, narrows towards the “south”, and slopes down to a level of only +900 cm.
beyond the last pyramid (no. XIV). This fall in level is due to the denudation of the
overlying sandstone strata. In the central basin, the drainage line runs southwards along
the “eastern” side of the basin, nearer the main ridge. On the long slope which descends
from the “western” ridge to this drainage line, three knolls are visible called the “northern”
knoll, the middle knoll, and the “southern” knoll. The “northern” knoll is a pronounced
feature of about the same height as the “western” ridge, but the other two are low gentle
3
was transferred to Meroe, the pyramids built there were at first orientated roughly south-
east as a matter of tradition.
III. The topography of the pyramid field at Nuri. At Nuri, the fiat alluvial land
is bordered by low ridges and knolls of sandstone founded on a deep bed of micacious
schist. These ridges and knolls, rising gently to a range of low hills lying a mile or so
out in the desert, are separated by dry wadys cut by rain torrents. Most of the ridges
therefore run towards the river. At one place, however, owing perhaps to some differ-
ence in the rock, two adjacent wadys have diverged, one to the “north” and one to the
“south”, leaving a sort of large island of rock whose main ridges run nearly parallel to
the river. On this island of rock stand the pyramids of Nuri, close to the alluvial plain,
and less than a mile from the river.
The topographical features of the pyramid field are important for the study of the
order in which the pyramids were built. The high ground lies in a rough horse-shoe form
around a basin which drains away to the “south”. The arm of the horse-shoe nearer
the river, I call the main ridge because it bears the most important tomb. Its top main-
tains a level of about +1100 cm. above an arbitrary datum line for over 100 meters of
its length, but slopes down at the ends to the banks of the wadys. The “northern” half
of the main ridge is about 200 meters wide, falling away eastward to the level of the plain.
This extension to the east, I call the “eastern” plateau. The “southern” half of the
main ridge, although never as wide as the “northern” half, was originally somewhat
wider than at present, but its “eastern” side was quarried away during the building of
the pyramids. The high ground on the curve of the horse-shoe, I call the “northern”
ridge. Its top starts from the “northern” end of the main ridge with a slight dip and
then rises to a “north-south” ridge of +1300 cm. just “east” of the “northern” end
of the other arm of the horse-shoe. The “northern” and “southern” slopes of the “north-
ern” ridge are very gentle. The remaining arm of the horse-shoe, I call the “western"
ridge. The total length of the “western” ridge is about 400 meters, but at 230 meters from
the “northern” end the ridge bends back towards the “east”. The “northern” part
of the ridge is a fine flat area nearly 100 meters wide, maintaining a fairly uniform level
of about +1350 cm., or 250 cm. above the main ridge. The “southern” part, on the
other hand, narrows towards the “south”, and slopes down to a level of only +900 cm.
beyond the last pyramid (no. XIV). This fall in level is due to the denudation of the
overlying sandstone strata. In the central basin, the drainage line runs southwards along
the “eastern” side of the basin, nearer the main ridge. On the long slope which descends
from the “western” ridge to this drainage line, three knolls are visible called the “northern”
knoll, the middle knoll, and the “southern” knoll. The “northern” knoll is a pronounced
feature of about the same height as the “western” ridge, but the other two are low gentle