DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49271#0076
54
G. A. Reisner
of the chapel of pyramid I. One plundering took place at an early date, as already stated,
and inevitably caused the fall of the chapel. In the case of I, where the stairway reached
the face of the pyramid, the chapel was in greater danger from plundering than any of
the others. We found it completely destroyed. If the first plundering had taken place
before the time of Nalma’aya, the relaxation of the respect shown for Tirhaqa’s pyramid
would have been natural.
(10) Pyr. X, 2824 cm. square. Netaklabataman.
(11) Pyr. VII, 2772 cm. square. Karkaman.
(12) Pyr. II, 1, 2801 cm. square. Astabarqaman.
II, 2, 2667 cm. square.
(13) Pyr. IV, 2672 cm. square. Saasheriqa.
These four are the large pyramids of group c. The similarity of their masonry,
underground plan, shawwabti-figures, and foundation deposits proves their cohesion as
a group, and makes it necessary to consider them together.
At the time when the first of these four was built, every unoccupied site in the prox-
imity of the pyramids already in place (XX, III, VI, VIII, IX, V, and XVIII) had some
defect of suitability. The only two places left on the “western” ridge were the cramped
site “south” of IX and the site between VI and VIII which was now in front of XVIII
as well as of I. Behind the “western” ridge, the area “north” of XX sloped down to
the “northern” wady, and, while it offered fair rock for the stairway, had only poor
ground for the pyramid. The ground “south” of III was low, founded on bad rock, and
as a matter of fact was never occupied owing to its natural unsuitability. Beyond that,
the low middle knoll on which IV was afterwards built, was about half a meter lower
than the site of II, and lay behind VIII. The base levels of the four pyramids which
afterwards occupied these sites were: —
Pyr. X — + 1347 cm. above the arbitrary datum line.
Pyr. VII = + 1332 cm. “ “ “ “
Pyr. II = + 1205 cm. “ “ “ “
Pyr. IV = + 1150 cm. “ “ “ “
The relative order of the natural suitability of the four sites corresponds about to this
order, though the site of VII is perhaps the best of all. The old objection to the site of
VII, that it was directly in front of I, is shown by the construction of XVIII to have
lost its weight. On the other hand, a new objection to the site was raised by the presence
of XVIII, the tomb of the last king. Even if the next king were of a different family, natu-
ral decency, various political reasons, and the influence of the funerary priesthood of XVIII,
G. A. Reisner
of the chapel of pyramid I. One plundering took place at an early date, as already stated,
and inevitably caused the fall of the chapel. In the case of I, where the stairway reached
the face of the pyramid, the chapel was in greater danger from plundering than any of
the others. We found it completely destroyed. If the first plundering had taken place
before the time of Nalma’aya, the relaxation of the respect shown for Tirhaqa’s pyramid
would have been natural.
(10) Pyr. X, 2824 cm. square. Netaklabataman.
(11) Pyr. VII, 2772 cm. square. Karkaman.
(12) Pyr. II, 1, 2801 cm. square. Astabarqaman.
II, 2, 2667 cm. square.
(13) Pyr. IV, 2672 cm. square. Saasheriqa.
These four are the large pyramids of group c. The similarity of their masonry,
underground plan, shawwabti-figures, and foundation deposits proves their cohesion as
a group, and makes it necessary to consider them together.
At the time when the first of these four was built, every unoccupied site in the prox-
imity of the pyramids already in place (XX, III, VI, VIII, IX, V, and XVIII) had some
defect of suitability. The only two places left on the “western” ridge were the cramped
site “south” of IX and the site between VI and VIII which was now in front of XVIII
as well as of I. Behind the “western” ridge, the area “north” of XX sloped down to
the “northern” wady, and, while it offered fair rock for the stairway, had only poor
ground for the pyramid. The ground “south” of III was low, founded on bad rock, and
as a matter of fact was never occupied owing to its natural unsuitability. Beyond that,
the low middle knoll on which IV was afterwards built, was about half a meter lower
than the site of II, and lay behind VIII. The base levels of the four pyramids which
afterwards occupied these sites were: —
Pyr. X — + 1347 cm. above the arbitrary datum line.
Pyr. VII = + 1332 cm. “ “ “ “
Pyr. II = + 1205 cm. “ “ “ “
Pyr. IV = + 1150 cm. “ “ “ “
The relative order of the natural suitability of the four sites corresponds about to this
order, though the site of VII is perhaps the best of all. The old objection to the site of
VII, that it was directly in front of I, is shown by the construction of XVIII to have
lost its weight. On the other hand, a new objection to the site was raised by the presence
of XVIII, the tomb of the last king. Even if the next king were of a different family, natu-
ral decency, various political reasons, and the influence of the funerary priesthood of XVIII,