DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.51705#0032
20
THE TOMB OF PA-RA'MESSU
prominent position on a hill overlooking the culti-
vation (pl. II near point W, tomb 5), and this
turned out to be the one sought for. The pit was
nearly filled up with blown sand, and, after two days
of clearing, the huge roughly-square mouth suddenly
narrowed down to a well-cut shaft. Eight days
more work revealed the entrance to the burial
chamber. An elevation and plan of the tomb are shown
in pl. XIX, no. 1. It will be seen that its sloping
passages, antechambers and side niches remind one
strongly of the general form found in the royal
burials of the tombs of the kings at Thebes.
35. Entering the burial chamber, we could feel
that there was a large quantity of limestone “dabsh”
filling the chamber up to the level of the top of
the sarcophagus. We tried bucketing out the water
and found that it was quite easy to clear the
chamber in this way, as very little water infiltrated
into the tomb.
The sarcophagus lay head to north on the side
of the burial chamber. Along this side of the
chamber ran a ledge, probably for offerings. There
was no recess for the canopic jars, but traces of
alabaster jars were found, including part of a hawk-
headed cover. The tomb had obviously been an-
ciently robbed, but there were no traces of an
intruded burial.
A fair quantity of scraps of pottery, part of an
alabaster measure of 11 hins (?), a fragment of
imitation grapes in blue-black glass and the bones
of one man (some inside and some outside the
sarcophagus) were found here. The objects are shown
on pl. XXXI; they are not very characteristic of a
reign, but are certainly of late XVIII—early XIX th
date. The bones are discussed by Professor G.
Elliot Smith, Professor of Anatomy, University
College, London, at the end of this chapter, section 42.
The sarcophagus, like the wooden outer coffins
of Yuia and Thuiu (Quibell, Tomb of Yuia and
Thuiu, pls. VI and XIV), is of one piece with its
sled. I know of no other stone sarcophagus with
this peculiarity.
The whole sarcophagus and lid were covered
with funerary texts, which are of no special interest
as regards dating the burial. They resemble closely
those of Yuia and Thuiu and even more closely
those on the stone sarcophagi of Thutmose,
Takha' and Kha'a' which are now in the Cairo
Museum. A facsimile of the inscriptions is shown on
i Mr. Battiscombe Gunn, to whom this spell was submitted,
remarks that H’, determined by the legs determinative is quite
common as an interjection in the Middle Kingdom. The text
seems to be corrupt.
pl. XXXII. The name of Pa-Ra'messu is of great
interest, being written in three ways: “Royal Son
(Ra'messu-mer-Amen) ”, “Royal Son Ra'messu”, and
“Hereditary Prince of the Lord of the two Lands,
the Vizier, the Commander of the Bowmen, Pa-
Ra'messu”. After each repetition of the name (except
in one case), in whichever way the name is written,
the words Neb Weben have been added; in some
cases there has barely been room for this addition,
and the words ma'-kheru have had to be omitted,
the original determinant and ma'-kheru having been
chipped out. The difference in level of the Neb
Weben and the original text can be clearly seen
in the frontispiece, fig. 5. The question of the
identity of this prince is discussed in section 38.
36. The inscriptions.
The cutting of the figures and hieroglyphs is good,
considering the material, as the pink granite used
has a tendency to crumble. The numbers refer
to pl. XXXII.
(1) “Words spoken by Osiris, the Vizier, the
Commander of the Bowmen, the Hereditary Prince of
the Lord of the Two Lands, Pa Ra'messu, Right
of speech." Ho!1 my Mother Nut, spread thyself
over thy Imperishable stars and (?) thy Unsetting
Stars . . .”
(It will be noticed here that the insertion of the
words Neb Weben has been omitted.)
(2) , (2 b), (3), (3 b) “Osiris, Royal Son,
(Ra'messu-mer-Amen)|, Neb Weben”.
(4) May Osiris, Royal Son, Ra'messu, (Neb Weben,)
be glorified. I have brought to thee thy head, [I
have] given it to thy body for ever, for ever, [O]
Royal Son, Ra'messu, (Neb Weben.)
(5) Words spoken by [the Vizier] the Hereditary
Prince of the Lord of the Two Lands [Pa R'amess]u,
(Neb Weben.) I am Isis the Goddess within the
place of Geb the heir of Re‘ [and?] Horus. The
Osiris Ra'messu, (Neb Weben.)
(6) May Osiris Pa-Ra'messu, (Neb Weben,) be
glorified. I am Horus; I come before thee, O Osiris,
Royal Son, Ra'messu, (Neb Weben.)
(7) Words spoken by Osiris the Vizier, Pa
Ra'messu, (Neb Weben) “I am Nut, the Great one,
THE TOMB OF PA-RA'MESSU
prominent position on a hill overlooking the culti-
vation (pl. II near point W, tomb 5), and this
turned out to be the one sought for. The pit was
nearly filled up with blown sand, and, after two days
of clearing, the huge roughly-square mouth suddenly
narrowed down to a well-cut shaft. Eight days
more work revealed the entrance to the burial
chamber. An elevation and plan of the tomb are shown
in pl. XIX, no. 1. It will be seen that its sloping
passages, antechambers and side niches remind one
strongly of the general form found in the royal
burials of the tombs of the kings at Thebes.
35. Entering the burial chamber, we could feel
that there was a large quantity of limestone “dabsh”
filling the chamber up to the level of the top of
the sarcophagus. We tried bucketing out the water
and found that it was quite easy to clear the
chamber in this way, as very little water infiltrated
into the tomb.
The sarcophagus lay head to north on the side
of the burial chamber. Along this side of the
chamber ran a ledge, probably for offerings. There
was no recess for the canopic jars, but traces of
alabaster jars were found, including part of a hawk-
headed cover. The tomb had obviously been an-
ciently robbed, but there were no traces of an
intruded burial.
A fair quantity of scraps of pottery, part of an
alabaster measure of 11 hins (?), a fragment of
imitation grapes in blue-black glass and the bones
of one man (some inside and some outside the
sarcophagus) were found here. The objects are shown
on pl. XXXI; they are not very characteristic of a
reign, but are certainly of late XVIII—early XIX th
date. The bones are discussed by Professor G.
Elliot Smith, Professor of Anatomy, University
College, London, at the end of this chapter, section 42.
The sarcophagus, like the wooden outer coffins
of Yuia and Thuiu (Quibell, Tomb of Yuia and
Thuiu, pls. VI and XIV), is of one piece with its
sled. I know of no other stone sarcophagus with
this peculiarity.
The whole sarcophagus and lid were covered
with funerary texts, which are of no special interest
as regards dating the burial. They resemble closely
those of Yuia and Thuiu and even more closely
those on the stone sarcophagi of Thutmose,
Takha' and Kha'a' which are now in the Cairo
Museum. A facsimile of the inscriptions is shown on
i Mr. Battiscombe Gunn, to whom this spell was submitted,
remarks that H’, determined by the legs determinative is quite
common as an interjection in the Middle Kingdom. The text
seems to be corrupt.
pl. XXXII. The name of Pa-Ra'messu is of great
interest, being written in three ways: “Royal Son
(Ra'messu-mer-Amen) ”, “Royal Son Ra'messu”, and
“Hereditary Prince of the Lord of the two Lands,
the Vizier, the Commander of the Bowmen, Pa-
Ra'messu”. After each repetition of the name (except
in one case), in whichever way the name is written,
the words Neb Weben have been added; in some
cases there has barely been room for this addition,
and the words ma'-kheru have had to be omitted,
the original determinant and ma'-kheru having been
chipped out. The difference in level of the Neb
Weben and the original text can be clearly seen
in the frontispiece, fig. 5. The question of the
identity of this prince is discussed in section 38.
36. The inscriptions.
The cutting of the figures and hieroglyphs is good,
considering the material, as the pink granite used
has a tendency to crumble. The numbers refer
to pl. XXXII.
(1) “Words spoken by Osiris, the Vizier, the
Commander of the Bowmen, the Hereditary Prince of
the Lord of the Two Lands, Pa Ra'messu, Right
of speech." Ho!1 my Mother Nut, spread thyself
over thy Imperishable stars and (?) thy Unsetting
Stars . . .”
(It will be noticed here that the insertion of the
words Neb Weben has been omitted.)
(2) , (2 b), (3), (3 b) “Osiris, Royal Son,
(Ra'messu-mer-Amen)|, Neb Weben”.
(4) May Osiris, Royal Son, Ra'messu, (Neb Weben,)
be glorified. I have brought to thee thy head, [I
have] given it to thy body for ever, for ever, [O]
Royal Son, Ra'messu, (Neb Weben.)
(5) Words spoken by [the Vizier] the Hereditary
Prince of the Lord of the Two Lands [Pa R'amess]u,
(Neb Weben.) I am Isis the Goddess within the
place of Geb the heir of Re‘ [and?] Horus. The
Osiris Ra'messu, (Neb Weben.)
(6) May Osiris Pa-Ra'messu, (Neb Weben,) be
glorified. I am Horus; I come before thee, O Osiris,
Royal Son, Ra'messu, (Neb Weben.)
(7) Words spoken by Osiris the Vizier, Pa
Ra'messu, (Neb Weben) “I am Nut, the Great one,