DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4863#0070
THE FACADE AND COURTYARD OF THE TOMR
two blocks in width and two or more in height. Placed on the south pi-
laster, the figure faces outwards; but as both knees are on the ground in
a liturgical attitude rather than one of adoration (cf. my Five Theban
Tombs, Pis. VI, VII, XXI), it might face inwards, and so come from the
north pilaster, despite the batter. The dimensions place it about six feet
up, above the dwarf wall. Perhaps the incised text in yellow, No. 8 on
Plate LXX, comes from over the companion figure on the other pilaster.
Ruttresses. The lower parts of these exist in rock, or rock combined
with limestone masonry. The inward batter is about i in 9, the outward
about 1 in i3. Such buttresses are already seen in the Middle Kingdom
tomb of Daga (No. io3) and were very necessary to support the thrust
of the heavy roof. As it was, the north buttress had to be reinforced, or
replaced, by a solid brick wall later on.
Screen Walls. The extant fragment of the scenes (No. 45, Plate
LXXII) implies recessed panels divided by a narrow frame half-way be-
tween the columns, and other pieces prove that this pier contained a
vertical line of text. A small fragment contains a horizontal line of
text of the same breadth, and I therefore have continued this frame
under the cornice.1 This breaking up of the scenes into panels, and, still
more conclusively, the remains of the engaged column on each side show
that the scenes did not run on continuously, but left one side at least of
this column exposed along its whole height, There are no signs of any
gate posts built against the central columns, except a recessed cap which
suggests such a feature. I presume that the inside of the wall had no
cornice and that it presented a continuous surface, for the base of the mid-
dle column is cut away. The reliefs would probably finish at the top in a
narrow border; for nearly the full height would be needed for the large
figures. A few extant hieroglyphs show that the scenes were accompa-
nied by texts. The wall seems to have had a black dado nine inches high
at least, surmounted, as usual, by a yellow and a red band (verified by
a fragment found). (For the fragmentary scenes see pp. 63-65 below.)
xSee PI. LXXII, h (omitted from the reconstruction on PI. LXXV). Two other fragments are of
considerably greater breadth, and perhaps come from the lintel of the entrance.
55
two blocks in width and two or more in height. Placed on the south pi-
laster, the figure faces outwards; but as both knees are on the ground in
a liturgical attitude rather than one of adoration (cf. my Five Theban
Tombs, Pis. VI, VII, XXI), it might face inwards, and so come from the
north pilaster, despite the batter. The dimensions place it about six feet
up, above the dwarf wall. Perhaps the incised text in yellow, No. 8 on
Plate LXX, comes from over the companion figure on the other pilaster.
Ruttresses. The lower parts of these exist in rock, or rock combined
with limestone masonry. The inward batter is about i in 9, the outward
about 1 in i3. Such buttresses are already seen in the Middle Kingdom
tomb of Daga (No. io3) and were very necessary to support the thrust
of the heavy roof. As it was, the north buttress had to be reinforced, or
replaced, by a solid brick wall later on.
Screen Walls. The extant fragment of the scenes (No. 45, Plate
LXXII) implies recessed panels divided by a narrow frame half-way be-
tween the columns, and other pieces prove that this pier contained a
vertical line of text. A small fragment contains a horizontal line of
text of the same breadth, and I therefore have continued this frame
under the cornice.1 This breaking up of the scenes into panels, and, still
more conclusively, the remains of the engaged column on each side show
that the scenes did not run on continuously, but left one side at least of
this column exposed along its whole height, There are no signs of any
gate posts built against the central columns, except a recessed cap which
suggests such a feature. I presume that the inside of the wall had no
cornice and that it presented a continuous surface, for the base of the mid-
dle column is cut away. The reliefs would probably finish at the top in a
narrow border; for nearly the full height would be needed for the large
figures. A few extant hieroglyphs show that the scenes were accompa-
nied by texts. The wall seems to have had a black dado nine inches high
at least, surmounted, as usual, by a yellow and a red band (verified by
a fragment found). (For the fragmentary scenes see pp. 63-65 below.)
xSee PI. LXXII, h (omitted from the reconstruction on PI. LXXV). Two other fragments are of
considerably greater breadth, and perhaps come from the lintel of the entrance.
55