DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4393#0321
DTSCO VERBIS AT ABO U SlMBEL. &!3
merits and surveyed the ground round about, especially
endeavoring to make out the plan of certain fragments of
wall, the foundations of which were yet traceable.
A careful examination of these ruins, and a little clear-
ing of the sand here and there, led to further discoveries.
They found that the speos had been approached by a
large outer hall built of sun-dried brick, with one princi-
pal entrance facing the Nile, and two side entrances facing
northward. The iloor was buried deep in sand and debris,
but enough of the walls remained above the surface to
show that the ceiling had been vaulted and the side
entrances arched.
The southern boundary wall of this hall, when the sur-
face sand was removed, appeared to be no less than twenty
feet in thickness. This was not in itself so wonderful,
there being instances of ancient Egyptian crude-brick walls
which measure eighty feet in thickness;* but it was
astounding as compared with the north, east, and west
walls, which measured only three feet. Deeming it impos-
sible that this mass could be solid throughout, the idle man
set to work with a couple of sailors to probe the center part
of it, and it soon became evident that there was a hollow
space about three feet in width running due east and west
down not quite exactly the middle of the structure.
All at once the idle man thrust his fingers into a skull!
This was such an amazing and unexpected incident that
for the moment he said nothing, but went on quietly dis-
placing the sand and feeling his way under the surface,
the next instant his hand came in contact with the edge of
a clay bowl, which he carefully withdrew7. It measured
about four inches in diameter, was hand-molded, and full
of caked sand. He now proclaimed his discoveries and all
ran to help in the work. Soon a second ami smaller skull
was turned up, then another bowl, and then, just under
the place from winch the bowls were taken, the bones of
two skeletons, all detached, perfectly desiccated, and appar-
ently complete. The remains were those of a child and a
small grown person—probably a woman. The teeth were
sound; the bones wonderfully delicate and brittle. As for
tl . '^he inclosure-wall of the jrreat Temple of Tanis is eighty
wuck. See "Tanis," Part 1, by W. M. F. Petrie; published by
lty feet
bv the
eirt'mititee °f the E^"lrt Exploration Fund, 1885. [Xote to se"cond
merits and surveyed the ground round about, especially
endeavoring to make out the plan of certain fragments of
wall, the foundations of which were yet traceable.
A careful examination of these ruins, and a little clear-
ing of the sand here and there, led to further discoveries.
They found that the speos had been approached by a
large outer hall built of sun-dried brick, with one princi-
pal entrance facing the Nile, and two side entrances facing
northward. The iloor was buried deep in sand and debris,
but enough of the walls remained above the surface to
show that the ceiling had been vaulted and the side
entrances arched.
The southern boundary wall of this hall, when the sur-
face sand was removed, appeared to be no less than twenty
feet in thickness. This was not in itself so wonderful,
there being instances of ancient Egyptian crude-brick walls
which measure eighty feet in thickness;* but it was
astounding as compared with the north, east, and west
walls, which measured only three feet. Deeming it impos-
sible that this mass could be solid throughout, the idle man
set to work with a couple of sailors to probe the center part
of it, and it soon became evident that there was a hollow
space about three feet in width running due east and west
down not quite exactly the middle of the structure.
All at once the idle man thrust his fingers into a skull!
This was such an amazing and unexpected incident that
for the moment he said nothing, but went on quietly dis-
placing the sand and feeling his way under the surface,
the next instant his hand came in contact with the edge of
a clay bowl, which he carefully withdrew7. It measured
about four inches in diameter, was hand-molded, and full
of caked sand. He now proclaimed his discoveries and all
ran to help in the work. Soon a second ami smaller skull
was turned up, then another bowl, and then, just under
the place from winch the bowls were taken, the bones of
two skeletons, all detached, perfectly desiccated, and appar-
ently complete. The remains were those of a child and a
small grown person—probably a woman. The teeth were
sound; the bones wonderfully delicate and brittle. As for
tl . '^he inclosure-wall of the jrreat Temple of Tanis is eighty
wuck. See "Tanis," Part 1, by W. M. F. Petrie; published by
lty feet
bv the
eirt'mititee °f the E^"lrt Exploration Fund, 1885. [Xote to se"cond