DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.8757#0058
34
THE TOMB OF THE DOUBLE AXES
its dromos, which was struck at a point 14-80 metres north of the entrance. The
dromos itself had been of greater extension, but the denudation of the face of
the slope had obliterated its original opening. Its breadth gradually widened
in the course of its descent from about half a metre to slightly over a metre and
a half (1.55).
The orientation of the tomb was almost due north and south, the entrance
being on the north. The doorway itself had been hewn out of the soft 'kouskouras'
rock with extraordinary care, and the workmanship was superior to anything
Fig. 47. Entrance to the Tomb of the Double Axes.
that had come to light in the cemetery of Zafer Papoura. The inner arch was
0-97 m. wide and 2-60 high, with a recessed border round it (fig. 47).
The doorway was blocked to a height of 1-50 m. with limestone blocks, some
of which were well faced like those of ashlar masonry. The gap between the
top of the blocking and the arch of the doorway showed at once that the tomb
had been broken into in ancient times. On removing the blocking, a bronze
double axe (fig. 48) was found among the stones near its inner face, at a height
of 120 m. above the floor-level. From this it would appear that the blocking
THE TOMB OF THE DOUBLE AXES
its dromos, which was struck at a point 14-80 metres north of the entrance. The
dromos itself had been of greater extension, but the denudation of the face of
the slope had obliterated its original opening. Its breadth gradually widened
in the course of its descent from about half a metre to slightly over a metre and
a half (1.55).
The orientation of the tomb was almost due north and south, the entrance
being on the north. The doorway itself had been hewn out of the soft 'kouskouras'
rock with extraordinary care, and the workmanship was superior to anything
Fig. 47. Entrance to the Tomb of the Double Axes.
that had come to light in the cemetery of Zafer Papoura. The inner arch was
0-97 m. wide and 2-60 high, with a recessed border round it (fig. 47).
The doorway was blocked to a height of 1-50 m. with limestone blocks, some
of which were well faced like those of ashlar masonry. The gap between the
top of the blocking and the arch of the doorway showed at once that the tomb
had been broken into in ancient times. On removing the blocking, a bronze
double axe (fig. 48) was found among the stones near its inner face, at a height
of 120 m. above the floor-level. From this it would appear that the blocking