DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6641#0069
TTJKH EL
houses and oilier chambered buildings, connected together
by blocks of brick-work.
Inside, on the left entering, are some massive brick
chambers and passages, with arched doorways built against
the wall; immediately beyond is the foundation wall of the
temple, measuring S.W. 193 feet 5 inches, N.E. the same
precisely, KW. 108 feet 2 in., S.E. 108 ft. 6 in.
The temple seems to have consisted entirely of limestone,
and although there were in places two or three feet of chips
over the sand, nothing was found except a piece of limestone
sculptured with the head of a female of good Ptolemaic-
Egyptian work, from the walls, and an inscribed fragment
from the back pillar of a statue in the same material.
We worked out the corners of the foundation-wall with
the greatest care, using a fine sieve for the best of the sand.
The results, however, were only:—
N. Plaque, blue glazed ware, PI. xvii. 12, between the sand
and the chips.
W. 1 gold (No. 18), 1 carnelian (No. 17 or 19).
S. 2 beryl (16 and 20), 1 carnelian.
E. (Blank).
None of these were inscribed. The comparatively unen-
cumbered state of the ground may have led to the discovery
of the deposits anciently, when the corner stones were
removed.
However, a day or two before we closed work we had a
wind-fall. The workmen were ordered to cut a trench
through the rubbish down the axis of the temple, and at a
point 37 feet S.E. of the centre and a few inches N.E. of
the axis, and simultaneously at another point, on the axis
itself, and about 10 feet N. of the first, they came upon a
deposit. This was so unexpected that both M. Naville and
I were away, but, fortunately, M. Naville returned in time
to see the last of the objects taken out of the deposit. M.
Naville gave me the particulars of what he saw, and from
this, added to the account of the workmen, the division of
the objects seems to have been thus :—
S.E. deposit: 32 blue glazed cups (No. 10), 4 mortars,
4 (?) pairs of corn-rubbers, 4 (?) jars and bones above them.
N.W., 3 bronze bricks (No. 13 to 15), one or more pots.
There were four jars complete and one fragment—all
similar, and only one was ascertained to have come from the
N.W. Thus the deposit in the S.E. was quadruple, and
may explain the scanty finds at the four corners. We
hunted over and sifted nearly all the sand that had been
thrown out here, and found (from the S.E. (?)) 3 (originally
4 (?) ) needle-like pegs of carnelian,-pieces of bitumen, and
pieces of clay coated with copper salts.1
The saucers, of rather rough ware, hold specimens of
materials. One (No. 10) contained resin; another (No. 11)
had traces of the coppery earth ; the rest probably bitumen
(as No. 9) and other more perishable substances. The minia-
ture mortars were, as usual, of limestone; the corn-rubbers 2
' Identified by Mr. Fletcher.
■ Similar to the specimens from Naucratis (Vol. I. pi.
XXVI.).
QARAMUS. 55
of sandstone ; the pots of rough red earthenware. The bones
(21) were identified by Dr. Garson as belonging to a calf; the
carnelian pegs were unfortunately lost in transit to England.
Nothing was found on the other side of the axis, nor in
further diggings on the same line ; but the workmen having
received a present for their discovery, produced next day the
green-glazed cartouche-plaque of Philip Arrhidseus (fig. 8),
which they had undoubtedly found the day before and kept
back. The signs upon this interesting object are impressed
and coloured dark blue under the glaze.
In the N. corner of the foundational wall we dug a deep
pit, reaching the base of the wall at a depth of 15 feet, the
bricks throughout measuring 15x7|x5. The clean sand
continued at least 18 inches lower, and we must then have
been deep in the jezireh.3
Behind this temple, or front-apartment, was a space of
40 feet of mud and rubbish, and then another foundation-
wall enclosing a space measuring 91 feet x 56, bricks 7|x 15
inches. This chamber is raised six or seven feet above that
of the front-apartment, and is, like it, filled with sand
covered with chips. We dug 10 or 12 feet into the sand.
Probably upon it was built the raised inner chamber of the
temple. In trenching the disturbed sand, a fine and unique
pair of bronze tongues was discovered, PI. xviii. 1, the arms
terminating in rude imitations of human hands.
The orientation of the temple throughout is careless.
The Egyptian method of making the sides face the cardinal
points was set aside ; the direction has been roughly accom-
modated to that of the ramparts and walls of the S.W. enclo-
sure, and the result is a near approximation to the Babylonian
method.
In the temenos the N.W., S.W., and N.E. walls agree
roughly in direction with the corresponding walls of the
S.W. enclosure. The N.W. has been flattened to produce a
better square. The N. hall of the temple is nearly square,
with the N.W. side of the enclosure ; the axis of the S. hall
is different, to correspond with the wall at the back.
(Axis of gateways B.—C. 124f°; from C. through axis on
N. hall 124°; axis of S. hall 130°.)
In the temple area near the E. corner I have marked a
building of nine chambers. Many similar storehouses were
found both inside and outside the temenos, especially towards
the S.E. rampart. Each chamber appeared to contain a cir-
cular shaft of brick-work, which was in contact with the sides,
but left the corners filled only with rubbish. These were
probably the remains of domed roofs fallen in. The upper
part was often filled with exceedingly hard mud, probably
also from the roof. We cleared some to a depth of twelve
feet, finding rough red pottery of the types PI. xviii. 4 and 5
(pot and lid). We were unable to trace any means of com-
munication between the chambers.
A large part of the S.E. enclosure was covered with a
thick deposit of hard mud, as if alluvial : no doubt the wash
of centuries from the brick walls of the long-deserted
fortress.
3 See Note D.
houses and oilier chambered buildings, connected together
by blocks of brick-work.
Inside, on the left entering, are some massive brick
chambers and passages, with arched doorways built against
the wall; immediately beyond is the foundation wall of the
temple, measuring S.W. 193 feet 5 inches, N.E. the same
precisely, KW. 108 feet 2 in., S.E. 108 ft. 6 in.
The temple seems to have consisted entirely of limestone,
and although there were in places two or three feet of chips
over the sand, nothing was found except a piece of limestone
sculptured with the head of a female of good Ptolemaic-
Egyptian work, from the walls, and an inscribed fragment
from the back pillar of a statue in the same material.
We worked out the corners of the foundation-wall with
the greatest care, using a fine sieve for the best of the sand.
The results, however, were only:—
N. Plaque, blue glazed ware, PI. xvii. 12, between the sand
and the chips.
W. 1 gold (No. 18), 1 carnelian (No. 17 or 19).
S. 2 beryl (16 and 20), 1 carnelian.
E. (Blank).
None of these were inscribed. The comparatively unen-
cumbered state of the ground may have led to the discovery
of the deposits anciently, when the corner stones were
removed.
However, a day or two before we closed work we had a
wind-fall. The workmen were ordered to cut a trench
through the rubbish down the axis of the temple, and at a
point 37 feet S.E. of the centre and a few inches N.E. of
the axis, and simultaneously at another point, on the axis
itself, and about 10 feet N. of the first, they came upon a
deposit. This was so unexpected that both M. Naville and
I were away, but, fortunately, M. Naville returned in time
to see the last of the objects taken out of the deposit. M.
Naville gave me the particulars of what he saw, and from
this, added to the account of the workmen, the division of
the objects seems to have been thus :—
S.E. deposit: 32 blue glazed cups (No. 10), 4 mortars,
4 (?) pairs of corn-rubbers, 4 (?) jars and bones above them.
N.W., 3 bronze bricks (No. 13 to 15), one or more pots.
There were four jars complete and one fragment—all
similar, and only one was ascertained to have come from the
N.W. Thus the deposit in the S.E. was quadruple, and
may explain the scanty finds at the four corners. We
hunted over and sifted nearly all the sand that had been
thrown out here, and found (from the S.E. (?)) 3 (originally
4 (?) ) needle-like pegs of carnelian,-pieces of bitumen, and
pieces of clay coated with copper salts.1
The saucers, of rather rough ware, hold specimens of
materials. One (No. 10) contained resin; another (No. 11)
had traces of the coppery earth ; the rest probably bitumen
(as No. 9) and other more perishable substances. The minia-
ture mortars were, as usual, of limestone; the corn-rubbers 2
' Identified by Mr. Fletcher.
■ Similar to the specimens from Naucratis (Vol. I. pi.
XXVI.).
QARAMUS. 55
of sandstone ; the pots of rough red earthenware. The bones
(21) were identified by Dr. Garson as belonging to a calf; the
carnelian pegs were unfortunately lost in transit to England.
Nothing was found on the other side of the axis, nor in
further diggings on the same line ; but the workmen having
received a present for their discovery, produced next day the
green-glazed cartouche-plaque of Philip Arrhidseus (fig. 8),
which they had undoubtedly found the day before and kept
back. The signs upon this interesting object are impressed
and coloured dark blue under the glaze.
In the N. corner of the foundational wall we dug a deep
pit, reaching the base of the wall at a depth of 15 feet, the
bricks throughout measuring 15x7|x5. The clean sand
continued at least 18 inches lower, and we must then have
been deep in the jezireh.3
Behind this temple, or front-apartment, was a space of
40 feet of mud and rubbish, and then another foundation-
wall enclosing a space measuring 91 feet x 56, bricks 7|x 15
inches. This chamber is raised six or seven feet above that
of the front-apartment, and is, like it, filled with sand
covered with chips. We dug 10 or 12 feet into the sand.
Probably upon it was built the raised inner chamber of the
temple. In trenching the disturbed sand, a fine and unique
pair of bronze tongues was discovered, PI. xviii. 1, the arms
terminating in rude imitations of human hands.
The orientation of the temple throughout is careless.
The Egyptian method of making the sides face the cardinal
points was set aside ; the direction has been roughly accom-
modated to that of the ramparts and walls of the S.W. enclo-
sure, and the result is a near approximation to the Babylonian
method.
In the temenos the N.W., S.W., and N.E. walls agree
roughly in direction with the corresponding walls of the
S.W. enclosure. The N.W. has been flattened to produce a
better square. The N. hall of the temple is nearly square,
with the N.W. side of the enclosure ; the axis of the S. hall
is different, to correspond with the wall at the back.
(Axis of gateways B.—C. 124f°; from C. through axis on
N. hall 124°; axis of S. hall 130°.)
In the temple area near the E. corner I have marked a
building of nine chambers. Many similar storehouses were
found both inside and outside the temenos, especially towards
the S.E. rampart. Each chamber appeared to contain a cir-
cular shaft of brick-work, which was in contact with the sides,
but left the corners filled only with rubbish. These were
probably the remains of domed roofs fallen in. The upper
part was often filled with exceedingly hard mud, probably
also from the roof. We cleared some to a depth of twelve
feet, finding rough red pottery of the types PI. xviii. 4 and 5
(pot and lid). We were unable to trace any means of com-
munication between the chambers.
A large part of the S.E. enclosure was covered with a
thick deposit of hard mud, as if alluvial : no doubt the wash
of centuries from the brick walls of the long-deserted
fortress.
3 See Note D.