DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4147#0036
AECHITECTUliAL DESCRIPTION.
29
history is arrived at in this, as it may be in nearly all
constructions of masonry, not by documentary evidence,
nor even by examining the sculptures and insertions
on the walls, but, as has been before hinted at, by a
careful scrutiny of the walls themselves, by observing
where there are joints running vertically or nearly so
for the full height of a wall, or where the courses in
which the stones are laid suddenly change, &c, &c.
There can be little doubt that the central sanctuary
or speos was first built with its granite doorway;
then followed the walls to the north and south of it,
together with the north wall of the upper platform
coui't and the altar court behind it, and also the south
wall of the upper platform court with the two small
chambers south of it, and the southern Hall of Offer-
ings.
The east wall of the upper platform court, in the
middle of which we see the granite doorway at the
head of the central causeway, was next constructed,
and probably the Northern Speos, the whole of the
middle colonnade with the colonnade above it, and the
southern or Hathor Speos, but without the vestibule
in front, i.e. east of it. Then would follow the great
retaining wall which supports the middle platform on
its southern side. After this wall was finished the
vestibule was built in front of the Hathor or Southern
Speos, the various schemes for approaching it having
been already referred to when describing the retaining
wall. The works seem to have proceeded regularly
eastward, but the northern colonnade, which shows
every evidence of having been begun at the same time
that the Northern Speos was built, seems never to
have been completed. A further proof of this is seen
in that the interior of the shrines has been left quite
unfinished. They reveal plain walling only, without
sculpture or painting. The evidence here is not in
favour of a finished building ruined, but of one never
completed.
The temple must have stood in the condition above
indicated, i.e. complete all but the northern colonnade,
for a considerable time. Then came the defacement of
certain inscriptions and cartouches, and, in the time of
Rameses II., a clumsy reparation and restoration.
It is not improbable that a somewhat serious calamity
may have overtaken the building before these reiDairs
were carried out, as we find parts of square columns
set up in the area of the middle platform as though
they had been overthrown and dislodged from their
true places in the colonnades. These had been put
together again in a clumsy way, as a preparation for
reinstatement. A considerable number of the columns,
still occupying their true position, showed evidence,
when they were cleared of the debris in which they
were buried, that they had received some impulse from
a westward direction. We have also observed the
dislocation that took place in the sanctuary walls,
evidently at an early period in the history of the
temple.
It is probable that a serious fall from the over-
hanging cliffs was the cause of the damage. The mass
of material which caused the evil must have been
removed, as it is evident that the upper platform court
was cleared, else the little portico which stood before the
sanctuary doorway could not have been built. At this
time also the sanctuary was lengthened westward by
the addition of a small chamber excavated into the
mountain. It seems fair to suppose that, after the
addition of the portico, the upper court remained fairly
unencumbered for a considerable period, as the Coptic
buildings were for the most part built on the pavement
of the court, and much of this pavement is original, as
we can tell by the marks prepared for the columns and
some of their bases, which are still in position.
Then must have followed some very serious falls
from the cliffs above, burying nearly the whole of the
temple beneath a mound of debris sloping down from
the west eastward.
At last, in the XlXth century, the temple was
cleared, in part by Mariette and others, but finally
and completely by the Egypt Exploration Fund,
and certain {>arts were covered over to protect them
from the intemperances of the Egyptian climate.
Sculptures that have been buried for very many
centuries become, in the climate of this hot valley,
absolutely dry. They are exposed, when uncovered,
to several varieties of hardship. One is the effect of
the blazing and burning sun contrasting with the cold
at night. The difference of contraction and expansion
affects limestone more seriously than sandstone, and
the delicate surface is more easily broken or scaled off.
Another evil effect on the all too dry stone is caused
by a shower of rain, be it ever so slight. The water is
at once sucked in by the stone, the painting on the
surface begins to run, and the sculpture shows a
tendency to peel off.
When the Punt sculptures were cleared by Mariette,
the colour upon them was well preserved. They
remained exposed for many years, and in consequence
I
29
history is arrived at in this, as it may be in nearly all
constructions of masonry, not by documentary evidence,
nor even by examining the sculptures and insertions
on the walls, but, as has been before hinted at, by a
careful scrutiny of the walls themselves, by observing
where there are joints running vertically or nearly so
for the full height of a wall, or where the courses in
which the stones are laid suddenly change, &c, &c.
There can be little doubt that the central sanctuary
or speos was first built with its granite doorway;
then followed the walls to the north and south of it,
together with the north wall of the upper platform
coui't and the altar court behind it, and also the south
wall of the upper platform court with the two small
chambers south of it, and the southern Hall of Offer-
ings.
The east wall of the upper platform court, in the
middle of which we see the granite doorway at the
head of the central causeway, was next constructed,
and probably the Northern Speos, the whole of the
middle colonnade with the colonnade above it, and the
southern or Hathor Speos, but without the vestibule
in front, i.e. east of it. Then would follow the great
retaining wall which supports the middle platform on
its southern side. After this wall was finished the
vestibule was built in front of the Hathor or Southern
Speos, the various schemes for approaching it having
been already referred to when describing the retaining
wall. The works seem to have proceeded regularly
eastward, but the northern colonnade, which shows
every evidence of having been begun at the same time
that the Northern Speos was built, seems never to
have been completed. A further proof of this is seen
in that the interior of the shrines has been left quite
unfinished. They reveal plain walling only, without
sculpture or painting. The evidence here is not in
favour of a finished building ruined, but of one never
completed.
The temple must have stood in the condition above
indicated, i.e. complete all but the northern colonnade,
for a considerable time. Then came the defacement of
certain inscriptions and cartouches, and, in the time of
Rameses II., a clumsy reparation and restoration.
It is not improbable that a somewhat serious calamity
may have overtaken the building before these reiDairs
were carried out, as we find parts of square columns
set up in the area of the middle platform as though
they had been overthrown and dislodged from their
true places in the colonnades. These had been put
together again in a clumsy way, as a preparation for
reinstatement. A considerable number of the columns,
still occupying their true position, showed evidence,
when they were cleared of the debris in which they
were buried, that they had received some impulse from
a westward direction. We have also observed the
dislocation that took place in the sanctuary walls,
evidently at an early period in the history of the
temple.
It is probable that a serious fall from the over-
hanging cliffs was the cause of the damage. The mass
of material which caused the evil must have been
removed, as it is evident that the upper platform court
was cleared, else the little portico which stood before the
sanctuary doorway could not have been built. At this
time also the sanctuary was lengthened westward by
the addition of a small chamber excavated into the
mountain. It seems fair to suppose that, after the
addition of the portico, the upper court remained fairly
unencumbered for a considerable period, as the Coptic
buildings were for the most part built on the pavement
of the court, and much of this pavement is original, as
we can tell by the marks prepared for the columns and
some of their bases, which are still in position.
Then must have followed some very serious falls
from the cliffs above, burying nearly the whole of the
temple beneath a mound of debris sloping down from
the west eastward.
At last, in the XlXth century, the temple was
cleared, in part by Mariette and others, but finally
and completely by the Egypt Exploration Fund,
and certain {>arts were covered over to protect them
from the intemperances of the Egyptian climate.
Sculptures that have been buried for very many
centuries become, in the climate of this hot valley,
absolutely dry. They are exposed, when uncovered,
to several varieties of hardship. One is the effect of
the blazing and burning sun contrasting with the cold
at night. The difference of contraction and expansion
affects limestone more seriously than sandstone, and
the delicate surface is more easily broken or scaled off.
Another evil effect on the all too dry stone is caused
by a shower of rain, be it ever so slight. The water is
at once sucked in by the stone, the painting on the
surface begins to run, and the sculpture shows a
tendency to peel off.
When the Punt sculptures were cleared by Mariette,
the colour upon them was well preserved. They
remained exposed for many years, and in consequence
I