DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.10361#0085
ME. G. WILLOUGHBY FEASEES EBPOET
ON THE
TOMBS AT BENI HASAN.1
I. NOTES ON THE ARCHITECTURE.
The tombs at Beni Hasan are grouped in two ranges,
facing west, the upper range alone having chambers still
remaining over the tomb-shafts. The lower range con-
sists only of sunken shafts (vide Sketch Survey, Beni
Hasan, Pt. I., PI. ii., where the lower range is marked
" mummy-pits ").
Tomb No. 1. Beginning at the northern end of the
upper range, the first tomb is unfinished and, in fact,
barely commenced.
Tomb No. 2. (Beni Hasan, Pt. I., PI. iv.) The
tomb of Amenemhat is one of the largest, and in general
proportions perhaps the finest in the whole group.
It is composed of an open court, a portico, a main
chamber, and a shrine. The open court presents no
peculiarities; it is merely the result of cutting back
into the cliff in order to obtain a face of rock sufficiently
high for the excavation of the portico. This portico is
formed by two octagonal columns supporting an archi-
trave, above which are the remains of two dentils, the
rest having disappeared. The columns have bases and
abaci, the width of which is the same as that of the
architrave which they support. Inside the portico the
roof is arched, and has a maximum height of 276
1 The general survey and plana of Tombs Nos. 1—14 are
published in Beni Hasan, Pt. I., the remainder of the plans
are in the present volume.
inches. The whole is unfinished, the floor being rough;
is it not possible that the columns were intended to
be sixteen-sided, though the work never got beyond the
octagon stage ?
The great doorway in the centre of the eastern wall of
the portico has been more carefully finished. The height
of 199-5 inches and the width of 72'5 inches seem to point
to a cubit of 20'8 inches being used to lay it out. This
would give a height of 9'5 cubits and a width of 3'5
cubits. The door itself (Pt. I., PI. va) opened inwards,
and was made in a single leaf to the full height of
the doorway. It was pivoted above in a wooden lintel-
beam, the lower pivot resting on a hard heel-stone, which
was let into a quadrant socket cut in the floor of the
main chamber. The jambs of the door, i.e., the thick-
ness of the wall separating the portico and the main
chamber, form a kind of entrance passage. The main
chamber was almost square, the average length of the
side walls being 457 inches, and the greatest variation
in the length of the different sides being ± 1 inch.
This would make a square of 2P97 cubits (or, roughly,
22 cubits), taking the cubit with which it was set out
at 20'8 inches. The southern wall appears in every
way better finished than the others ; the lower portions
of the walls and the floor itself are rough.
The columns, of which there are four (see Pt. I., PI. v.),
are sixteen-sided, slightly fluted, the depth of the flute
varying from 0'42 to 0*26 inch. Those sides, however,
which directly face the east and west centre line of the
ON THE
TOMBS AT BENI HASAN.1
I. NOTES ON THE ARCHITECTURE.
The tombs at Beni Hasan are grouped in two ranges,
facing west, the upper range alone having chambers still
remaining over the tomb-shafts. The lower range con-
sists only of sunken shafts (vide Sketch Survey, Beni
Hasan, Pt. I., PI. ii., where the lower range is marked
" mummy-pits ").
Tomb No. 1. Beginning at the northern end of the
upper range, the first tomb is unfinished and, in fact,
barely commenced.
Tomb No. 2. (Beni Hasan, Pt. I., PI. iv.) The
tomb of Amenemhat is one of the largest, and in general
proportions perhaps the finest in the whole group.
It is composed of an open court, a portico, a main
chamber, and a shrine. The open court presents no
peculiarities; it is merely the result of cutting back
into the cliff in order to obtain a face of rock sufficiently
high for the excavation of the portico. This portico is
formed by two octagonal columns supporting an archi-
trave, above which are the remains of two dentils, the
rest having disappeared. The columns have bases and
abaci, the width of which is the same as that of the
architrave which they support. Inside the portico the
roof is arched, and has a maximum height of 276
1 The general survey and plana of Tombs Nos. 1—14 are
published in Beni Hasan, Pt. I., the remainder of the plans
are in the present volume.
inches. The whole is unfinished, the floor being rough;
is it not possible that the columns were intended to
be sixteen-sided, though the work never got beyond the
octagon stage ?
The great doorway in the centre of the eastern wall of
the portico has been more carefully finished. The height
of 199-5 inches and the width of 72'5 inches seem to point
to a cubit of 20'8 inches being used to lay it out. This
would give a height of 9'5 cubits and a width of 3'5
cubits. The door itself (Pt. I., PI. va) opened inwards,
and was made in a single leaf to the full height of
the doorway. It was pivoted above in a wooden lintel-
beam, the lower pivot resting on a hard heel-stone, which
was let into a quadrant socket cut in the floor of the
main chamber. The jambs of the door, i.e., the thick-
ness of the wall separating the portico and the main
chamber, form a kind of entrance passage. The main
chamber was almost square, the average length of the
side walls being 457 inches, and the greatest variation
in the length of the different sides being ± 1 inch.
This would make a square of 2P97 cubits (or, roughly,
22 cubits), taking the cubit with which it was set out
at 20'8 inches. The southern wall appears in every
way better finished than the others ; the lower portions
of the walls and the floor itself are rough.
The columns, of which there are four (see Pt. I., PI. v.),
are sixteen-sided, slightly fluted, the depth of the flute
varying from 0'42 to 0*26 inch. Those sides, however,
which directly face the east and west centre line of the