DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.10361#0086
72
BENI HASAN.
tomb have been left flat, probably to receive an inscrip-
tion. The columns taper slightly from the base to the
top, which is surmounted by a square abacus of the
same width as the architrave. The sides average 7 "78
inches at the top, 7*82 inches at the centre, and 8*23
inches at the base.
The architraves supported by these columns divide
the roof into three parts, consisting of flat arches
springing from the upper edges of the architraves. The
greatest height from the floor to the intrados or summit
of the arch is 264 inches or 12*5 cubits, whilst the walls
average 242"4 inches or 11 "5 cubits. The height from
the floor to the under-side of the architraves is 212
inches.
A doorway in the centre of the eastern wall, 129
inches (6*2 cubits) high, admits to the shrine, the floor
of which is raised above the level of the main chamber.
The door (Pt. I., PI. va) had two leaves closing in the
centre; the lintel was a wooden beam let in above the
doorway, and quadrant sockets cut in the sill held the
heel-stones.
The shrine itself, a small chamber 104 inches wide
and 86*5 inches long, contained the great Ka-statue of
Amenemhat, seated, with his wife standing on his
right, and his mother on his left hand. The right hand
of the statue of Amenemhat was found below on the hill,
and has been replaced in the shrine. It is closed and
grasps a yellow tie; it measures 8 inches across the
knuckles, so that if we take a human hand to measure
about 3*5 inches at the same place, this would indicate
that the statue was almost two and a half times the
natural size. To judge from this fragment, the work-
manship of the statue must have been coarse and rough,
but to conceal this defect it may have been highly
coloured. There are two sepulchral shafts in this tomb,
which are on the southern side of the main chamber,
but it was not considered desirable to have them cleared.
The dimensions of this tomb will be further dealt
with when comparing it with the following one.
Tomb No. 3. The tomb of Khnemhotep II. (Pt. I.,
PI. xxii.), though smaller than that of Amenemhat and
possibly not so well proportioned, is of much superior
work.
To begin with the portico (which is preceded by an
open court, as in the tomb of Amenemhat), the dentils
above the architrave are almost complete, and the two
sixteen-sided columns are finished. The average width
of the sides is 5*5 inches at the top and 6"3 at the
bottom. Inside the portico we again find an arched
roof, the height to the intrados measuring 212*7 inches.
The great doorway has an average height of 142*75
inches and a width of 56*5 inches, which gives as nearly
as possible 7 cubits of 20*6 inches for the height, and
2*74 cubits for the width. The wall separating the
portico and main chamber has a thickness of 40*03
inches or 1*94 cubit.
The doorway itself was closed by a wooden door
pivoted above in a timber lintel let into the wall, and
below, resting on a pivot block let into a quadrant
socket. The jambs of the doorway proper are not
parallel, the stone having been more cut away on the
south side, so that the passage widens inwards; this
would give the idea of a door of considerable thickness
and fitting well.
From an example found in the small tomb No. 34,
the heel-stone of the great doors appears to have been
a roughly shaped hard stone, such as dolerite, with a
shallow depression on the upper surface for the door-post
to work in.
The main chamber in the tomb of Khnemhotep is
not quite square, the length averaging 377*26 inches,
while the breadth averages 382-06 inches, showing a
difference of 4*8 inches. The breadth seems to be in-
tended for 18*5 cubits, whilst the length may have been
set out with a cubit rather worn, about *26 of an inch
too short.
The roof is arranged in three flat arches, with a height
of 232*8 inches or 11*2 cubits from the intrados to the
floor. The columns were sixteen-sided, but without
fluting; they have all been cut clean away, even the
bases having gone. The height from the floor to the
under-side of the architraves averages 192*95 inches or
9*3 cubits, so that the columns themselves must have
been about 9 cubits high.
In this tomb the floor of the shrine is on the same
level as that of the main chamber, but there is a raised
threshold in the doorway. The shrine doorway has an
average height of 109*22 inches or about 5*3 cubits, and
a width of 43*7 inches or 2*1 cubits. The interior of
the shrine is far better finished than that in the tomb of
Amenemhat. It measures 121*36 inches in length and
91*52 inches in breadth, with an average height of
114*9 inches, giving respective cubit measures of 5*8, 4*4,
and 5*5 cubits. It contained a large seated figure of
Khnemhotep; a portion of the face of which was found
lying, like the hand of Amenemhat, on the hill side;
but the figure is too mutilated to admit of any exact
BENI HASAN.
tomb have been left flat, probably to receive an inscrip-
tion. The columns taper slightly from the base to the
top, which is surmounted by a square abacus of the
same width as the architrave. The sides average 7 "78
inches at the top, 7*82 inches at the centre, and 8*23
inches at the base.
The architraves supported by these columns divide
the roof into three parts, consisting of flat arches
springing from the upper edges of the architraves. The
greatest height from the floor to the intrados or summit
of the arch is 264 inches or 12*5 cubits, whilst the walls
average 242"4 inches or 11 "5 cubits. The height from
the floor to the under-side of the architraves is 212
inches.
A doorway in the centre of the eastern wall, 129
inches (6*2 cubits) high, admits to the shrine, the floor
of which is raised above the level of the main chamber.
The door (Pt. I., PI. va) had two leaves closing in the
centre; the lintel was a wooden beam let in above the
doorway, and quadrant sockets cut in the sill held the
heel-stones.
The shrine itself, a small chamber 104 inches wide
and 86*5 inches long, contained the great Ka-statue of
Amenemhat, seated, with his wife standing on his
right, and his mother on his left hand. The right hand
of the statue of Amenemhat was found below on the hill,
and has been replaced in the shrine. It is closed and
grasps a yellow tie; it measures 8 inches across the
knuckles, so that if we take a human hand to measure
about 3*5 inches at the same place, this would indicate
that the statue was almost two and a half times the
natural size. To judge from this fragment, the work-
manship of the statue must have been coarse and rough,
but to conceal this defect it may have been highly
coloured. There are two sepulchral shafts in this tomb,
which are on the southern side of the main chamber,
but it was not considered desirable to have them cleared.
The dimensions of this tomb will be further dealt
with when comparing it with the following one.
Tomb No. 3. The tomb of Khnemhotep II. (Pt. I.,
PI. xxii.), though smaller than that of Amenemhat and
possibly not so well proportioned, is of much superior
work.
To begin with the portico (which is preceded by an
open court, as in the tomb of Amenemhat), the dentils
above the architrave are almost complete, and the two
sixteen-sided columns are finished. The average width
of the sides is 5*5 inches at the top and 6"3 at the
bottom. Inside the portico we again find an arched
roof, the height to the intrados measuring 212*7 inches.
The great doorway has an average height of 142*75
inches and a width of 56*5 inches, which gives as nearly
as possible 7 cubits of 20*6 inches for the height, and
2*74 cubits for the width. The wall separating the
portico and main chamber has a thickness of 40*03
inches or 1*94 cubit.
The doorway itself was closed by a wooden door
pivoted above in a timber lintel let into the wall, and
below, resting on a pivot block let into a quadrant
socket. The jambs of the doorway proper are not
parallel, the stone having been more cut away on the
south side, so that the passage widens inwards; this
would give the idea of a door of considerable thickness
and fitting well.
From an example found in the small tomb No. 34,
the heel-stone of the great doors appears to have been
a roughly shaped hard stone, such as dolerite, with a
shallow depression on the upper surface for the door-post
to work in.
The main chamber in the tomb of Khnemhotep is
not quite square, the length averaging 377*26 inches,
while the breadth averages 382-06 inches, showing a
difference of 4*8 inches. The breadth seems to be in-
tended for 18*5 cubits, whilst the length may have been
set out with a cubit rather worn, about *26 of an inch
too short.
The roof is arranged in three flat arches, with a height
of 232*8 inches or 11*2 cubits from the intrados to the
floor. The columns were sixteen-sided, but without
fluting; they have all been cut clean away, even the
bases having gone. The height from the floor to the
under-side of the architraves averages 192*95 inches or
9*3 cubits, so that the columns themselves must have
been about 9 cubits high.
In this tomb the floor of the shrine is on the same
level as that of the main chamber, but there is a raised
threshold in the doorway. The shrine doorway has an
average height of 109*22 inches or about 5*3 cubits, and
a width of 43*7 inches or 2*1 cubits. The interior of
the shrine is far better finished than that in the tomb of
Amenemhat. It measures 121*36 inches in length and
91*52 inches in breadth, with an average height of
114*9 inches, giving respective cubit measures of 5*8, 4*4,
and 5*5 cubits. It contained a large seated figure of
Khnemhotep; a portion of the face of which was found
lying, like the hand of Amenemhat, on the hill side;
but the figure is too mutilated to admit of any exact