DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4192#0065
58
EL BERSHEH.
made in three pieces; the painted inscription
had unfortunately been washed off by successive
rains.
At No. 1 (compare sketch survey on pi. hi.)
we meet with the first of the great Xllth
Dynasty tombs. It was made for Nehera's son
Tehutinekht. In plan (see pi. iv.) the tomb
consists of a rectangular chamber with flat
ceiling, measuring 250"x314-15", with a height
of 145"25", cut in the solid rock. The roof is
ornamented with stars and lines of inscription ;
it is not supported by columns. The outer door-
way probably had plain square jambs and lintel.
In the centre of the eastern wall is a small
shrine, raised 16*25" above the floor of the main
chamber. The shrine doorway has a height of
86-05", and width of 57'4", the jambs being
12-5" wide. Inside, the shrine measures 47'2" X
67*1", with an average height of 87'5". It con-
tained a seated statue of Tehuti-nekht cut in
the rock, but this has been defaced.
In the centre of the main chamber is a single
great shaft, measuring 154" X 68", which we
were unable to clear, as the great mass of the
fallen roof lies over it.
Here it must be remarked that all the upper
tombs have suffered more or less severely from
a great earthquake. The wave seems to have
been almost straight from east to west. The
date of this earthquake is not known, but the
tomb we are dealing with gives us one impor-
tant piece of evidence, namely, that before the
roof fell in during the earthquake the front
wall of the tomb had been almost entirely
quarried away. This accounts for the fact
that but little of the front wall and none of
the doorway were found in our excavations.
Though the Egyptians robbed tombs, it seems
improbable that they would be guilty of the open
sacrilege of quarrying a tomb until at any rate
very late times. Again, the only quarry on this
side of the valley, which has suffered much from
the earthquake, is that which was extensively
worked under Nekhtnebef, showing that in his
time (the XXXth Dynasty) there was no ne-
cessity to quarry tombs, as large quarries were
then being worked here. From a consideration
of these facts I am inclined to the opinion that
the quarrying of the tombs began about the
time of the second Persian rule, and that shortly
afterwards, somewhere about the year 320 B.C.,
the great earthquake occurred, which to a great
extent buried the tombs and blocked the quarry
of Nekhtnebef. This event led to the abandon-
ment of all quarrying along the higher levels,
and the commencement of the great series
of quarries in the ravine at the base of the
hills.
The effect of the earthquake on Tomb No. 1
was to cause the north and south walls to fall
inwards, and the roof to shoot forward in a
westerly direction, where the front portion now
lies, altogether outside the tomb. The back
portion of the roof was split up into some four
or five great masses, and fell inside the chamber
area, but the shrine and east walls escaped
with only slight damage. I was thus able, with
Mr. Blackden's assistance, to rebuild a large
portion of the south wall, of which we found the
greater part in the course of our excavation.
We will now pass on to No. 2, between which
and No. 1 there is an uninscribed square tomb
(K, pi. iii.), which we found completely buried.
Its floor was at a somewhat lower level than
No. 1. The upper parts of the walls have
been quarried away; the chamber measures
117'4"x 134'5", and contains two shafts; the
door faces west, and measures 29'5" wide.
Tomb No. 2.—This is the finest tomb in
the group. It was made for Kay's son Tehuti-
hetep (see Part I., pis. i.-iv.).
It is entered through a large portico having
two columns with round shafts and palm-leaf
capitals. The bases of the columns are circular,
and raised 6 in. above floor-level. The lower
diameter of the columns is 26 in. ; the capitals
were surmounted by square abaci of the same
width as the architrave which they supported,
~,
EL BERSHEH.
made in three pieces; the painted inscription
had unfortunately been washed off by successive
rains.
At No. 1 (compare sketch survey on pi. hi.)
we meet with the first of the great Xllth
Dynasty tombs. It was made for Nehera's son
Tehutinekht. In plan (see pi. iv.) the tomb
consists of a rectangular chamber with flat
ceiling, measuring 250"x314-15", with a height
of 145"25", cut in the solid rock. The roof is
ornamented with stars and lines of inscription ;
it is not supported by columns. The outer door-
way probably had plain square jambs and lintel.
In the centre of the eastern wall is a small
shrine, raised 16*25" above the floor of the main
chamber. The shrine doorway has a height of
86-05", and width of 57'4", the jambs being
12-5" wide. Inside, the shrine measures 47'2" X
67*1", with an average height of 87'5". It con-
tained a seated statue of Tehuti-nekht cut in
the rock, but this has been defaced.
In the centre of the main chamber is a single
great shaft, measuring 154" X 68", which we
were unable to clear, as the great mass of the
fallen roof lies over it.
Here it must be remarked that all the upper
tombs have suffered more or less severely from
a great earthquake. The wave seems to have
been almost straight from east to west. The
date of this earthquake is not known, but the
tomb we are dealing with gives us one impor-
tant piece of evidence, namely, that before the
roof fell in during the earthquake the front
wall of the tomb had been almost entirely
quarried away. This accounts for the fact
that but little of the front wall and none of
the doorway were found in our excavations.
Though the Egyptians robbed tombs, it seems
improbable that they would be guilty of the open
sacrilege of quarrying a tomb until at any rate
very late times. Again, the only quarry on this
side of the valley, which has suffered much from
the earthquake, is that which was extensively
worked under Nekhtnebef, showing that in his
time (the XXXth Dynasty) there was no ne-
cessity to quarry tombs, as large quarries were
then being worked here. From a consideration
of these facts I am inclined to the opinion that
the quarrying of the tombs began about the
time of the second Persian rule, and that shortly
afterwards, somewhere about the year 320 B.C.,
the great earthquake occurred, which to a great
extent buried the tombs and blocked the quarry
of Nekhtnebef. This event led to the abandon-
ment of all quarrying along the higher levels,
and the commencement of the great series
of quarries in the ravine at the base of the
hills.
The effect of the earthquake on Tomb No. 1
was to cause the north and south walls to fall
inwards, and the roof to shoot forward in a
westerly direction, where the front portion now
lies, altogether outside the tomb. The back
portion of the roof was split up into some four
or five great masses, and fell inside the chamber
area, but the shrine and east walls escaped
with only slight damage. I was thus able, with
Mr. Blackden's assistance, to rebuild a large
portion of the south wall, of which we found the
greater part in the course of our excavation.
We will now pass on to No. 2, between which
and No. 1 there is an uninscribed square tomb
(K, pi. iii.), which we found completely buried.
Its floor was at a somewhat lower level than
No. 1. The upper parts of the walls have
been quarried away; the chamber measures
117'4"x 134'5", and contains two shafts; the
door faces west, and measures 29'5" wide.
Tomb No. 2.—This is the finest tomb in
the group. It was made for Kay's son Tehuti-
hetep (see Part I., pis. i.-iv.).
It is entered through a large portico having
two columns with round shafts and palm-leaf
capitals. The bases of the columns are circular,
and raised 6 in. above floor-level. The lower
diameter of the columns is 26 in. ; the capitals
were surmounted by square abaci of the same
width as the architrave which they supported,
~,